Customer Reviews

Consumer Guide to Solar Energy

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sklar and Sheinkopf know their stuff. They offer practical advice on how to install and use solar energy. The book includes information on tax breaks and how to buy everything you need. This book is a hands-on guide that takes you through the whole process.

If you watch solar commercials on TV you will understand the depth of this book. Want to figure out if Solar Electric is *Really* a good idea for you? This isn't the book. There's a bunch of cheerleading for the concept but no real details to give you the basis for deciding.

If you want to go solar because it's 'green' then skip this book - the authors think so too and you already know enough to proceed. If you want to determine if it's cost effective - buy something else.

On the other hand, there are a bunch of ideas I hadn't run into - how to use solar power to light your house number - how to bake beans in the backyard without using the stove, etc. You might like it for those insights!

This is a great guide for people wanting a basic understanding of solar energy and its use in a home application. It references a lot of resources in the book. It just touches on commercial applications but this book is geared to residential.

I purchased this book as a resource at the start of the design phase of our custom home. I read it and never opened it again. It simply lacks the depth in any area to be useful and frankly seemed very dated to me despite the 2002 copyright. The key flaw for me is the book seems more like a lightly annotated outline of a huge number of solar applications than a book that would increase my knowledge.