Renewable Energy for Your Home: Using Off-Grid Energy to Reduce Your Footprint, Lower Your Bills and be More Self-Sufficient

by Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater

Global warming. Rising fuel prices. Dependency on foreign energy. Never have so many Americans been more motivated to invest in renewable energy right in their residence. Leaving the technical jargon and contractor's lingo behind, this book offers clear, practical solutions that any homeowner can put to use right now. Cutting through the confusing requirements and costs, the book allows average homeowners to find solutions that best fit their set-up, lifestyle and budget by explaining each possible energy solution with clear, practical illustrations and straight-forward descriptions. From which type of solar panel fits your roof and sun exposure to finding the most efficient part of your yard to set up a small wind turbine to determining if geothermal energy is an option, Renewable Energy for Your Home is packed with hints, tips and do-it-yourself instructions to reduce carbon footprints and save on ever-rising energy bills.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Chris Doelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource for folks looking to learn about getting off the grid and energy self-sufficient. Again, it is a good overview. I would recommend a library copy though as it doesn’t go into enough detail to keep in your own library.

[Yevgeniy Kravtsov · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is an overview of the various energy options for an off-grid dwelling. While it provides useful information and can be a good starting point for many topics, it suffers from amateurish tone, redundancy, lack of practical information, and questionable recommendations. Of course, much of it can be contributed to the focus and the size of the book, but I think it could also be better.

Worth checking out from the library to take a glance at options available, not worth owning as it makes for poor reference.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a lot of good information about a variety of systems presented in this book. It would be a good resource if one were building a truly off-grid house.