As energy prices keep going up, many homeowners are starting to investigate cheaper alternative energies that can be easily installed, and run on a daily basis. Whether you’re trying to cut costs, or you just want to go green, solar power is often the first choice of many homeowners. The big problem for many however is how to install it. The basic concept of having a solar panel which absorbs energy from the sun and transfers it to your home is easy enough, but when it comes time to hook that panel up into your home’s electrical system, or finding out where to place those panels, everyone can use a little help.

The first two chapters serve to introduce the reader to the benefits of solar power, and provide a greater understanding of how it works, why it is so beneficial and how much money you can actually save. From there, the author moves on to tiny projects that you can start, that can actually have a big impact on your monthly energy costs. For example, simply by using solar powered lights for your walkway, you can easily save upwards of a few hundred dollars a year on outdoor lighting costs alone.

Section three covers some basic DIY projects that will get you going with solar power and help provide you with the skills you need to tackle the larger ones later on. We highly recommend going through a few of these projects before converting your entire house, especially if you are completely new to solar power.

Section five contains some excellent advice on how to build an entirely solar powered home from the ground up, and this section is incredibly useful for those that are truly committed to going green, or saving money. In many cases, this is a powerful selling point for any home and can dramatically increase the overall value of a home immediately.

The last section in the book contains some useful top ten lists about solar power and there is actually quite a bit that can be learned. You may even want to start here before going on to the rest of the book, especially if you prefer to get little bite sized chunks of info before getting in over your head.

We highly recommend this book to anyone interested in alternative power. The tips and advice contained herein can save you thousands of dollars every year and the book has done a great job of making all of this information accessible. Installing solar power doesn’t have to be complicated, although we still recommend contacting a professional before you mess with your home’s electrical system. That aside, there are some great real world tips in this book and if the current costs of gas, propane and electricity are any indication, the time to think about converting is definitely now. If you are interested in putting in a solar power system in your home, this book will help you get the job done.

Originally posted 2008-10-17 05:52:10. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Book Review, Handy Man

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alternative energies, daily basis, diy projects, dummies, electrical system, energy costs, energy from the sun, energy prices, first choice, how much money, lighting costs, outdoor lighting, saving money, solar panel, solar power, solar powered lights, top ten lists, walkway