Helpful and informative. Easy to understand diagrams and explanations in plain English (i.e. you don't have to be ultra-tech-savvy to understand it).

Lots of useful info. Gives you a new way to look at the world.

I would have given this book a four-star rating if not for the preaching that permeated each chapter. I didn't buy this book to learn how to save the planet from evil, wasteful humans. Having written that, the author does a good job explaining varied methods to exist without relying on the commercial power grid. Descriptions on different methods/technologies to accommodate the want to be self-sufficient when it comes to electrical power are comprehensive.

William Kemp does an excellent job of explaining and organizing your options for renewable energy sources. Even for the beginner, this is an easy to read and understand, and can be used as a reference guide. I bought this book to understand my options for my new build.

This book is worthless, It's best use would be to use the pages to start the fire in your wood stove. The writer wastes more then half the book to expound his religion. The information that is provided is out dated and just a reprint of manufacturers information. Don't waste your money or your time.

Kemp's "Renewable Energy Handbook" is an excellent reference on the various R.E. resources available today. It provides insight on the various resources, their use, and their drawbacks in certain situations. Kemp does not try to sway the user in any particular direction. Rather, he provides solid information for the user to make their own decision.

Presentation of various real-world R.E. installations provide the user with some practical info, providing a nice balance to the theory in the book. One item that provided a slight irritation for me is the "preachy-ness" when he covers biofuels, but with the current trend in oil prices and the search for alternates, I'll overlook it since there are also some valid warnings about working with alternate fuels

I highly recommend this as a first-read book for a homeowner considering using any type of R.E. resources. Since R.E. information can change rapidly, make sure you are purchasing the most recent edition.

To be fair, I have not read this book. Why 5 stars? The book is a for-profit venture by the author, so recovery of time, effort, & energy is important for revenue reasons. So why write this review? After spending nearly 12-18 hours perusing AMAZON's book list on solar energy and photovoltaic systems, I was frustrated! None of the reviews on any single book seemed to be convincing enough to make me want to buy. For instance, none of the reviews mention how the books address the National Electric Code, specific wiring and disconnect installation information, electrical and other safety hazards, inspection issues, etc. For a DIY'er, these books seemed a waste of time, never mind the fact that some reviewers insisted they actually DIY'ed just from the book. It then occurred to me that dozens of resources that I had used over the past 10 years - with the exception of 2007 due to extenuating circumstances - many resources are available for free from our fantastic .GOV, .ORG, and .EDU sites like Sandia Nat'l Labs, NREL, NMSU, and CA.GOV. Folks, before you start buying books on PV left & right, be smart and leverage what your fine tax dollars paid for! I have to admit - I believe it's just stupid searching for good PV technical, installation, and detailed literature on a For-Profit Bookstore when so much is already available online for Free. Folks, use your head - our government and academic labs pioneered this from federal tax dollars. Hence, much of it is public domain! (REPLACE all "?" with "." in the following website links.) nabcep?org nmsu?edu/~tdi/index?html photovoltaics?sandia?gov and energy?ca?gov Of course, if you're just not Internet savvy, not an engineer/analytical A-type personality, and highly resourceful, plus you'd rather prefer to kill trees buying a book instead of leveraging online resources that are 100 times more than what's on AMAZON, and most likely don't have the wherewithal to DIY, go ahead. It will be amazing to see how many are simply duped by the thousands of new "get rich quick" companies and businessmen entering the renewable energy markets.

This book, in my opinion, is the best overall coverage of energy savings and sustainable energy systems for home owners I have read. There are a few typos but whos cares.

I do think, since I am a chemist, he understates the dangers of handling caustic in the description of preparing biodiesel.
Methanol is flamable but caustic is much worse than acid to handle!

The author obviously has a lot of direct experince with most of the areas he covers and his first chapter is wonderful for anyone whether they contemplate building a truely energy selfsufficient home or not.

I highly recommend the book and compliment the author for writing and publishing it.

