Resource Guide

Chapter 1: Introduction

Aitken, Donald W. “The Renewable Energy Transition: Can it Really Happen?” Solar Today 19(1), 16–19, 2005. A valuable look at a very important question.

Aitken, Donald W. “Germany Launches Its Transition,” Solar Today 19(2), 26–19, 2005. A fascinating look at Germany’s plans to achieve 100% of its energy from renewable sources.

Asmus, Peter. “Power Solutions in Our Own Backyards,” Solar Today 15 (1), 2001. An interesting look at dispersed energy production.

Bihn, Dan. “Japan Takes the Lead,” Solar Today 19(1), 20–23, 2005. A look at Japan’s aggressive pursuit of renewable energy.

Chiras, Dan and J. Richter. “Money Matters: Does an RE System Make Economic Sense?” Home Power 131, 82–85, 2009. Discusses several ways to analyze the cost-effectiveness of a renewable energy system.

Campbell, C. J. “The Oil Peak: A Turning Point,” Solar Today 15(4), 40–43, 2001. A brief analysis of the future of global oil.

Darley, Julian. High Noon for Natural Gas: The New Energy Crisis. Chelsea Green, 2004. A look at natural gas supplies and the impacts of the imminent peak in global natural gas production.

Hartmann, Thom. The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Warming Up to Personal and Global Transformation. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999. A philosophic look at the decline in oil.

Heinberg, Richard. The Party’s Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies. New Society Publishers, 2003. A grim look at the prospects of human society as global oil production peaks.

Heinberg, Richard. Power Down: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World. New Society Publishers, 2004. A frank discussion of our options as global oil production peaks.

Home Power staff. “Clearing the Air: Home Power Dispels the Top RE Myths,” Home Power 100, 32–38, 2004. Superb piece for those who want to learn more about the many false assumptions and beliefs about renewable energy.

Prugh, Tom, Christopher Flavin, and Janet L. Sawin. “Changing the Oil Economy” In State of the World 2005. Starke, L. (ed.). W. W. Norton, 2005. Examines oil production declines from the standpoint of national security.

Sawin, Janet L. “Charting a New Energy Future,” In State of the World 2003. Starke, L. (ed.). Norton, 2003. An overview of renewable energy potential and what other nations are doing to create a sustainable energy future.

Sawin, Janet L. “Mainstreaming Renewable Energy in the 21st Century,” Worldwatch Paper 169, Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute, 2004. Overview of the prospects of renewable energy.

Sawin, Janet L. “Making Better Energy Choices,” In State of the World 2004. Starke, L. (ed.). Norton, 2004. An overview of what people are doing worldwide to switch to a renewable energy strategy.

Sindelar, Allan and Phil Campbell-Graves. “How to Finance Your Renewable Energy Home,” Home Power 103, 94–99, 2004. Very useful article.

Udall, Randy and Steve Andrews. “Methane Madness: A Natural Gas Primer,” Solar Today 15(4), 36–39, 2001. A frightening look at natural gas production.

Udall, Randy and Steve Andrews. “When Will the Joyride End?,” Home Power 81, 43–48, 2001. An insightful look at oil production and consumption with emphasis on peak oil production.

Chapters 2, 3, and 4:Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Energy Conservation

Aman, Jennifer T. and Alex Wilson. “Home Heating Basics,” Home Power 123, 50–55. A great little article on home heating options.

Bailes, Allison A. “How Efficient is Your House?” Home Power 106, 74–78, 2005. Great article on home energy ratings and blower door tests.

Chiras, Dan. Green Home Improvement: 65 Projects that Will Cut Utility Bills, Protect Your Health, and Help the Environment. R. S. Means: Kingston, MA, 2008. A great set of projects you can carry out around your home to improve its energy efficiency.

Chiras, Dan. “All About Insulation,” Mother Earth News 195, 62–70, 2003. A detailed look at insulation options.

Chiras, Dan. “Make Your Home Energy Efficient,” Mother Earth News, October/November, 84–92, 2008. My advice on energy retrofitting a home.

