Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook-12th Edition: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies & Sustainable Living (Paperback)

by John Schaeffer (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Do you want to harvest sunlight, wind or falling water to power your home? Or sell that renewable energy back to your utility company? Are you looking to build your dream eco-home? Or to convert to biodiesel and minimize your fossil fuel use?

This fully updated classic of sustainable living technology tells how and gives you access to the world's most extensive selection of hardware to make it all happen. The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook-12th Edition is the ultimate resource on renewable energy, sustainable living, alternative construction, green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living and alternative transportation, written by experts with decades of personal experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge. In print and regularly updated since 1982, the Sourcebook has sold over 600,000 copies in 44 countries. This 12th edition includes brand-new sections on solar utility intertie, alternative sources of fuel (including biodiesel and hydrogen fuel cells) and hybrid vehicles, and completely rewritten sections on land and shelter, emergency preparedness and energy conservation, as well as in-depth sections on:

Sunshine to electricity
From panel to plug
Water systems
Water heating
Water and air purification
Composting toilets and graywater systems
Off-the-grid living and homesteading tools
Mobility

Plus over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, electrical code, solar sizing worksheets and much more.

Whether you're a layperson or a professional, novice or longtime aficionado, the Sourcebook puts the latest research and newest products at your fingertips-all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality.

John Schaeffer is the president and founder of Real Goods-the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable energy products. The recipient of numerous awards, Real Goods hosts an annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California.

About the Author
John Schaeffer is the President and founder of Real Goods the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable energy products and a pioneer in the environmental, healthy living and sustainability markets. The recipient of numerous awards, Real Goods hosts an annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: New Society Publishers; 12 edition (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 091657105X
• ISBN-13: 978-0916571054
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #316,858 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Of The Bunch, February 5, 2007

By	David Stebbins - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is the absolute best for covering renewable energy on a residential-sized scale. It covers all things solar/renewable energy: converting solar energy to electricity, wind generators, solar water heating, solar water pumping, energy conservation, off-the-electrical grid and grid intertie applications. There's an appendix with charts, maps and worksheets that help you design your own solar home and energy system. It is well written, with the information easy to follow. There is just enough theory included so you can follow the technical descriptions of the system components. It's got 564 pages and there's not much wasted space.
I have lived off-grid for six years and teach a renewable energy class at a nearby community college. I tell my students that if they are going to buy just one book on renewable energy, to buy this, the latest edition of the Solar Living Sourcebook.
Keep in mind, this is a catalog for Giam/Real Goods. Products and services are described and prices are listed. They would like you to do business with them. I have found that many of the products listed can be found cheaper elsewhere, but having the prices listed is a plus...you can put together a system and get a ball-park figure on how much the system will cost you. In my opinion, Real Goods is a reputable company, very service oriented, and very knowledgeable.
If you want more information on residential sized renewable energy systems, the magazine Home Power (www.homepower.com) is superb. They publish six issues a year, with a hands-on type format that makes you want to get out there and build something!
If you are interested in using solar energy to make electricity, but want the advantages of being tied to the grid, the book Got Sun? Go Solar by Rex Ewing and Doug Pratt is excellent. If living off-the-grid is your interest, The Renewable Energy Handbook by William Kemp is very good.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sourcebook of solar living devices ranging from water heaters and air purification systems, September 4, 2005

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

John Schaeffer's 12th edition of Real Goods Solar Living Source Book is an even richer presentation, following through with a sourcebook of solar living devices ranging from water heaters and air purification systems to composing toilets and heating systems. It's more than a sourcebook alone, however: articles discuss pros and cons of each system choice, typical uses, and adaptability. Packed with black and white photos, charts, and explanations, Solar Living Source Book covers all renewable energy technologies.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, January 11, 2007

By	Robert C. Grove "Bob Grove" (Brookeville, MD United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Boy, if you want to know not only the theory of alternative energy, but how to implement it in your home, this is the book. Each chapter tells you the pros and cons of each type (solar, wind, microhydroelectric, geothermal...) and then gives you real products available today to buy and install. One tip: You may be able to get the products cheaper somewhere else, though. Shop around. Well done.