I'm building a new house and I want to make sure it's the most energy efficient house I can afford to build, so I got this book to help look at some of the decisions like Solar PV, Solar water heating, Wind and Micro hydroelectric. I have been happy so far, the discussion on insulating so far has been geared toward existing houses but it's interesting to note that insulating the basement may give you a higher payback than more insulation in the attic.

I didn't understand what net-metering allows you to do before reading this book, although living in Georgia makes a PV system cost prohibitive since there are no state rebates.

Solar hot water looks very feasible and should have a pretty quick payback.

I bought this book because I wanted a book with more detail than some of the other introductory books. I was not disappointed. Quite good depth for a layman's book, with the necessary equations, tables, charts, etc. Some portions of the book could have some more detail, but the subject matter is so broad, it wasn't so much of a drawback as a stimulus to find more in depth material. The author gives lots of examples and links to further info. I especially liked his introduction of hot water/thermal storage in large tanks for heating domestic hot water or home heating.

I bought this book because I wanted a book with more detail than some of the other introductory books. I was not disappointed. Quite good depth for a layman's book, with the necessary equations, tables, charts, etc. Some portions of the book could have some more detail, but the subject matter is so broad, it wasn't so much of a drawback as a stimulus to find more in depth material. The author gives lots of examples and links to further info. I especially liked his introduction of hot water/thermal storage in large tanks for heating domestic hot water or home heating.

I found this book to contain very good information about living the self-sufficient lifestyle. This book contains vast amounts of information about renewable energy and the various methods available. I will definetly use this information as a guide to building our self-sustaining home. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about green living.

This is an excellent book, because it has much information in general, different green ideas for your home. And that is important for you and the Planet, today and future.

This is an excellent book, because it has much information in general, different green ideas for your home. And that is important for you and the Planet, today and future.

This guide will explain how you can live off the grid. Not only will you save money, you'll save Mother Earth at the same time.

Consulting electronics and software designer and green technology advocate William H. Kemp presents The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living, a handbook to home improvement via stretching one's energy dollars and supporting environmental concerns through powering one's home with clean, dependable, renewable energy. Especially valuable for homeowners who live far from utility poles and power grids, but useful for all homeowners, The Renewable Energy Handbook covers energy-efficient home design considerations, especially factors that should be taken into account when renovating an older home; tips for appliance selection; an in-depth primer for off-grid living; electrical production through photovoltaic means, wind turbines, micro hydro electricity production, batteries, and fossil fuel backup power sources; how to apply and connect all the different aspects of green power safely; and much more. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this home improvement guide for readers of all backgrounds. The Renewable Energy Handbook is for both energy-conscious do-it-yourselfers and homeowners seeking to educate themselves on what exactly they need to know before they call in a professional. In today's world of oil crises, electrical blackouts, high gas prices and increasing environmental depredations, The Renewable Energy Handbook is a "must-have" for homeowners everywhere.

The Renewable Energy Handbook is the definitive guide to Off-The-Grid Living. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in protecting our environment, self-sufficient living or simply saving money through an efficient lifestyle.

Best single source of information on this subject I've seen, as a professional in this field. Though perhaps not enough detail for expert system designers, it nevertheless
covers each item in some depth and explains it on a level that the layperson can not just understand, but maybe enjoy reading. Very good summary of a very large subject.
Excellent. I'll be giving them out to my customers. Nick
Houser, Off Grid Services.

The Renewable Energy Handbook is the definitive guide to Off-The-Grid Living. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in protecting our environment, self-sufficient living or simply saving money through an efficient lifestyle.

I own, consult for and sell items related to Solar Power and other forms of Renewable Energy. I read this book and use it as reference when people approach me about using Renewable Energy. It is a great source of knowledge and the author lives what he wrote about, which is refreshing. I recently ordered another 5 copies to pass out when people order a complete system from me, as a guide to other components they might need in their pursuit of Energy Indpendence. Maverick Solar

great book with lots of helpful info...if you want to get off the grid, this book is certainly going to help!!!