RENEWABLE ENERGY BOOKS
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The Passive Solar House, Revised and Expanded Edition - #15272 - $39.99 Edition: Hardcover + CD Rom, 8 x 10, 240 pagesThe Complete Guide to Heating and Cooling Your HomeJames Kachadorian Revised and Expanded Edition�Includes CD-ROM with Custom Design
Software"
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Wind Energy Basics - 15274 - $19.95 8 x 10, 136 pages The wind power industry has been transformed in the 1990s by dramatic breakthroughs in efficiency, economy, and adaptability. Wind Energy Basics is the most up-to-date source available of information about small wind systems. The book includes the unique "standard small wind turbine rating" developed by the author, which is designed to help readers wade through conflicting performance claims by manufacturers in the U.S. and overseas. Also included is detailed information on planning, siting, and installing a wind system, and on integrating wind power with solar for more cost-effective and reliable off-the-grid applications. The debut of micro wind turbines brings the technology within reach of almost everyone. These inexpensive machines, when coupled with readily available photovoltaic panels (solar cells), have revolutionized living in remote homes off-the-utility grid. And the increasing popularity of micro wind turbines has opened up new applications previously considered off-limits to wind energy, such as charging electric fences and powering remote telephone call boxes, once the sole domain of solar cells. Micro wind turbines have been around for decades for use on sailboats, but they have gained increasing prominence in the 1990s as their broader potential for off-the-grid applications on land has become more widely known. While micro wind turbines have yet to reach the status of widely available consumer commodities such as personal computers, the day may not be far off. The use of wind power is "exploding," say Karen and Richard Perez in their foreword. "There are currently over 150,000 small-scale RE (renewable energy) systems in America and they are growing by 30% yearly. The small-scale use of wind power is growing at twice that amount--over 60% per year," according to the Perezes, the editors of Home Power magazine. Wind Energy Basics explains how it is possible�in some states�for homeowners to run their kilowatt-hour meter backwards with a small wind turbine. |
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Solar Gardening - #15271 - $39.95 Free Shipping! 48 States 8 1/2 x 11, 288 pages The Poissons, experienced New England gardeners, present their system
for continuous food production. Inspired by French intensive gardening
techniques that originally utilized bell-shaped glass jars called cloches
to protect tender plants and extend the growing season, the Poissons have
developed solar gardening "appliances," including the Solar Cone, the
Solar Pod, and the Pod Extenders. Use of these mini-greenhouses, combined
with other gardening techniques such as intercropping, crop rotation, and
careful site and soil preparation, can make it possible to harvest fresh
vegetables year-round. Details are given on how to build the solar
appliances, followed by information on 90 garden crops grouped by three
main categories: heat-loving, cold-hardy, and cold-tolerant vegetables.
Although only those with considerable space will be able to implement
fully the American Intensive system (a garden area of 40' x 40' is needed
for a family of four), the Poissons provide useful gardening tips for all
organic gardeners. Highly recommended for all vegetable gardening
collections. |
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The Solar House - #15275 - $29.95 8 x 10, 288 pages Passive solar heating and passive cooling--approaches known as natural conditioning--provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved. The techniques required to heat and cool a building passively have been used for thousands of years. Early societies such as the Native American Anasazis and the ancient Greeks perfected designs that effectively exploited these natural processes. The Greeks considered anyone who didn't use passive solar to heat a home to be a barbarian! In the United States, passive solar architecture experienced a major resurgence of interest in the 1970s in response to crippling oil embargoes. With grand enthusiasm but with scant knowledge (and sometimes little common sense), architects and builders created a wide variety of solar homes. Some worked pretty well, but looked more like laboratories than houses. Others performed poorly, overheating in the summer because of excessive or misplaced windows and skylights, and growing chilly in the colder months because of insufficient thermal mass and insulation and poor siting. In The Solar House, Dan Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling. Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious--and entirely avoidable--errors. More importantly, Chiras explains in methodical detail how today's home builders can succeed with solar designs. Now that energy efficiency measures including higher levels of insulation and multi-layered glazing have become standard, it is easier than ever before to create a comfortable and affordable passive solar house that will provide year-round comfort in any climate. Moreover, since modern building materials and airtight construction methods sometimes result in air-quality and even toxicity problems, Chiras explains state-of-the-art ventilation and filtering techniques that complement the ancient solar strategies of thermal mass and daylighting. Chiras also explains the new diagnostic aids available in printed worksheet or software formats, allowing readers to generate their own design schemes. |
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