(DIY Solar Projects: How to Put the Sun to Work in Your Home) [By: Smith, Eric] [Oct, 2011]

by Eric Smith

Advances in solar technology have made many DIY-friendly products available to consumers, several of which will be hitting the market for the first time in 2011. These include solar water heaters, solar battery charging stations, solar powered lights, photovoltaic shingles that provide supplementary electricity, solar heat pumps, and solar panel kits that generate primary home electrical service. Among the step-by-step projects is a solar water heating system you can build and install yourself for under $1000; simple thermosyphon solar heat collectors for barns and outbuildings; or "heat grabbers" that you can fabricate for $50 in materials and position below a south-facing window to provide auxiliary winter heat.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Eric Smith was born the fifth of six children. He served a full-time English-speaking mission from 2000-2002 in what was then the Illinois Chicago North Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He studied English and earth science education in Rexburg, Idaho, at BYU-Idaho, particularly enjoying and excelling in geology, editing, and English and early-American literature. He earned his teaching certificate and a bachelor of science degree in 2007. He enjoys writing imaginative, critical, and biographical pieces. Some of his favorite books include "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray." In addition to writing and speaking, Eric enjoys tech, superhero lore, folf, firearms, and film, particularly those made by Christopher Nolan and those starring Jimmy Stewart.

Reviews

[Smellsofbikes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! Not enough detail, but given the amount of ground it covers, that's not surprising. It handles installation hardware and techniques, solar electric, solar hot water, solar hot air, solar ovens, and wood-drying kilns. The last two weren't too useful to me but they were well-written, as were the earlier chapters.

[Horseandahalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I'm a fan of the subject matter anyway, but it is organized in a very well thought out manner. They start simple, and slowly go more complex to make everything easy to learn. They also provide very basic projects to get yourself started. What I liked the most about the book is I found myself thinking of very easy translational projects for hobbies I enjoy. I think that's the ultimate goal of any DIY book: give the reader what they need to do the projects they want.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think if I wanted to set up a solar panel myself or describe what I needed done, this might be helpful. It kind of gives you a basic idea in picture form.

[Mills College Library]

644 S6468 2011