Book recommendation

I am new to alternate energy for homes looking to learn. Is the following
book any good?

Power With Nature: Solar and Wind Energy Demystified

Does anyone recommend any other books for a beginner. I have a background in
computer engineering so technical books are good for me too even though I am
new to the field.

Thanks.

 

There's a staggering amount of information available on the web about
solar and wind energy, so there's no need to buy a book unless you
prefer paper over a monitor. Below are some links to web sites. You
might give each a quick look, and then tell us what else you'd like to
see. From those comments we can point you to additional sources.

solar faq
http://www.autobahn.mb.ca/~het/energy/pv_faq.html

wind faq
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/klemen/FAQ_TOC.htm

wind turbine manufacturer's faq
http://www.windenergy.com/SUPPORT/faq.html

Home Power Magazine - current issue is a free download, back issues
available with scads of example systems
http://www.homepower.com/

Home Power Magazine's basic education section
http://www.homepower.com/education/components.cfm

One supplier's section on basic education including many additional
tech doc downloads
http://www.windsun.com/Library_Index.htm

Another supplier's basic education section and faq
http://www.sunelco.com/classroom.aspx

Independant, comprehensive site with encyclopedia
http://www.green-trust.org

Independant site, massive amount of DIY info on solar tracking and
much more
http://www.redrok.com/main.htm

National Renewable Energy Lab, research
http://www.nrel.gov/

A program to model your specific system
http://www.nrel.gov/homer/


Wayne

 

Thanks for the links. But even though I work in computer imdustry I still
prefer books over monitors. I like to carry them when I go backpacking or
hiking for a good read. I will try the websites though in the mean time,
maybe I'll just print them out : ).

 

http://tinyurl.com/3o5l7

More seriously... have you thought of a pocket pc pre-loaded with site
content? I was amazed at how well they work with Ebooks.

Wayne

 

I have a new IPAQ pocket PC. The higher model that I haven't started using
yet. I'll give the EBook a shot.

Thx.

 

You might print mine... just over 3000 pages

http://www.ece.villanova.edu/~nick

Nick

 

Highly recommended. Should format easily to fit onto a small screen if
one wanted to save ink. A read that could easily last for the duration
of a long hike, even if it was a winter trek over the Donner Pass. As
a bonus, it contains valuable lessons for cargo-cult authors, such as
the importance of putting reason ahead of faith, and the value of
having more pages than chapters.

Wayne

 

Enregy from Nature

www.rpc.com.au

Staring at the Sun

My book on cd. Print friendly. Basic solar power for beginners. Includes
spreadsheet for sizing. Contents page by request (PDF)



If you prefer to go technical there is the textbook 'Introduction to
Renewable Energy from the Swinburne University of Technology. Sorry I do
not have the contact details.

 

My book is a pdf document. Should work just fine for what you want.
Beats the hell out of sifting through thousands of pages just to get the
same info. It is also print friendly.

George Ghio
Solar Power Consultant

 

Who did you plagiarize this time, George?

 

You lie almost as badly as Wayne.

 

I'm sorry, where did I lie? I just asked a question......

 

OK implied lie. Same thing. I have never plagiarized anybodys work.

When did you stop beating your wife.

 

Don't shoot the messanger - I have not read it carefully
http://www.nofrillsinfo.bigpondhosting.com/Index.htm

http://www.nofrillsinfo.bigpondhosting.com/Solar.HTM

PDF File
http://www.nofrillsinfo.bigpondhosting.com/Solar.PDF

 

Whatdya' know, with the hundreds of books and web sites available,
once again George (and only George) claims that *his* book happens to
be exactly what the guy needs. Wonders never cease.

The *same* info? LMAO Yeah, that's the Internet for you.... the same
70 pages repeated over and over. And why would the guy want any of
that other stuff (like tracking info) that you've already decided he
doesn't need.

A "book" that needs printing... interesting concept. You might have
devoted the time instead to making it reviewer friendly.


Wayne

 

Ah, but you lied when claimed I plagiarized your work. Since you claim your
info is the same as found elsewhere, I assumed you were either lying, or
plagiarizing, again.

 

Let's tell the truth.

I SAID that the SS was a very poor job of reverse engineering of a good,
simple ss.

Plagiarizing was not mentioned(except by you). Poor work was.

The SS I give out (Free) was the basis for the one in question. I wrote
the SS on my first computer. 10 years ago.

IF someone wants to use it or copy it, put it on a site that is fine by
me. IF they turn it into a dogs breakfast I will say so. The copy linked
to your site is/was a dogs breakfast.

 

Good idea, let's see how it works...

That is what you said, but it was just your paranoid opinion. The
truth is that despite quite a lot of "writing", you weren't able to
convince a single reader that your opinion was valid (same-old
same-old). At that point an intelligent person would allow for the
possibility that his opinion was wrong, and either apologize or at
least shut up. Repeating the claim only reinforces your rep as the
lone twit. Here's an idea for you - take the energy you waste on
thinking up crap, and put it into a part time job instead. Use the
income from that to hire someone to proof read your posts for
blunders.

Wayne

 

Funny how it all went very quiet when I put both spreadsheets up
together.

The real giveaway was the temp. conversion chart.

When you can document your system then you can have an opinion.

Trouble is that if you document your system it will match my analyses of
it.

Rock and a hard place. Eh.

I suggest you avoid the following subjects:

Solar Power

Wind towers

Hydraulics

Welding

Fenceing (with swords)

Building

Concrete

 

If you'd persuaded anyone, they'd have said so. Maybe you believe
you're enough of a jerk that no one would ever admit agreeing with
you? Can't imagine why you'd think such a thing!

And I suggest you avoid any and all opportunities to prove you're not
a BS artist. Oh wait, that's what you've been doing....

BTW, I loved the mention of "fenceing". Helps to understand the
workings of the Ghinius mind. So now you're the Zorro of Usenet as
well? LOL Calling Dr. Freud! Although, considering your spelling
blunders, perhaps you were thinking "the Zero of Usenet"....

Wayne