Chiras, Daniel D. “The Energy-Efficient Home,” Solar Today 18(5), 22–27, 2004. A primer on energy-efficient home design.

Carmody, John, Stephen Selkowitz, and Lisa Heschong. Residential Windows: A Guide to New Technologies and Energy Performance. Norton, 1996. Important resource for energy-efficient home designers.

Crume, Richard. “Home Energy Upgrades That Pay,” Solar Today 23(2): 28–33, 2010. Great discussion of the economics of energy retrofitting.

Fine Homebuilding. The Best of Fine Homebuilding: Energy-Efficient Building. Taunton Press, 1999. A collection of detailed articles on a wide assortment of topics related to energy efficiency including insulation, energy-saving details, windows, and heating systems.

Hurst-Wajszczuk, Joe. “Save Energy and Money — Now!” Mother Earth News 189, 24–33, 2001. Ideas on ways to save energy in your home.

Kerr, Andy. “Doing Well While Doing Good: Conservation of Energy as a Rational Financial Investment,” Home Power 86, 96–103, 2002. A look at the economics of household energy savings.

Johnston, David and Kim Master. Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time. New Society Publishers, 2004. Superb coverage of many ideas on ways to boost energy efficiency in existing homes.

Lstiburek, Joe. EEBA Builder’s Guide to Cold Climates. Energy Efficient Building Association, 1999. Superb resource for advice on building in cold climates.

_____. EEBA Builder’s Guide to Mixed Humid Climates. Energy Efficient Building Association, 1999. Superb resource for advice on this climate.

_____. EEBA Builder’s Guide to Hot-Arid Climates. EEBA, 1999. Superb resource for advice on building in hot arid climates.

National Association of Home Builders Research Center. Design Guide for Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations. NAHB Research Center, 1996. Also available online.

Pahl, Greg. Home Heating Basics. Chelsea Green, 2003. A detailed overview of natural home heating options.

Reysa, Gary. “8 Easy Projects for Instant Energy Savings,” Mother Earth News, February/March, 54–60, 2008. Great advice for all homeowners.

Scheckel, Paul. The Home Energy Diet. New Society Publishers, 2005. A great guide for energy conservation in homes.

Scheckel, Paul. “Efficiency Details for a Clean Energy Change,” Home Power 121, 40–45, 2007. Great article, well worth reading.

Yewdall, Zeke. “Alternatives that Don’t Cost an Arm and a Leg,” Home Power 101, 96–100, 2004. A useful article on energy efficiency and other ways to acquire electricity from renewable sources if your site is not ideally suited or your pocketbook prohibits a big investment.

Yost, Harry. Home Insulation: Do It Yourself and Save as Much as 40%. Storey Communications, 1991. Extremely useful book to read for anyone building a new house.

Chapter 5: Understanding Solar Energy

Chiras, Dan. Power from the Sun. New Society Publishers, 2009. Contains a detailed chapter on the Sun and solar energy.

Chapters 6 and 7: Passive Solar Heating

Chiras, Daniel D. “Build a Solar Home and Let the Sunshine in,” Mother Earth News 193, 74–81, 2002. A survey of passive solar design principles and a case study showing the economics of passive solar heating.

_____. The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling. Chelsea Green, 2002. A detailed, readable guide for designing and building homes for passive solar heating and cooling.

_____. “Sun-Wise Design: Avoid Passive Solar Design Blunders,” Home Power 105, 38–44, 2005. Important look at the most costly and most common mistakes in passive solar design.

_____. “Passive Solar Retrofit,” Home Power 138, 106–111, 2011. Explains ways you can retrofit an existing building with passive solar.

Haggard, Ken. “Basics of Passive Solar Design,” Solar Today 22(3): 6A–9A, 2008. A good discussion of passive solar.

Haggard, Ken and David Bainbridge. “Passive Solar Means Efficiency and Use of On-Site Energy,” Solar Today 23(8), 32–33, 2010.

Johnston, David and Kim Master. Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time. New Society Publishers, 2004. Many ideas that boost energy efficiency in existing homes and increase reliance on renewable energy, including passive solar.

