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

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

As oil prices continue to rise, many people are starting to think about how to unhook from the electricity grid. The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses completely on off-grid, sustainable living and rural energy independence.

Author/engineer William H. Kemp, who is a leading expert in small- and mid-scale renewable energy technologies, designed and built his own off-grid home. The result is a house that has all the standard “middle-class” creature comforts while using less than five times the total fossil-fuel energy of the average North American house.

The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses on the unique requirements of off-grid living and contains chapters on energy conservation; heating and cooling; backup power; domestic water heating; wireless communications; photovoltaic, wind, and microhydro energy generation; battery selection; and inverters.

Since its release in 2003, The Renewable Energy Handbook has been a top-selling technology book and is recognized as the best book in its field.

The book is augmented with hundreds of illustrations, line drawings, photographs, and appendices.

About the Author

William Kemp is VP Engineering of Powerbase Automation Systems Inc. and a consulting electronics/software designer who develops control systems for low environmental impact hydroelectric utilities worldwide. He is also an author, sustainable living and clean energy advocate working in renewable energy heating, energy efficiency, photovoltaic, micro-hydro and wind electric systems.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Aztext Press (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0973323329
• ISBN-13: 978-0973323320
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,500 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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

  #10 in	Books > Home & Garden > Sustainable Living > Energy Efficiency
  #25 in	Books > Science > Technology > Renewable Energy
  #27 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Energy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars R.E. Handbook by Kemp, January 9, 2007

By	Nick Houser "Arkansas Boy" (Lund, British Columbia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

74 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Renewable Energy is Energy Independence, November 9, 2006

By	Maverick Brown "Maverick Solar" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-have" for homeowners everywhere., March 5, 2007

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

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.