| Off the Grid confronts the ecological and cultural problems associated with the way we get and use energy, and explains how it is possible to live in a beautifully designed home using much less--no matter where your home is located. Our homes are connected by a nearly invisible grid of infrastructure that binds us together. It is a system of electrical poles, wire, substations, hydroelectric dams, telecommunication towers, and water extraction and sewage systems. It is also one of the greatest environmental challenges known to modern civilization. Profiling ten beautiful homes in regions as diverse as New York City, urban Germany, suburban Southern California, rural Canada, and the remote "bush" of Australia, Off the Grid: Modern Homes + Alternative Energy shows you how to take responsibility for your future choices and conveniences by living in a beautifully designed home that uses much less energy. Off-the-grid living is a concept that can be easily understood and adopted by everyone, regardless of where you live or how much money you make. Learn why understanding a site's geography and climate are vital to knowing which off-the-grid technologies will be the most efficient. See how each technology, from geothermal heat pumps to wind turbines to photovoltaic arrays, can be integral to the beauty and design of a home. Revolutionary and responsible, Off the Grid is gorgeous proof that alternative energy speaks the language of modern design. Lori Ryker grew up in Texas and has lived and worked in a variety of locations including Boston; New York City; Portland; and Basel, Switzerland. She now resides in Livingston, Montana, where she teaches at Montana State University's School of Architecture and is a partner, along with Brett W. Nave, of Ryker/Nave Design. Their work has been published in The House You Build, and Western Interiors and Design. Ryker holds a Master of Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design and a PhD from Texas A&M University. |
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As oil prices continue to rise, many people are starting to think about how to unhook from the power grid. The Renewable Energy Handbook focuses completely on off-grid, sustainable living and energy independence in a rural setting. Author William Kemp and his wife designed their own high-efficiency off-grid home in 1991. They worked methodically to produce a home which has all of the standard "middle-class" creature comforts while using six times less heating, cooling, and electrical energy than the average Ontario home. Soon they were inundated with inquiries and decided to put their experience into book form in 2003. This updated edition focuses specifically on off-grid concerns. Twice the page count of the first edition, it also includes enhanced chapters on home and domestic water heating, wireless communications and biofuels. A "Showcase of Homes" chapter provides a tour of various off-grid cottages and homes, and details the type of lifestyle that can be achieved for a given capital cost. The book is augmented with appendices and hundreds of illustrations, line drawings and photographs. William Kemp is VP Engineering of Powerbase Automation Systems Inc. and a consulting electronics/software designer who develops control systems for low environmental impact hydroelectric utilities worldwide. He is a sustainable living and clean energy advocate working in renewable energy heating, energy efficiency, photovoltaic, microhydro and wind electric systems. |
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Do you want to harvest sunlight, wind or falling water to power your home? Or sell that renewable energy back to your utility company? Are you looking to build your dream eco-home? Or to convert to biodiesel and minimize your fossil fuel use? This fully updated classic of sustainable living technology tells how and gives you access to the world's most extensive selection of hardware to make it all happen. The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook-12th Edition is the ultimate resource on renewable energy, sustainable living, alternative construction, green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living and alternative transportation, written by experts with decades of personal experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge. In print and regularly updated since 1982, the Sourcebook has sold over 600,000 copies in 44 countries. This 12th edition includes brand-new sections on solar utility intertie, alternative sources of fuel (including biodiesel and hydrogen fuel cells) and hybrid vehicles, and completely rewritten sections on land and shelter, emergency preparedness and energy conservation Plus over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, electrical code, solar sizing worksheets and much more. Whether you're a layperson or a professional, novice or longtime aficionado, the Sourcebook puts the latest research and newest products at your fingertips-all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality. John Schaeffer is the president and founder of Real Goods-the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable energy products. The recipient of numerous awards, Real Goods hosts an annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California. |
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| The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It is the only book that teaches all the skills needed to live independently in harmony with the land harnessing natural forms of energy, raising crops and keeping livestock, preserving foodstuffs, making beer and wine, basketry, carpentry, weaving, and much more. This new edition includes 150 new full color illustrations and a special section in which John Seymour the father of the back to basics movement explains the philosophy of self-sufficiency and its power to transform lives and create communities. More relevant than ever in our high-tech world, The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It is the ultimate practical guide for realists and dreamers alike. About the Author John Seymour is the author of over 40 books, including The Complete Book of Self Sufficiency, The Forgotten Arts and Crafts, and has made numerous movies and radio programs devoted to rural matters, self-sufficiency, and the environment. |
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