The
Solar Electric House:
Energy for the Environmentally-Responsive, Energy-Independent Home
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The
Solar Electric House: Energy for the Environmentally-Responsive, Energy-Independent Home by Steven Strong, William Scheller Paperback (1994) |
| Steven Strong's book "The Solar
Electric House" is the most comprehensive book available regarding the application of
solar-generated electricity (photovoltaics). The book is well organized, well
written, and easy to understand. Although this book was first printed in 1987, it is amazingly current today (1999). I have been using this book since 1987 when I build my stand-alone PV-powered home in Prescott Arizona, and referred to Mr. Strong's book on a regular basis during design and construction of the solar-electric system. I still use this book today -- as the primary textbook in two classes that I teach at Arizona State University: "Introduction to Solar Energy and Photovoltaics" and "Photovoltaic System Design". A Reader, 1999 |
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| The
New Solar Electric Home: The Photovoltaics How-To Handbook by Joel Davidson Paperback (1987) |
| This book has been around for a long time. When it first came out, in 1987, it was the best book available. Unfortunately, it has not been updated since then, even though it has been reprinted several times. It has excellent basics for planning and designing a system, but much of the technology illustrated is outdated. With an update, this could be the best book in the field. A Reader, 1999 |
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Living
Without Electricity: People's Place Book No. 9 by Stephen Scott, Kenneth Pellman Paperback (1990) |
| More an historical overview than hands-on help. If you're looking to live off the grid, this is not the first book you need, nor will it save you any busted knuckles or needless expenses. It's interesting for a Sunday afternoon read and worth its modest price, but it's long on history and short on practical specifics. A Reader, 1999 | |