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Solar Electricity Basics: Powering Your Home or Office with Solar Energy
by Dan ChirasA guide to choosing and using solar electricity systems from &“the man who launched a thousand rooftop solar arrays . . . the essential go-to manual&” (John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, coauthors of ECOpreneuring). As we look for safer, more economical, and more sustainable ways to meet our needs for electricity—and as more and more electric cars hit the road—solar has become an increasingly popular option. With Solar Electricity Basics, renewable energy expert Dan Chiras offers a concise and up-to-date guide covering all the essentials. It explores:How to size, cost, and choose the right system, including off-grid vs. grid-tied vs. grid-tied with battery backupWhere to mount a system for maximum performanceWhat type of modules and inverters to buyHow to install and maintain batteriesCost vs. benefit for solar electric systemsHow to connect to the grid, and what type of net metering your area offersSolar Electricity Basics is an indispensable guide for homeowners, business owners, builders, and students for figuring out solar electricity quickly and easily.
The Solar Food Dryer: How to Make and Use Your Own High-Performance, Sun-Powered Food Dehydrator (Mother Earth News Books for Wiser Living)
by Eben V. FodorThe Solar Food Dryer describes how to use solar energy to dry your food instead of costly electricity. With your own solar-powered food dryer, you can quickly and efficiently dry all your extra garden veggies, fruits, and herbs to preserve their goodness all year long--with free sunshine! Applicable to a wide geography--wherever gardens grow--this well-illustrated book includes:* Complete step-by-step plans for building a high-performance, low-cost solar food dryer from readily available materials * Solar energy design concepts * Food drying tips and recipes * Resources, references, solar charts, and moreEben Fodor is an organic gardener with a background in solar energy and engineering. He works as a community planning consultant in Eugene, Oregon.
Solar Gardening
by Leandre Poisson Gretchen Vogel Poisson"Solar Gardening" shows how to increase efforts of the sun during the coldest months of the year and how to protect tender plants from the intensity of the scorching sun during the hottest months through the use of solar "mini-greenhouses. " The book includes instructions for building a variety of solar appliances plus descriptions of more than 90 different crops, with charts showing when to plant and harvest each. The result is a year-round harvest even from a small garden. In "Solar Gardening" the Poissons show you how to:• Dramatically increase the annual square-foot yield of your garden. • Extend the growing and harvest season for nearly every kind of vegetable. • Select crops that will thrive in the coldest and hottest months of the year, without artificial heating or cooling systems. • Build solar appliances for your own garden. Armed with nothing but this book and a few simple tools, even novice gardeners can quickly learn to extend their growing season and increase their yields, without increasing the size of their garden plot.
Solar Home Heating Basics
by Dan ChirasAs fossil fuel supplies dwindle, home heating will be one of the major challenges in temperate and cold climates in upcoming years. The reserves of natural gas used to heat the majority of North American buildings are rapidly being depleted. This latest Green Energy Guide helps readers who want to slash their energy bills and reduce their dependence on scarce resources to navigate the sometimes confusing maze of clean, reliable, and affordable options.Solar Home Heating Basics focuses on renewable energy strategies to heat new and existing homes and small businesses. These include:*Energy efficiency, weatherization, and insulation*Solar hot air heating*Solar thermal systems*Passive solar heating*Backup heating systemsWhile most solar home heating resources are geared primarily towards new buildings, this practical guide addresses ways of retrofitting existing buildings, making solar a reality for many people.Packed with all the essential information home and small business owners need to find alternatives to conventional heating solutions, Solar Home Heating Basics is your key to a personal energy solution.Dan Chiras is a respected educator and the author of thirty books on residential renewable energy and green building, including The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy and Power from the Sun. Dan is the director and lead instructor at the Evergreen Institute's Center for Renewable Energy and Green Building, where he teaches workshops on energy efficiency, solar electricity, solar hot water, small wind energy, green building, natural plasters, and natural building.
