The Homeowner's Energy Handbook

Introduction

Part One: Home Energy Efficiency

1 Getting Ready for Renewables

The Big and Little Energy Picture * Basic Considerations * Systems and Planning * Renewable Habits * The Value of Electricity * Energy Action in Cuba * Build a Bicycle-Powered Battery Charger

2 Do Your Own Energy Audit

Getting Started * Electricity * Hot Water * Heating and Air Conditioning * Thermal Envelope * Windows * Prioritizing Your Improvements

3 Insulating Your Home

How Heat Moves * Measuring Insulation Value * Insulation Inspection * How Much Insulation Do You Need? * Choosing and Installing Insulation * Stopping Air and Moisture * Roof Venting * When "High Performance" Doesn't Perform

4 Deep Energy Retrofits

Looking at the Big Picture * A Team with a Plan * The Basement * Above-Grade Walls * Windows * The Roof * Air Leakage * Ventilation * Heating and Air Conditioning * Hot Water

5 Home Energy Monitoring

Electric Energy Monitoring * Gas Monitoring * Environmental Monitoring * My Hot Water Heating Story

Part Two: Renewable Energy

6 Solar Hot Water

Types of Systems * Solar Hot Water Collectors * Hot Water Storage * Additional System Components * Sizing the System * Maintenance * Homemade Hot Water * Build a Solar Hot Water Batch Heater

7 Solar Electric Generation

Solar Power Potential * Planning for a PV System * PV System Wiring * Orientation * Racks and Tracking * Economics * Safety * Living with Solar (and Wind) Power

8 Wind Electric Generation

Using Wind Energy at Home * Estimating Energy in the Wind * Estimating Wind Speed * Efficiency and Power * Wind Machines and Controls * Towers * Foundations and Anchoring * Maintenance * Safety * Wiring and Grounding * Wind Wisdom from an Expert

9 Hydro Electric Generation

Home Hydro * Calculating Hydro Energy * Measuring Flow and Estimating Power * Intake Site Selection * Penstock Pipe Selection * Turbines * Power Generators * System Efficiency

10 Renewable Electricity Management

Grid-Tie vs. Off-Grid * Definition of Terms * Electrical Wiring * Balance of System Components * Batteries * Mapping Motivations ... and Watts

11 Biodiesel

Venturing into Biodiesel * What Is Biodiesel? Benefits and Drawbacks * Essential Ingredients * Equipment Needs * Safety * Basic Steps for Making Biodiesel * Mixing Biodiesel with Other Fuels * Washing Biodiesel * Veggie Oil Conversion * Create a Biodiesel Kit

12 Wood Gas

Wood Doesn't Burn * How Wood Gas Generators Work * Four Stages of Gasification * Gasifier Operation * Cleaning and Filtering Wood Gas * Using Wood Gas * Storing Gas * Types of Gasifiers * Working Safely around Wood Gas * Two Men and a Truck * Build a Simple Wood Gas Cook Stove

13 Biogas

The Basics * Recipe for Making Gas * Solids, Liquids, and Volatile Solids * Temperature * Retention Time and Loading Rate * Types of Methane Generators * Using Biogas * Purifying Biogas * Biogas Is More than a Gas * Make a Biogas Generator

Resources

Metric Conversion Charts

Index