Kachadorian, James. The Passive Solar House. Chelsea Green, 1997. Presents a lot of good information on passive solar heating and an interesting design that has been fairly successful in cold climates.

Kipnis, Nathan. “You Can Build this Energy-Efficient Solar Home,” Mother Earth News, August/September, 58–63, 2009. An article well worth reading. Contains lots of good ideas.

Little, Amanda Griscom. “Super Solar Homes Everyone Can Afford,” Mother Earth News 207, 34–41, 2005. Those interested in building a new home should check out this article.

Miller, Burke. Solar Energy: Today’s Technologies for a Sustainable Future. American Solar Energy Society, 1997. Extremely valuable resource; contains numerous case studies showing how passive solar heating can be used in different climates, even in some solar-deprived places.

Olson, Ken and Joe Schwartz. “Home Sweet Solar Home: A Passive Solar Design Primer,” Home Power 90, 86–94, 2002. Superb introduction to passive solar design principles.

Riversong, Robert. “ Designing a Passive Solar Slab,” Home Power 136, 60–66, 2010. A detailed discussion of ways to insulate slabs that serve as thermal mass for passive solar homes.

Reynolds, Michael. Comfort in Any Climate. Solar Survival Press, 1990. A brief, but informative, treatise on passive heating and cooling.

Reysa, Gary. “Solar Heating Plan for Any Home,” Mother Earth News, Special Issue (spring), 60-65, 2008.

Sklar, Scott and Kenneth Sheinkopf. Consumer Guide to Solar Energy: More Ways to Reduce Your Energy Bills and Save the Environment. Bonus Books, 1995. Delightful introduction to many different solar applications, including passive solar heating.

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council. Designing Low-Energy Buildings: Passive Solar Strategies and Energy-10 software. SBIC, 1996. A superb resource! This book of design guidelines and the Energy-10 software that comes with it enables builders to analyze the energy and cost savings in building designs. Helps permit region-specific design.

Chapter 8: Solar Hot Air

Chiras, Dan. The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy. New Society Publishers, 2006. A good overview of numerous solar technologies, including solar hot air systems.

Mehalic, Brian. “Drainback Solar Hot Water Systems, Home Power, 138, 78–85. 2011. Superb article on drainback systems. Great illustrations.

Marken, Chuck. “Solar Hot Air System Design,” Home Power, Dec. 2004/January 2005, 68 -72.

_____. “Solar Hot Air Systems: Part II,” Home Power, February/March, 2005, 88–94.

_____. “Overcoming Overheating,” Home Power, 142, 88–91, 2011. Excellent set of ideas on what to do with excess heat generated by a solar hot water system.

Reysa, Gary. “Build a Solar Heater for $350,” Home Power, October/November. 2005, 30–35.

Wilson, A., J. Thorne, and J. Morril. Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2003.

Chapter 9: Solar Hot Water Heating

Butler, Barry. “Solar Wand: Hot Water Assist for Cold Climates,” Home Power 104, 86–91, 2005. Illustrates and describes a quick retrofit for existing water tanks.

Galloway, Terry. Solar House: A Guide for the Solar Designer. Architectural Press, 2004. A technical guide on a wide range of solar designs, including active solar.

Hyatt, Rod. “Hydronic Heating on Renewable Energy,” Home Power 79, 36–42, 2000. Provides a lot of practical advice on building your own radiant floor heating system and powering it with photovoltaic panels.

Lane, Tom and Ken Olson. “Solar Hot Water for Cold Climates: Part II — Drainback Systems,” Home Power 86, 62–70, 2002. Detailed look at drainback systems. (Part I of this series is Olson’s article on closed-loop antifreeze systems, listed below. Part 3, written by Chuck Marken and Olson, is also listed below.)

Marsden, Guy. “Solar Heat for My Main Workshop,” Home Power 89, 34–43, 2002. A case study worth reading by those interested in using solar hot water to provide space heat.

Marken, Chuck. “Backup Electric Water Heaters,” Home Power 137, 66–70, 2010. Great discussion of energy-efficient electric water heaters.

