The Complete Solar House

Revised and Expanded Edition - Includes CD-ROM with Custom Design Software For the past ten years The Passive Solar House has offered proven techniques for building homes that heat and cool themselves, using readily available materials and methods familiar to all building contractors and many do-it-yourself homeowners. True to this innovative, straightforward approach, the new edition of this best-selling guide includes CSOL passive solar design software, making it easier than ever to heat your home with the power of the sun. Since The Passive Solar House was first published, passive solar construction expert James Kachadorian has perfected user-friendly, Windows-compatible software to supplement the design process explained in the book by allowing homeowners/designers to enter the specifications of their design and see how changing a variable will affect its energy efficiency. This is the building book for a world of climbing energy costs. Applicable to diverse regions, climates, budgets, and styles of architecture, Kachadorian's techniques translate the essentials of timeless solar design into practical wisdom for today's solar builders. Profiles of successful passive solar design, construction, and retrofit projects from readers of the first edition provide inspiration to first-time homebuilders and renovators alike.

Presents technical information on passive energy design and application, using illustrations and text, and includes 27 design patterns for use in designing a passive energy system.

Labor and related costs account for more than half of the price of the average home solar installation. But homeowners can save thousands of dollars with this user-friendly manual, which follows the same process professional contractors use. Through detailed directions and step-by-step photos, veteran solar installer Joseph Burdick and seasoned builder Philip Schmidt teach you how to determine the size, placement, and type of installation you’ll need. This comprehensive DIY guide covers everything from assembling rooftop racking or building a ground-mount structure to setting up the electrical connections and making a battery bank for off-grid systems.

Covering the full life span of the project, from siting issues through specific design features to maintenance of the property and equipment, this is a comprehensive guide to designing, planning and building a solar house. The author uses his experience of living in a solar house to inform the reader of the technology and practices needed for the design, operation and maintenance of the solar home. Each of the technologies of the house, such as space heating and cooling, domestic hot water and electric power technologies, are critiqued from the point of view of the owner/resident, with the author using his thirty years experience of living in a solar home. This provides home owners who are thinking of going solar with first hand evidence of best practice, and provides the architect and designer with the knowledge of how to best satisfy their clients needs.

Do you dream an eco-friendly home even if you are not expert in electrical systems? If you want to live off-grid you are in the right place. If what has always stopped you is the worry of initial investments, put these thoughts aside. With this pocket manual you will discover how to save thousands of dollars in the long run by having a smart home. Our planet is suffering, it will be explained why solar energy is the most beneficial and renewable energy source to get you excited about incorporating it into your life. Solar Power for Beginners is the complete guide that will allow you to achieve all this, from the necessary supplies to the connection of all the tools. The step-by-step solution illustrated and written in a simple and direct way to effectively help anyone who wants to approach this technique. In details you'll find: Why you should avoid other sources of energy in favor of solar power. Buying guide for the equipment (batteries, panels, inverter) and sizing requirements Longevity of materials and how to protect them The quick and safely technique to design, install and connect all the necessary tools Tips and tricks for the better set up Advantages and disadvantages of the best products available on the market What happens if you move taking the equipment with you? Specific environments that are most conducive to solar ... and much more! Even if you have failed until no trying with complex manuals and impractical instructions, this DIY book will finally allow you to hit the target without pain. Everyone can live greener, scroll to the top and get your copy right now.

Solar power (photovoltaics) is now a $1 billion industry, and it's poised to grow rapidly in the near future as more pressure is placed on limited fossil fuel resources and as advances in solar technology drive down the costs of residential solar systems. Twenty-six states now offer tax and utility credits to solar energy users, and the market for solar power products and services is expected to increase 25 to 40 percent each year over the next 20 years. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for Your Home, Second Edition, helps readers understand the basics of solar power and other renewable energy sources, explore whether solar power makes sense for them, what their options are, and what's involved with installing various on and off-grid systems.