Customer Reviews

The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Best single source of information on this subject I've seen, as a professional in this field. Though perhaps not enough detail for expert system designers, it nevertheless
covers each item in some depth and explains it on a level that the layperson can not just understand, but maybe enjoy reading. Very good summary of a very large subject.
Excellent. I'll be giving them out to my customers. Nick
Houser, Off Grid Services.

I own, consult for and sell items related to Solar Power and other forms of Renewable Energy. I read this book and use it as reference when people approach me about using Renewable Energy. It is a great source of knowledge and the author lives what he wrote about, which is refreshing. I recently ordered another 5 copies to pass out when people order a complete system from me, as a guide to other components they might need in their pursuit of Energy Indpendence. Maverick Solar

I bought this book at the same time as another very good renewable energy reference based on the "Customers who bought this..." cross sell offered by Amazon. That's a mistake I won't make again.

The book may be helpful to a neophyte in the renewable energy field, but anyone with any kind of background will find it very basic. That the author uses the book to make subtle political statements is annoying. I was looking for detailed information, not political diatribe. I was disappointed.

This Book let me down a bit because I was looking for a straight forward presentation of the subject matter. While the technical information is there I found it to be smothered in the current political hype being used to justify the turn to Alternative Energy Sources. I didn't purchase this Book to be convinced of the wisdom of Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources. I'm already there. That's why I sought out a Hand Book type of book on the subject.

I would have given this book a four-star rating if not for the preaching that permeated each chapter. I didn't buy this book to learn how to save the planet from evil, wasteful humans. Having written that, the author does a good job explaining varied methods to exist without relying on the commercial power grid. Descriptions on different methods/technologies to accommodate the want to be self-sufficient when it comes to electrical power are comprehensive.

I'm building a new house and I want to make sure it's the most energy efficient house I can afford to build, so I got this book to help look at some of the decisions like Solar PV, Solar water heating, Wind and Micro hydroelectric. I have been happy so far, the discussion on insulating so far has been geared toward existing houses but it's interesting to note that insulating the basement may give you a higher payback than more insulation in the attic.

I didn't understand what net-metering allows you to do before reading this book, although living in Georgia makes a PV system cost prohibitive since there are no state rebates.

Solar hot water looks very feasible and should have a pretty quick payback.

Consulting electronics and software designer and green technology advocate William H. Kemp presents The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living, a handbook to home improvement via stretching one's energy dollars and supporting environmental concerns through powering one's home with clean, dependable, renewable energy. Especially valuable for homeowners who live far from utility poles and power grids, but useful for all homeowners, The Renewable Energy Handbook covers energy-efficient home design considerations, especially factors that should be taken into account when renovating an older home; tips for appliance selection; an in-depth primer for off-grid living; electrical production through photovoltaic means, wind turbines, micro hydro electricity production, batteries, and fossil fuel backup power sources; how to apply and connect all the different aspects of green power safely; and much more. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this home improvement guide for readers of all backgrounds. The Renewable Energy Handbook is for both energy-conscious do-it-yourselfers and homeowners seeking to educate themselves on what exactly they need to know before they call in a professional. In today's world of oil crises, electrical blackouts, high gas prices and increasing environmental depredations, The Renewable Energy Handbook is a "must-have" for homeowners everywhere.

This is yet another renewable energy book that is far to generalized and does not tell you how to really get off the grid. Lot's of information on how to do it to a tiny cabin, but not a regular house (at least in any specific terms). Pretty well written if you want to familiarize yourself with alternate energy or what's involved in going off the grid, but you sure won't know how to actually do it. Cheaper to read a few articles on-line than to buy this book.

If you are looking into various forms of alternative energy, this book covers it all, even a few you may have not thought about. A clear non-engineering discription of each method is provided along with the pros and cons. Diagrams along with examples and photos are provided as well.
This book will act as a valuable tool to both novice and professionals.
A very cost effective investment!

This book is very shallow in technical information. It is nothing more than just a skimming of all basic alternative energy options. There is absolutely no hands-on technical information that would be useful to a do it your selfer type of individual. The only true value of this book as far as an alternative energy solution would be to use it as a fire starter in a wood burning stove. I gleened the book for photo voltaic information, found about 14 pages of general information that could have been obtained in a magazine article for less money and probably would have been more valuable as far as technical content is concerned. This book is just a skim-job written to produce a cover to put a twenty dollar price tag on. Save your money and look elsewhere for a decent book with more hands-on information on subjects like photovoltaic solar electric generation.

Where the reviewers came up with the 4 and 5 star recommendations is beyond me. I am an electronic technician with forty years of experience in the field and I am aghast as to why anyone would give this book more than one star for technical content.


Incidently, this is my second review, Amazon did not publish my first one. I sent the book back for a refund. I take no joy in a review of this type, but I do it so no one else will waste their money like I did.

Regards, D. Paganelli