Solar Power Your Home For Dummies

Rik DeGunther

John Wiley & Sons, Jan 19, 2010 - Technology & Engineering - 416 pages

The bestselling alternative energy reference book in North America—now in an updated edition

Want to take advantage of solar power in your home? Whether you’re looking to save on your energy costs by adding a few solar components or you want to build a solar-powered house from the ground up, Solar Power For Dummies, 2nd Edition takes the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you!

This new edition gives you hands-on tips and techniques for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power—and helping the planet at the same time. Plus, you’ll get all the latest information on changes to federal, state, and local regulations, laws, and tax incentives that seek to make solar-power adoption more feasible.

• Expanded coverage of the technology that underpins full-scale solar-power systems for the home
• New small- and mid-sized solar products, projects, and applications
• Rik DeGunther is a design engineer who started his own energy consulting firm

Featuring ten of the easiest and cheapest DIY solar projects, Solar Power For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the fun and easy way to meet your energy needs with this clean power source!

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• Helping the World through Solar Power: 7
• Surveying Your Household Energy Efficiency and Use: 25
• 177: 32
• Making Your Home Energy Efficient: 45
• Understanding Solar: 65
• Evaluating Your Solar Potential: 81
• Calculating Payback on Your Solar Investment: 93
• Installing Your Solar System: 111
• Applications Aplenty Projects: 119
• Jumping In to Small Projects with Big Results: 135
• Heating and Purifying Water: 159
• Forcing the issue with pumps and thermosiphons: 170
• Diving In to Swimming Pool Projects: 177
• Supplementing Your Domestic Water Heater: 187
• Breezeway Directing Wind within Your House: 203
• Solar Pumps Wind Power Hydro Power: 221
• Glass Houses and Plastic Too: 235
• Glass Houses and Plastic Too Greenhouses and Sunrooms 235 Part IV Exploring FullScale Photovoltaic Systems: 247
• Is a FullScale PV System Worth the Investment?: 271
• Divorcing the Grid Going Solo with Solar Power Systems: 287
• Do It Yourself or Contract Out?: 299
• Finding the Cash to Get the Job Done: 311
• Buying Selling and Building a Solar Home: 323
• Building a Solar Home from the Ground Up: 325
• Buying and Selling a Solar Home: 337
• The Part of Tens Chapter 23 Ten Best Solar Investments: 351
• Ten or So Best DoItYourself Projects: 357
• Ten Cheap Solar Projects and Devices: 363
• Ten Cheap Solar Projects and Devices Chapter 26 Ten or So Worst Solar Mistakes 367: 367
• Index: 371
• 293: 375
• 303: 382
• 330: 383

About the author

Rik DeGunther is the founder of Efficient Homes, an energy auditing and consulting firm. He holds a BS in Engineering Physics and dual Masters degrees in Applied Physics and Engineering Economic Systems. Rik is also the author of Energy Efficient Homes For Dummies and Alternative Energy For Dummies.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Solar Power Your Home For Dummies; --For dummies
• Author: Rik DeGunther
• Edition: 2, illustrated
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2010
• ISBN: 0470596783, 9780470596784
• Length: 416 pages
• Subjects: House & Home / Do-It-Yourself / General; House & Home / General; Technology & Engineering / Power Resources / Alternative & Renewable