_____. “Heat Exchangers for Solar Water Heating,” Home Power 92, 68–76, 2003. Great overview of heat exchangers, including the types that are available for use in solar hot water systems.

_____. “Solar Collectors: Behind the Glass,” Home Power 133, 70–76, 2009. Interesting coverage of the anatomy of modern solar hot water collectors.

_____. “Solar Hot Water,” Home Power, 141, 88–91, 2011. Excellent overview of solar hot water systems. Very well illustrated.

Marken, Chuck and Ken Olson. “Installation Basics for Solar Domestic Water Heating Systems,” Home Power 94, 50–57, 2003. The first in a series of three articles for those who would like to install their own solar hot water systems.

Marken, Chuck and Ken Olson. “SDHW Installation Basics. Part 3: Drainback System,” Home Power 97, 48–54, 2003. Excellent reference for installers and do-it-yourselfers.

Mehalic, Brian. “Solar Hot Water Storage,” Home Power 131, 70–78, 2009. A detailed look at solar hot water storage, especially heat exchangers.

_____. “Flat-Plate and Evacuated-Tube Solar Thermal Collectors,” Home Power 132, 40–46, 2009.

Olson, Ken. “Solar Hot Water: A Primer,” Home Power 84, 44–52, 2001. Excellent overview of solar hot water systems and your options.

Olson, Ken. “Solar Hot Water for Cold Climates: Closed-Loop Antifreeze System Components,” Home Power 85, 40–48, 2001. For those interested in installing a solar hot water system in a climate where wintertime freezing is a regular occurrence.

Owens, Bob. “Florida Batch Water Heater,” Home Power 93, 66–70, 2003. For those interested in installing a solar batch heater.

Patterson, John and Suzanne Olsen. “Single Tank Solar Water Systems,” Home Power 124, 42–46, 2008. This article presents another option for homes that don’t have room for a solar storage tank.

Perlin, John. “Solar Hot Water History,” Home Power 100, 64–67, 2004. A great overview of the history of solar hot water.

Pine, Nick. “Solar Heat in Snow Country,” Solar Today 17 (1), 36–37, 2003. An inspiring story about active solar heating in a US Customs border station in Vermont.

Ramlow, Bob and Benjamin Nusz. Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems. New Society Publishers, 2006.

Reysa, Gary. “Solar Heating Plan for Any Home,” Mother Earth News Special Issue (spring), 60–65, 2008. You’ll find this innovative idea very interesting.

Sklar, Scott and Kenneth Sheinkopf. Consumer Guide to Solar Energy: More Ways to Reduce Your Energy Bills and Save the Environment. Bonus Books, 1995. Delightful introduction to many different solar applications, including solar hot water.

Simpson, Walter. “Adventure in Solar Living,” Solar Today 17(5), 29–32, 2003. An inspiring tale of a passive solar/solar hot water-heated home in Buffalo, New York.

Sindelar, Allan and Phil Campbell-Graves. “How to Finance Your Renewable Energy Home,” Home Power 103, 94–99, 2004. Very useful article.

Sklar, Scott. “Selecting a Solar Heating System,” Solar Today 18(5), 42–45, 2004. A good look at the economics of solar hot water systems.

Chapter 10: Energy-Efficient Backup Heat

Chiras, Dan. Green Home Improvement: 65 Projects that Will Cut Utility Bills, Protect Your Health, and Help the Environment. R. S. Means, Kingston, MA, 2008. Contains tons of information on energy efficiency and heating systems.

Malin, Nadav and Alex Wilson. “Ground-Source Heat Pumps: Are They Green?” Environmental Building News 9(1), 16-22, 2000. Detailed overview on ground-source heat pumps.

National Renewable Energy Lab. “Geothermal Heat Pumps,” published online at www.eren.doe.gov/erec/factsheets/geo_heatpumps.html. . Great overview of ground-source heat pumps.

Persons, Jeff. “The Big Dig,” Mother Earth News 185, 52–54, 102. A brief introduction to ground-source heat pumps.