3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very interesting and seems to be well up to date., Sep 25 2009
This review is from: Solar Electricity Handbook: A simple, practical guide to using electric solar panels and designing and installing photovoltaic solar PV systems (Paperback)
This is a very well written book on all the basics of solar energy, and is easy to understand. It covers all the different types of installations and compares and rates the types of solar panels that are on the market today. I would recomend it for anyone wanting to learn about solar energy and the installation of it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only book on Solar Electricity you will need!, Oct 16 2009
This review is from: Solar Electricity Handbook: A simple, practical guide to using electric solar panels and designing and installing photovoltaic solar PV systems (Paperback)
The Solar Electricity Handbook is amazing. I've been looking for a good source of information about Solar Electricity for a project I've been thinking of around my house (to light a shed and charge the mower during the summer), but until now and never quite found what I needed - until now.
Mike's book showed me what I need to do, step by step, to get my project off the ground. The formulae included - complete with worked examples for me to follow and understand - were great for figuring out what I will need to get, in cables, and for sizing the system. The accompanying website allowed me to figure out how much sunlight I will get and with that in hand, I could figure out that I could do what I wanted! The book is an invaluable reference for me, including information about where to site the panels to get maximum use out of them, to the different types of batteries, and how to wire them correctly to get best use out of them. This guy knows his stuff! I used the website to ask some questions I had, and Mike answered quickly, fully and very knowledgeably - thanks Mike!
I can't recommend this book highly enough - it really is a one-stop shop for all the information you need about any solar electricity project, small like mine, or big like the example he uses of powering a holiday home in the woods.
This book doesn't just talk about the subject, like so many other books do, it's a practical how-to guide that actually makes you think about it, and then gives you the tools you need to go out and do it. If you just want to know a bit more solar electricity, or want to 'live off the grid', then this is the book for you.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Simplistic, Jun 15 2010
I just received my copy of the book and have looked through it. I am disappointed for three reasons: 1) There is a strong focus on off-grid systems; 2) there is little discussion on the topic of grid tied systems; and 3) it is a simplistic book. The author writes in the first person sharing his own opinions. If you are a beginner to the solar world, and you are considering off-grid solar, then this might be a good book for you to start with. I would not call the book a "handbook", which to me suggests a comprehensive compilation of information, or a reference, that would be helpful to guide you through a process, and this book is definitely not that. The information around solar grants and feed-in tariffs for Canada is incorrect (and the information is readily available online) leading me to suspect the author's other information.
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