Real Goods Solar Living Source Book: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living

Mother Earth News Wiser Living

by John Schaeffer

Concerns over dwindling resources and environmental degradation are driving many to seek alternatives to our wasteful, polluting lifestyle. Clean technologies such as solar power, wind power, and biodiesel fuel are soaring in popularity.

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book—Special 30th Anniversary Edition is the ultimate guide to renewable energy, sustainable living, green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living, and alternative transportation, written by experts with decades of experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge. This fully updated edition includes brand-new sections on Peak Oil, climate change, relocalization, natural burial, biodynamics, and permaculture. It also boasts the latest product listings and completely rewritten and expanded chapters on:

Land and shelter Natural building Passive solar Biofuels Sustainable transportation Grid-tied photovoltaics Solar hot water systems Plus, over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, solar sizing worksheets, and much more

Whether you’re a layperson or a professional, novice or longtime aficionado, the new sourcebook puts the latest research and products at your fingertips—all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality.

John Schaeffer is the president and founder of Real Goods, the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable-energy products. Now merged with Gaiam, Real Goods has converted over sixty thousand homes to solar energy since 1978, when it sold the very first photovoltaic module in America. Real Goods hosts the annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Sustainability, Gardening, Environment

608 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1994

About the author

John Schaeffer has been exploring renewable energy and sustainable living since graduating from UC Berkeley in 1971.

While living on a 300-acre commune in Mendocino County, California, after college, John found himself hosting crowds around his solar-powered TV whenever Saturday Night Live came on. In 1995 John helped create the Solar Living Center in Hopland, California, a stunning 12-acre environmental educational center surrounded by lush permaculture gardens. He founded and remains Board Chair of the educational nonprofit Solar Living Institute, dedicated to promoting renewable energy and sustainable living through inspiring educational programs. The Institute produces and hosts the annual SolFest solar energy festival that attracts more than 10,000 people, and offers hands-on workshops and interships throughout the year.

John lives a few miles from the Solar Living Center with his wife Nancy Hensley in a passive-solar Rastra-block home they named Sunhawk, built mostly from recycled materials amid a permaculture oasis powered by solar and hydro-electric.

Reviews

[James Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though a bit dated in 2014, this was a primary resource for us when we went totally off-grid. The sections on calculating energy requirements prior to installing systems to meet those requirements was particularly good. Also gave us real data on currently available technology (much of which guided our initial purchases in 2002).

The wind section wasn't realistic and led us toward wind when the actual energy production we eventually realized from wind was <1% of our total production (solar, even in Maine winter, is far superior).

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever thought about doing anything with solar power this is definitely the book for you. Filled with articles about solar as well as a listing of products this is a great way to get into solar and see what all the fuss is about.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been our jumping off point for products in our new way of life. We've learned everything from the best ways to filter our well water to how to live without a septic system. The next step is to design a passive solar home and we'll surely use this book to begin that process.

[Vigilante Vegan]

I'm so excited to get my hands on this book!