Product Description
As oil prices continue to rise, many people are starting to think about how to unhook from the electricity grid. The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses completely on off-grid, sustainable living and rural energy independence. Author/engineer William H. Kemp, who is a leading expert in small- and mid-scale renewable energy technologies, designed and built his own off-grid home. The result is a house that has all the standard “middle-class” creature comforts while using less than five times the total fossil-fuel energy of the average North American house. The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses on the unique requirements of off-grid living and contains chapters on energy conservation; heating and cooling; backup power; domestic water heating; wireless communications; photovoltaic, wind, and microhydro energy generation; battery selection; and inverters. Since its release in 2003, The Renewable Energy Handbook has been a top-selling technology book and is recognized as the best book in its field. The book is augmented with hundreds of illustrations, line drawings, photographs, and appendices.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 29 reviews)

WHAT A HANDBOOK!!! by Edgar Paternina (Colombia. South America)

5 Stars
June 30, 2009
This excellent work by the engineer William H. Kemp has made me to decide about installing my own small-wind turbine generator. In this book you will find the basics about renewable energy, without entering in much technical details, so as a good introductory book it is excellent. Living in a farm with excellent resources all the year round, wind and water, not only I will install a wind generator, but because of this book I have started thinking about in micro hydro electricity production, chapter 8; chapters 9 to 11, are dedicated with some extend to batteries, converters DC TO AC, and DC regulation or controllers. Evidently if you want to know a little bit more you have to study more, I would recommend too to the excellent manual by Hugh Piggott, HOW TO BUILD A WIND TURBINE.

A rather simplistic book. by Brian D. Cunningham

2 Stars
May 24, 2009
I bought this book at the same time as another very good renewable energy reference based on the "Customers who bought this..." cross sell offered by Amazon. That's a mistake I won't make again. The book may be helpful to a neophyte in the renewable energy field, but anyone with any kind of background will find it very basic. That the author uses the book to make subtle political statements is annoying. I was looking for detailed information, not political diatribe. I was disappointed.

Highly recommend it. by Traveler (Collegedale, TN)

5 Stars
April 06, 2009
I purchased this book based on the reviews here at Amazon.com. I am very pleased with the content and the manner in which it is written. I highly recommend it!

Renewable Energy: More than "Where to Start" by Lora Winchester (Hillsdale, KS United States)

5 Stars
March 29, 2009
Thought it would be too technical, but gives practical steps & advice on where to start, & where to go from there. Many different options/steps I didn't know or think about. Some that don't need to be expensive.

Book review by Ryan E. Brown

5 Stars
March 19, 2009
There is a lot of helpful information. Everyone should read this book including our elected officials. Mr. Kemp has taken the rocket science out of renewable energy and made it so anyone can understand it.

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