The Solar House
by Daniel D. ChirasThe Natural House is a tour of the construction, costs, and pros and cons of fourteen natural building methods. Straw Bale, Rammed Earth, Cob, Cordwood, Adobe, Earthbags, Papercrete, Earthships#133;whatever the method, the common goal is to create a house that is economical, energy efficient, nontoxic, soothing to the soul, kind to the environment, and pleasing to behold. This comprehensive sourcebook offers in-depth information that will guide your search for the perfect sustainable dream home. It is a must for home builders, contractors, and architects.
Solar Rooftop DIY: The Homeowner's Guide to Installing Your Own Photovoltaic Energy System (Countryman Know How)
by Mike SullivanThe do-it-yourself guide for converting your home to solar power Solar energy is clean, efficient, sustainable--and expensive. Or is it? Many homeowners simply assume that the cost of solar panels is out of their reach, but in reality, the technology is quickly becoming attainable for the middle class. Rather than leasing panels from one of those home solar startups (and letting them reap the financial benefits), why not join the thousands who are doing it themselves? In Solar Rooftop DIY, sustainable energy expert Mike Sullivan offers five design plans--ranging from a few simple panels to a complex, roof-covering array--for building a rooftop PV energy system for any home. Each plan has clear and detailed step-by-step photographs showing the installation process. Many of them require no additional labor--just a few days' commitment for the average weekend warrior. With energy costs only set to increase in the future, now is the time to make the switch to solar and start selling power back to the grid.
Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems
by Bob Ramlow Benjamin NuszSolar Water Heating is a practical solar encyclopedia for anyone interested in installing a solar energy system or in starting a solar energy company. The folksy writing is clear and the numerous diagrams make this book a great resource for everyone from the novice just getting started to the existing solar professional looking to pick up some of Bob Ramlow's many useful observations from a long career installing and maintaining solar energy systems. - Don Wichert, Director, Renewable Energy Programs, Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation HEATING WATER WITH THE SUN is almost as old as humankind itself, and it is done all over the world. Yet there are few resources in North America for those who want to install such systems themselves. Solar Water Heating fills this gap. It reviews the history of solar water & space heating systems from prehistory to the present, then presents the basics of solar water heating, including an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation and energy economics. Drawing on the author's experience as an installer of these systems, the book goes on to cover: Types of solar collectors, solar water and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages. System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance. System sizing and siting Choosing the appropriate system. the book focuses especially on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems can save significant costs in the long run. Well-illustrated, the book is designed for a wide readership from the curious to the student or professional. [this book] will be required reading for all of our new installation personnel since it provides a complete and comprehensive history, guide and information about the type of work we do every day. - Richard Lane, Managing Partner, Solar Mining Company
Solar Water Heating--Revised & Expanded Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Books for Wiser Living)
by Bob Ramlow Benjamin NuszHeating water with the sun is a practice almost as old as humankind itself. Solar Water Heating, now completely revised and expanded, is the definitive guide to this clean and cost-effective technology.Beginning with a review of the history of solar water and space heating systems from prehistory to the present, Solar Water Heating presents an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation, and energy economics. Drawing on the authors' experiences as designers and installers of these systems, the book goes on to cover: Types of solar collectors, solar water, and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance System sizing and siting Choosing the appropriate system This book focuses on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems generate significant savings in the long run. With many diagrams and illustrations to complement the clearly written text, this book is designed for a wide readership ranging from the curious homeowner to the serious student or professional.Bob Ramlow has been involved in renewable energy system sales, installation, and manufacturing since 1976. He is an IREC/ISPQ certified solar thermal independent master trainer and a NABCEP certified solar thermal installer. He writes and teaches workshops about solar energy.Benjamin Nusz has worked as an installer, site assessor, designer, and consultant for solar thermal systems. He currently trains renewable thermal technicians at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin.
Solving Critical Design Problems: Theory and Practice
by Tania AllenSolving Critical Design Problems demonstrates both how design is increasingly used to solve large, complex, modern-day problems and, as a result, how the role of the designer continues to develop in response. With 13 case studies from various fields, including program and product design, Tania Allen shows how types of design thinking, such as systems thinking, metaphorical thinking, and empathy, can be used together with methods, such as brainstorming, design fiction, and prototyping. This book helps you find ways out of your design problems by giving you other ways to look at your ideas, so that your designs make sense in their setting. Solving Critical Design Problems encourages a design approach that challenges assumptions and allows designers to take on a more critical and creative role. With over 100 images, this book will appeal to students in design studios, industrial and product design, as well as landscape and urban design.
