- Paperback: 432 pages
- Publisher: Aztext Press; 1 edition (Sep 18 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0973323310
- ISBN-13: 978-0973323313
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.4 x 2.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #433,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Concern over energy supply, costs and environmental problems are not limited to those prepared to venture into the countryside to an off-grid life. Urban people - now the vast majority in the western world - share the same fear about what lies ahead. Yet the average North American family will spend over one quarter million after-tax dollars on energy in a lifetime. The difference between North American and European energy consumption is waste and inefficiency - or, simply, wasted money.
$mart Power shows homeowners that using less energy or adopting renewable-energy technologies is not about making drastic lifestyle sacrifices, nor is it expensive. In fact, energy efficiency often improves lifestyle through lower operating costs, a more comfortable environment, and increased disposable income. $mart Power shows that our concern for first cost when purchasing appliances and consumer goods is robbing us blind. For example, keeping a 15-year-old fridge rather than replacing it will actually cost 4-5 times more than the new model because of wasted energy costs.
This richly illustrated book includes chapters on:
- Energy efficiency
- Space heating and cooling
- Community power
- Energy efficient transportation
- Photovoltaics, wind and biofuels
- Batteries, voltage regulation and inverters
- Solar water heating and backup power
About the Author
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.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Basic RE and conservation information, Sep 6 2005
By John E. - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Smart Power: An urban guide to renewable energy and efficiency (Paperback)
This book is for the novice. Do not buy if you have purchased - Renewable Energy Handbook for Homeowners: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making (and Selling) Your Own Power from the Sun, Wind and Water... they are almost identical.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, up-to-date and practical introduction, Mar 7 2005
By Windy Dankoff "solar power pioneer & educator" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Smart Power: An urban guide to renewable energy and efficiency (Paperback)
In my 30 years' professional experience in remote wind and solar power, I've seen good books, bad books, and obsolete books so I appreciate this one! It's up-to-date for 2005, and will remain useful for years to come. The author gets his priorities straight, putting high emphasis on conservation and efficiency, which is the key to making renewable energy economical. This book will be useful for both homeowners and professionals who need a practical introduction and hands-on guidance.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive and Understandable, Sep 2 2006
By Stuart Gardner "www.sdgardner.com" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Smart Power: An urban guide to renewable energy and efficiency (Paperback)
This is a great introduction to energy efficiency and urban renewable energy sources. The author provides down to earth descriptions of a smörgåsbord of generation and conservation methods in a form that is easy to understand and apply, from the simple wood stove to (at least for me) complex topic of wind turbines and solar electricity generation.After reading this book most people are going to be able to take some measures to save power (from better insulation to selecting more efficient electrical devices). I was converted to the concept of energy efficiency before reading this book (at least to the point of buying a hybrid and ensuring my house is well insulated) - this book has provided me with a few more ideas to investigate and implement.
Enough details are provided to understand the basics of power generation and the components that would be required. There is an easy to understand description of dc/ac conversion and battery management. However, building and implementing a power generation system is clearly very involved.
While this book provides a start in this area; more practical and technical skills than any one book could provide would be required to do this effectively and safely.
Well worth the cover price.
If you do go ahead with a project, make sure to research any tax savings - these can provide the added incentive to implement a project or make a better purchase (e.g. solar electricity, hybrid - for now - 2006).
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Engineering > Civil > Environmental
- Books > Engineering > Energy
- Books > Home & Garden > Home Design > Remodeling & Renovation
- Books > Outdoors & Nature > Environment > Conservation
- Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil > Environmental
- Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Energy
- Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Energy
- Books > Science > History & Philosophy > History of Science
- Books > Science > Nature & Ecology > Environment > Conservation
- Books > Science > Physics > Energy
- Books > Science > Technology > Renewable Energy
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
