From the author of Power from the Sun, the complete guide to switching to clean, affordable, renewable energy resources. Energy bills have skyrocketed in the United States, and traditional energy sources can be as damaging to the environment as they are to your pocketbook. The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy will show you how to slash your home energy costs while dramatically reducing your carbon footprint. Completely revised and updated, this new edition describes the most practical and affordable methods for significantly improving in-home energy efficiency and tapping into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources. If implemented, these measures will save the average homeowner tens of thousands of dollars over the coming decades. Focusing on the latest technological advances in residential renewable energy, this guide examines each alternative energy option available including: · Solar hot water and solar hot air systems · Passive and active solar retrofits for heating and cooling · Electricity from solar, wind, and microhydro · Hydrogen, fuel cells, methane digesters, and biodiesel This well-illustrated and accessible guide is an essential resource for those wanting to enter the renewable energy field. Packed with practical tips and guidelines, it gives readers sufficient knowledge to hire and communicate effectively with contractors and is a must-read for anyone interested in saving money and achieving energy independence. “If you’re thinking about investing in a renewable energy system for your home . . . The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Resources helps clarify the decision-making process . . . . Dan guides you through everything you need to choose which renewable options to integrate into your lifestyle. A great addition to my bookshelf!” —Mick Sagrillo, Sagrillo Power & Light

In The Homeowner's Guide to Energy Efficiency, John Krigger and Chris Dorsi help homeowners set realistic personal goals for reducing their energy consumption. Their methods for making homes more energy efficient will also improve comfort, safety, durability, and resale value. They guide readers through the process of assessing current energy usage and predicting the benefits and estimating the costs of remodeling options. With projects ranging from simple fixes to large-scale renovations, this book offers solutions for the energy-conscious homeowner, regardless of budget, technical ability, or time.

While heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved. Yet "natural conditioning"--Heating and cooling with passive solar techniques -- is a viable alternative to fossil fuels. Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, the author highlights certain egregious errors and shows how to avoid them. The author shows how to select a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly backup heating system; how to preserve indoor air quality in an airtight, energy-efficient home; and ways of employing green building materials in a naturally conditioned home.

With a history going back at least one thousand years, the sauna is ready for a new generation of enthusiasts seeking health, pleasure, and peace of mind, and Rob Roy is ready to recruit! "If the sauna is just a bath, then Buckingham Palace is just a house." So writes sauna expert and intrepid do-it-yourselfer Roy in this new, updated version of The Sauna. This completely revised and expanded edition of The Sauna contains everything you ever wanted to know about the famous "Finnish bath." In this inviting book, Roy shares his infectious enthusiasm for the sauna and provides a complete, detailed guide to sauna building, along with resources for equipment and supplies. The Sauna is replete with history, tradition, health benefits, instructions for proper use and maintenance, as well as step-by-step instructions for building a variety of cordwood masonry saunas and, new to this edition, conventionally wood-framed saunas. The beautiful color photographs, also new to this edition, will inspire you to create your own sauna haven.

Offers practical strategies to help people live green at home, explaining how they can cut energy costs and consumption by changing the way they heat, cool, light, and fill their homes.

Faced with frequent power outages, skyrocketing energy costs, and constant reminders of the impacts of conventional energy sources, homeowners and businesses are beginning to explore ways to use energy more efficiently and to generate their own electricity to reduce fuel bills and their carbon footprint and to achieve greater independence. Power From the Wind is an easily understandable guide for individuals and businesses interested in installing small wind energy system. Written for the layperson, this practical guide provides an accurate and unbiased view of all aspects of small wind energy systems, including: Wind and wind energy systems Ways to assess wind resources at your site Wind turbines and towers Inverters and batteries Installation and maintenance of systems The costs and benefits of installing a wind system This book is designed to help readers make the smartest, most economical choices. Readers will gain the knowledge they need to make wise decisions during the design, purchase and installation of small wind energy systems and to communicate effectively with wind system installers.

Sustainable environmental control through building design Heating, Cooling, and Lighting is the industry standard text on environmental control systems with the emphasis on sustainable design. By detailing the many factors that contribute to the comfort in a building, this book helps architects minimize mechanical systems and energy usage over the life of the building by siting, building design, and landscaping to maximize natural heating, cooling, and lighting. This new fourth edition includes new information on integrated design strategies and designing for the Tropics. Resources include helpful case studies, checklists, diagrams, and a companion website featuring additional cases, an image bank, and instructor materials. Designing buildings that require less energy to heat, cool, and light means allowing the natural energy of the sun and wind to reduce the burden on the mechanical and electrical systems. Basic design decisions regarding size, orientation, and form have a great impact on the sustainability, cost, and comfort of a building. Heating, Cooling, and Lighting provides detailed guidance for each phase of a design project. Readers will: Understand the concept of sustainability as applied to energy sources Review the basic principles of thermal comfort, and the critical role of climate Learn the fundamentals of solar responsive design, including active and passive solar systems as well as photovoltaics Discover how siting, architectural design, and landscaping can reduce the requirements for mechanical and electrical systems In sustainable design, mechanical, and electrical systems should be used to only accomplish what the architect could not by the design of the building itself. With this in mind, designers require a comprehensive understanding of both the properties of energy and the human factors involved in thermal comfort. Heating, Cooling, and Lighting is the complete, industry-leading resource for designers interested in sustainable environmental control.

Numerous job opportunities can be found in the fast-growing field of renewable energy. Grab this handy book and discover how clean energy can be a part of your future, whether you are new to the workforce or retooling your career. Career Sectors include: Solar & Wind Energy, Geothermal Energy, Hydropower, Bioenergy, Green Building & Energy Management, Hydrogen Energy & Fuel Cells, Green Transportation, and Energy Education & Economics. Job Areas include: Technical / Engineering, Project Management / Consulting, Research & Development, Sales & Marketing, and the Trades. Helpful resources include: Training & Workshops, Universities & Trade Schools, Professional Associations / Technical Societies, Reference Web Sites, and Government Energy Programs.