Solving Deer Problems: How to Deerproof Your Yard and Garden (Lyons Press Ser.)
by Peter LoewerWhat can I do? Gardeners are asking themselves--and experts--this question with increasing urgency about the deer that threaten their carefully cultivated lawns and gardens. With the increased development of suburban and rural land and the lack of natural predators, deer populations are exploding and living closer to humans than ever before--and they’re nibbling on more beloved blooms as well. How can the deer be stopped? What plants are safe? Peter Loewer has the answers in Solving Deer Problems. In this manual, he addresses several key topics, including plants that will withstand a whitetail attack, chemicals that can safely be used as deer repellants, fences that will keep deer away from those choice garden beds, trapping and relocating cervids and other garden pests, and numerous tricks to keep the pesky creatures out of your yard. Peter also discusses the less-prominent threat of deer-borne diseases and ticks and how to protect yourself and your pets. He even touches on car vs. deer collisions and how you can prepare yourself to achieve the best outcome incase a deer is ever caught in your headlights. Don’t wait until your prize flowers, vegetables, or shrubs are a deer’s meal. Pick up Solving Deer Problems for all the clear answers on what you can do about your deer problem.
Somatic Embryogenesis in Ornamentals and Its Applications
by A. MujibSomatic embryogenesis (SE) is a unique process by means of which a vegetative/somatic plant cell transforms into an embryo. This in vitro embryogeny has immense fundamental and practical applications. The SE process is complex and is controlled by a variety of external and internal triggers. This book compiles the latest advances in embryogenesis research on ornamentals and discusses the importance of embryogenic cultures/tissues in raising transgenic crops. The technique of cryopreservation in the protection of ornamental genetic resources is discussed using embryogenic culture/embryo as the tissue of choice, and the respective roles of the genotype, plant growth regulator, environment and other regulating factors in embryogenesis are discussed. The book also focuses on comparative biochemical and physiological differences during the acquisition and development of embryos. The importance of plant proteome and functional genomics as a source of markers is highlighted, and special attention is paid to genes / gene homologues (SERC) in characterizing embryogenesis. Lastly, the book examines the involvement of auxin polar transport and other molecular networks regulating gene expression.
Songs of the Fluteplayer: Seasons of Life in the Southwest
by Sharman Apt RussellFilled with &“honest&” writing and &“wise&” observations, &“Russell&’s well-written essays describe her life as an urban immigrant to the rural Southwest&” (Library Journal). In 1981, newlywed Sharman Apt Russell moved with her husband to an agricultural valley in southwestern New Mexico, hoping to create a simpler life. From building their adobe house to the home-birth of their firstborn to growing their own food and navigating the seasonal flooding of the Mimbres River, these luminous essays chart Sharman&’s journey toward self-sufficiency in a land as mythical and remote as the image of the prehistoric fluteplayer found on the pottery in trading posts throughout the Southwest. Replete with wisdom and a reverence for the Native American people whose relics Sharman discovers everywhere on the land around her, this award-winning memoir pays tribute to the power and grace of nature, our deep connection to our prehistoric past, and the beauty of living in communion with the land. &“A fine contribution to the literature of the modern American Southwest . . . [Russell] achieves just the right mix of fact and metaphor, humor and poetics.&” —Booklist &“These essays say much about the difficulty of maintaining an alternate lifestyle.&” —Publishers Weekly &“A lovely little book. To be kept and read and read again.&” —Tony Hillerman, bestselling author
SORT YOUR LIFE OUT: 3 Steps to Transform Your Home & Change Your Life
by The BBC teamThe first official book from the life-changing BBC One show, Sort Your Life Out will have you falling back in love with your home in three simple steps:1. STRIP - how to let go and clear out the clutter (when you don't have a warehouse to hand)!2. SORT - time to sell, donate, recycle and upcycle.3. SYSTEMISE - learn how to organise, fold and store in a way that is manageable and sustainable.Filled with every tip and trick from your favourite experts Stacey, Dilly, Iwan and Rob, this empowering book will give you the tools to transform your home and get that Sort Your Life Out mindset.
