New Solar Home, The [Paperback]

Stephen Snyder (Author), Dave Bonta (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2009

Authors Dave Bonta and Stephen Snyder of USA Solar Stores illustrate exceptional homes that are groundbreaking not only in their use of renewable energy but also in their commitment to recycling and repurposing materials used in construction and reducing the impact on the surrounding environment through sensitive building methods. With details on why these homeowners decided to go solar and how having a solar home can save money in the long run, these solar beauties are sure to inspire homeowners to create or remodel their own solar sanctuaries.

Dave Bonta writes about alternative energy and sustainable living for Green Living, Back Home Magazine, Alternative Energy Retailer, and the Vermont Guardian. He is a frequent speaker at major green energy conferences and lives in Perkinsville, Vermont.

Stephen Snyder, communications director for USA Solar Stores, is a freelance writer who lives in Perkinsville, Vermont.

Shows how solar technology can be stylishly utilized in various home sizes and locales

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The New Solar Home features a variety of solar dwellings of different sizes and locales, from 1,600 to 4,000 square feet or more, and in large cities, suburbs, and remote rural sites. From an umbrella home in beautiful California and a stunning luxury condominium in New York to a Chicago brownstone-style home in Illinois and a pueblo-style gem in the foothills of Santa Fe, solar homes have come a long way from the PV-clad creations of the 1980s.

Bonta and Snyder successfully demonstrate that today's solar homes are attractive, good financial investments, and comfortable places for daily living. These exceptional homes are groundbreaking not only in their use of renewable energy but also in their commitment to recycling and repurposing materials.

Get details on why these homeowners decided to go solar, and find out how having a solar home can save you money in the long run. Whether you're looking to build a new home or simply remodel an existing one, the solar beauties within these pages are sure to inspire you to create your own solar sanctuary.

Dave Bonta, President and Founder of USA Solar Stores, the largest renewable energy retailer in the Northeast, has written about alternative energy and sustainable living for Green Living, Back Home Magazine, Alternative Energy Retailer, and The Vermont Guardian. Bonta has studied renewable energy and energy efficiency for more than twenty years, is a frequent speaker at major green energy conferences across America, and is a tireless advocate for green living. He lives in Perkinsville, Vermont.

Stephen Snyder is also the author of The Brewmaster's Bible (HarperCollins), The Beer Companion (Simon & Schuster), and The Brewmaster's Recipe Manual. He lives in Vermont.

About the Author

Stephen Snyder, communications director for USA Solar Stores, also works as a freelance writer and has published The Brewmaster's Bible (HarperCollins), The Beer Companion (Simon & Schuster) and The Brewmaster's Recipe Manual.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith; 1 Original edition (October 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423603907
• ISBN-13: 978-1423603900
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,318,847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enthusiastically recommended especially in today's modern era of rising fuel costs, November 15, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: New Solar Home, The (Paperback)

The New Solar Home reveals just how greatly solar homes have evolved from the PV-covered buildings of the 1980s. In the long run, a solar home can save one money, whether one lives in a large city, a suburb, or a remote rural location. Filled with stunning, full-color photography of the interiors and exteriors of solar homes, The New Solar Home is both a resource filled with inspirational ideas and a practical guide to different types of solar-powered systems one can incorporate into one's dwelling. A handy resource for anyone seeking to build a new home or remodel their existing one, enthusiastically recommended especially in today's modern era of rising fuel costs.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, November 13, 2009

By 

Melissa M. Melton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New Solar Home, The (Paperback)

Great book! Full of a wide assortment of really inspiring solar homes with lots of good insider advice and tips. The homeowners' desire to do what's right and still have a sense of style really comes through. The list of green features for each home is also helping me build a shopping list for my home! I appreciate that it has a nice list of recommended reading which you'll probably need to manage your own solar project. "Shop around for the right architect and builder" seems to be the key advice here.

3.0 out of 5 stars More of a coffee table book, February 23, 2010

By 

Robert C. Mclean - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: New Solar Home, The (Paperback)

This is a fluffy book. Lot's of pictures and little else. The houses are designed more for design than efficiency. Form does not follow function. There are no drawings of layouts so it would be hard to transpose any ideas.

That being said, there were a lot of pretty pictures of pretty houses that seemed nominally to incorporate solar ideas.