Power with Nature: Solar and Wind Energy Demystified

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Is renewable energy for you? POWER WITH NATURE is the book to answer that question. At long last, renewable energy is demystified, and explained in plain English by someone who lives off-the-grid and loves it. You'll be entertained by 'Cat of the Wind; Dog of the Sun'- a primer charmingly disguised as a fable. And you'll be enlightened by page after page filled with practical, hands-on information, including: grid-intertie and off-grid systems solar photovoltaic modules wind turbines micro-hydro power charge controllers, inverters, batteries and other components sizing your system solar hot water home heating systems options for pumping water comprehensive appendix with system sizing worksheets, wire size/line loss tables, solar radiation maps, and detailed resource section

FROM THE CRITICS

Doug Pratt

A much needed, up-to-date book on renewable energy. The future is expanding rapidly for small-scale, homestead-based solar, wind, or hydro power generation, with lots of new products and materials. This book is an easy read, based on real people's experiences actually putting together an off-the-grid home with modern hardware.— Real Goods

Library Journal

Readers who want to be completely self-reliant, who are looking for cost-effective solutions, or who are somewhere in the middle-all will find something useful here .... Ewing writes in a folksy, informal manner, and readers will find his hands-on primer worthwhile.

Mark McCray

Power With Nature is loaded with practical information that will help almost anyone gain a better understanding of using and living with renewable energy. It's an excellent choice for people just beginning to explore what would be the best options. Very readable!— author of Doctor PV column for Solar Today Magazine

Starla Gade

Entertaining and educational is how I would describe this fun, well-written exploration of renewable energy. I highly recommend Power With Nature for anyone wanting to understand the power of the sun and wind, or just wanting to read for the fun of it! — Sunelco

Library Journal

Ewing, whose Logs, Wind and Sun: Handcraft Your Own Log Home includes a chapter on wind and sun power, expands on the specifics of how to run one's home off a power grid. Readers who want to be completely self-reliant, who are looking for cost-effective solutions, or who are somewhere in the middle-all will find something useful here. The book's first half is a fable in which protagonist Ewing finds himself caught up in the maelstrom of the renewable energy revolution. With the help of his cat Wild Willie, his dogs, and the Perfect Woman, Ewing learns the basics of solar and wind energy systems and cuts away from Planet Power-the power utilities. Part 2 straightforwardly delves into the aspects of using available, off-the shelf solar and wind technology to power a home. Drawing on his experiences installing both solar and wind systems, Ewing clearly covers sizing a system, solar photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, charge controllers, batteries, inverters, pumping water, and heating the house and water. Illustrations, graphs, and charts are helpful for the nontechnical reader, and the appendixes include a checklist of wind equipment, wire size charts, and system sizing charts for electrical, solar, and battery power. Ewing writes in a folksy, informal manner, and readers will find his hands-on primer worthwhile. Along with Paul Gipe's more technical Wind Energy Basics, this is a nice addition to collections where sustainable living titles are in demand.-Eva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter Coll., Clarkston Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING