Got Sun? Go Solar: Get Free Renewable Energy to Power Your Grid-Tied Home (Paperback)

by Rex A. Ewing; Doug Pratt (Author) "There are many good reasons to install alternative energy, some of them green, fuzzy, and warm; some of them hard economic facts..." (more)
Key Phrases: sunny boy, power centers, tower kits, Windy Boy, Sunny Island, Doug Pratt (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Learn a new vocabulary! Take a refresher course on the electrical power of the sun and the wind! Although the enthusiasm of renewable-energy experts Ewing and Pratt might get a bit wearing, they've developed a nontechnical reference and guide for home owners thinking about pulling the plug on their utility connections. In fact, after a look at the table of contents, the appendixes just might be the right place to start figuring out whether photovoltaic panel installation makes sense geographically and financially and which states offer rebates or incentives. A host of resources is also offered. Sidebars (e.g., special meter or no?) and trivia (e.g., the watt is named after its Scottish-born inventor) plus numerous charts, illustrations, and anecdotes help demystify the science and math. No windy authors here. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
GOT SUN gets it right. Clear and concise, all the information needed by anyone who wants solar or wind energy. -- Jeff Wolfe, Global Resource Options

GOT SUN gets it right. Clear and concise, all the information needed by anyone who wants solar or wind energy. --Jeff Wolfe, Global Resource Options

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: PixyJack Press, LLC (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965809870
• ISBN-13: 978-0965809870
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,552 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Books > Home & Garden > Sustainable Living > Energy Efficiency
  #6 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Energy
  #21 in	Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Remodeling & Renovation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars realistic, practical guidance, September 21, 2005

By	Janet Rivera Switzer (Colorado) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've lived off-grid with a PV system long enough to recognize how realistic and practical Rex's books and magazine articles on solar living are. Now preparing to build on property already furnished with grid power, I wondered whether a grid-intertie system was a good idea or if it would turn out to be just a costly indulgence of my renewable-energy philosophies. Now that I've met Rex and LaVonne, visited their PV-powered home, and read this book, I'm convinced that there will be no regrets.

Where I live there are apparently no financial incentives, other than net metering, for grid-intertie installations. This book points out that many states and localities do have quite attractive incentive programs and suggests ways to find out. If you live in such a place, lucky you! Go for it!

"Got Sun? Go Solar" doesn't provide all the information you'll need. There are too many variables: personal preference, budget, climate, local politics and attitudes, and so on. Rex and his co-author, Doug Pratt, have instead compiled a guidebook with enough technical background to understand the nature of grid-intertie technology plus resources (many on the Internet) where you can acquire the rest of the information you need.

Don't be concerned that this will be dry reading. The only "dry" is the humor that fills the book. In the world of PV energy there are many funny stories and you'll get to read some of them.

64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Got Sun, a great first book., November 29, 2005

By	G. Bankston (Molutrie, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought the Idiot's Guide and this book.

This book covers actual equipment and actual costs, a big plus
for me. I liked the technical information, maps, diagrams and
illustrations. You can find enough information in this book to
get started. It is complete enough that it may scare some people
into hiring a contractor to do the work.

There are some important technologies coming in the field of
solar cells. A friend builds satellites, and told me of PV
cell efficiencies of up to 26% and higher coming soon. Couple
this with the world wide shortage of PV cells, makes prices high
now.

All in all, you should have this book before you buy solar electric equipment.

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Start, October 16, 2005

By	Markus Egger "www.MarkusEgger.com/blog" (Spring, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are interested in solar power, then this book will get you started. It is a quick read and it will answer a lot of questions you might have at the very beginning of your journey towards a solar-powered home. Is it going to answer all the questions? No. But it will answer your fundamental questions, and after reading this book, you will know what questions to ask next.