The Soul of Soil
by Grace Gershuny Joe SmillieSoil is the basis not only for all gardening, but for all terrestrial life. No aspect of agriculture is more fundamental and important, yet we have been losing vast quantities of our finite soil resources to erosion, pollution, and development. Now back in print, this eminently sensible and wonderfully well-focused book provides essential information about one of the most significant challenges for those attempting to grow delicious organic vegetables: the creation and maintenance of healthy soil. All of us involved in the cultivation of plants--from the backyard gardener to the largest farmer--need to help regenerate a "living soil," for only in the diversity of the soil and its creatures can we ensure the long-term health of ourselves and our environment. "The Soul of Soil" offers everyone a basic understanding of what soil is and what we can do to improve our own patch of it. Seen in this light, this practical handbook will be an inspiration as well.
Soul of the Home: Designing with Antiques
by Tara ShawPast meets present in this stylish guide to decorating modern homes with heirlooms and antiques. Designer and antiques dealer Tara Shaw is a respected supplier of French and European antiques for a host of AD100 and Elle Decor A-listers, including Bobby McAlpine, Mary McDonald, and Bunny Williams. In her first book, she helps readers understand how to select the best antiques and how to use them in a variety of decor schemes. The book presents never-before-published spaces from Shaw’s portfolio and reveals her favorite antique-hunting spots throughout Europe. Anecdotes from years of treasure hunting are accompanied by images of rare and precious finds, with text that decodes just how to choose the right pieces and display them in a contemporary interior. Readers will be able to look at each space and take away ideas they can apply to their own homes, to create personalized rooms full of provenance and beauty.
SoulSpace: Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life -- Creating a Home That Is Free of Clutter, Full of Beauty, and Inspired by You
by Xorin BalbesExpertly designed and decorated homes don’t necessarily feel like havens to their dwellers or reflect, inspire, and celebrate what is essential about their inhabitants. Lauded designer and architectural conservator Xorin Balbes created the eight-stage SoulSpace transformation process to help his clients do just that. Through the stages — assess, release, cleanse, dream, discover, create, elevate, and celebrate — readers explore not only the design of their living spaces but also their own interiors: the ways they think, feel, and sense. Through client stories, exercises, Q & As, and bountiful photos and illustrations, Balbes guides readers to decode clues to what they wish for, deny, and need to move forward. Empowered with this self-knowledge, they are free to declutter, refresh, and enhance their living spaces. Suitable for any budget and for one wall or one room, apartments or mansions, Balbes’s wonderfully unique technique nurtures and transforms both souls and their spaces.
The Sound of Cherry Blossoms: Zen Lessons From The Garden On Comtemplative Design
by Martin Hakubai Mosko Alxe NodenContemplative design and Zen teachings--a look at how we can transform our lives and our work through the lens of Japanese garden design.Garden design is the way of discovering the garden. And the garden is a metaphor for life itself. Part garden design philosophy and part Zen Buddhism, this book eloquently shows us how the principles of garden design are the same guidelines we can follow to design our life. Intentional living is the subject of design. When we approach our work in the garden, or in our life, through the practice of contemplative design, we can elevate the whole; we can unite the spiritual with the ordinary; we can join heaven and earth.
Souped Up: Do-It-Yourself Projects to Make Anything Better
by Instructables. Com Michael HuynhEver look around your house and get bored with the things you have? Too ordinary? Used it a million times? With Instructables.com's latest compilation, Souped Up, you can turn your ordinary into the extraordinary. Learn how to: Brew a cup of coffee with Twitter Make ice cubes crystal clear Build a tape dispenser out of Legos Light up your bicycle with LEDs Turn your shower into a spa Make your Nerf gun even coolerCompiled from the best that the web has to offer, Souped Up is the latest book from Instructables.com and Skyhorse Publishing. Over a thousand full-color images and easy-to-understand how-to instructions make this collection the perfect gift for anyone never satisfied with the status quo. Ever thought "I could improve that"? These authors did too, and we've put together their best ideas for upgrades, hacks, and everything you need to get the most out of everything.
