Got sun? go solar harness nature's free energy to heat and power your grid-tied home - Ewing, Rex A. (PixyJack Press, 2009)
Includes indexes
Examines renewable energy options for grid-tied homeowners, including solar- and wind-generated electricity, solar water heating, passive solar, and geothermal heating / cooling. System configurations and equipment, average costs, financial incentives, and installation considerations are also covered--Provided by publisher
Includes bibliographical references (p. 178-180) and index
Introduction : The first modern solar cell -- Section I. Generating electricity from the sun and wind : Why would you want a solar/wind electric system? : Warm, fuzzy reasons for renewable energy ; Hard-edge financial reasons -- Is this stuff legal - or safe? : Net metering ; Why your utility company doesn't want your power ; Technology leads, and regulations follow -- Riding herd on electrons: electricity and solar cell basics : Electrons have all the fun ; Learning to love volts, amps and watts ; Falling water and electron flow: a (nearly) perfect analogy ; AC/DC: it's more than rock 'n roll ; Solar cells: teaching old electrons new tricks ; It's practically efficient -- You want batteries with that? : Direct grid-tie systems (without batteries) ; Battery-based grid-tie systems ; Which is right for me? -- Sizing your solar/wind electric system : Watt(s) you use versus watt(s) you need ; Sizing the components ; How many batteries? ; System voltage --
- Where does everything go? : Where should I put my solar array? ; Making space for the batteries, inverters and other stuff ; How far away can it be? ; Grid-tie for the cash- or space-challenged -- Got wind? : How much wind is enough? ; Turbines: a quick look at the windy beasts ; Tower styles and options ; Which system is right for me? -- Let's talk money and system performance : Honest cost estimates and real world output for solar/wind electric systems ; System monitoring -- Any financial help out there? : Federal/state/local sources ; Return on your investment; RE credits or green tags -- Permits and paperwork : What to expect, and who does it ; Tell your friendly local utility company ; Sell high, by low (time-of-use billing) -- The nuts and bolts: what to look for, what to avoid : Solar modules, connections, mounting systems ; Direct and battery based grid-tie inverters ; Safety equipment ; Wind turbines and towers ; Charge controllers ; Batteries --