The Southeast Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden
by Larry Mellichamp Paula GrossBring Your Garden to Life—and Life to Your Garden Do you want a garden that makes a real difference? Choose plants native to our Southeast region. The rewards will benefit you, your yard, and the environment—from reducing maintenance tasks to attracting earth-friendly pollinators such as native birds, butterflies, and bees. Native plant experts Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross make adding these superstar plants easier than ever before, with proven advice that every home gardener can follow. This incomparable sourcebook includes 225 recommended native ferns, grasses, wildflowers, perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees. It&’s everything you need to know to create a beautiful and beneficial garden. This must-have handbook is for gardeners in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Southern Gardening All Year Long
by Gary R. BachmanSouthern Gardening All Year Long approaches southern landscapes from a different perspective. Instead of encyclopedic lists and articles focused on botanical gardens or someone else’s landscape, author and host of Southern Gardening Gary R. Bachman connects with his audience through personal stories that share his expertise gained over decades of planting, all told in an easily digestible format. Most stories in Southern Gardening All Year Long focus on Bachman’s hands-on experience with gardening. He recounts tales about his own personal gardens—plants that have thrived and failed—and presents his advice in a common-sense style. Bachman's personal, conversational writing makes Southern Gardening All Year Long an old-fashioned, over-the-fence chat with a knowledgeable and helpful neighbor. Just as he has done in newspapers, and on television and radio, with Southern Gardening All Year Long, Bachman hopes to help gardeners be successful in their own landscapes, alleviate some of the apprehension new gardeners feel, and inspire experienced gardeners to try new plants instead of the same old plantings every year. Gardening success doesn’t always follow steps 1-2-3, but Bachman encourages readers not to worry about plants that don’t survive. Failures happen in gardens every season. Offering a variety of tips and tricks and over 170 color images, Southern Gardening All Year Long will become a gardener’s best friend.
Southern Gardens, Southern Gardening
by William Lanier HuntOriginally published in 1982, this bestselling collection of gardening writing by William Lanier Hunt--one of the South's leading gardening writers and horticulturalists--is now available for the first time in paperback. Arranged by months of the year, Southern Gardens, Southern Gardening is filled with useful, commensense instruction, as well as the wisdom and art of gardening.
Southern Living: 250 Ideas to Design Your Dream Home
by The Editors of Southern LivingIn celebration of Southern Living's 50th anniversary, this keepsake issue is full of decorating and design ideas for creating timeless Southern homes. We take readers on a tour of our all-time best Idea Houses, and share the most inspiring and beautiful rooms and spaces we've published in 50 years.
Southern Living: 223 Ideas for Containers, Beds & Borders
by The Editors of Southern LivingIn honor of Southern Living's 50th anniversary, we present our best-ever collection of gardening ideas and advice, from growing information for top Southern plants to tours of the South's most beautiful gardens.
Southern Living: 250 Recipes & Ideas for a Southern Holiday
by The Editors of Southern Living250 recipes and tips for an unforgettable holiday, Southern style! In the South, Christmas means family and elegant celebrations that create memories for a lifetime. Southern Living Christmas at Home gathers the best ideas for holiday celebrations from the beloved magazine dedicated to America's South.
SOUTHERN LIVING 101 Decorating Ideas: The Ultimate Guide to Southern Style
by The Editors of Southern LivingSouthern homes have always been known for being warm and welcoming, whether a grand historic house or a small cottage or bungalow. Now the editors of Southern Living, the authority on all things Southern, bring you a special edition of Southern Living guaranteed to take your home style to the next level. Whether you're designing your dream living room from the hardwood floor up, or just tweaking the look of an entry hall or completely redoing the whole kitchen, Southern Living shares their favorite ideas and inspirations.Chock-full of expert advice, including how to mix color and pattern like a pro to the best ways to transform a flea market find, the tips and tricks included in 101 Decorating Ideas cover every room in the house and include a wide range of ideas--some that can be done by yourself and within a day, to larger projects that might require a little more time and assistance, but all with beautiful photography that will inspire you along the way and help you transform your home into a place you can't wait to get back to every day.