Convert Your Home to Solar Energy    by Everett M. Barber Jr. & Joseph R. Provey Order:  USA  Can Taunton Press, 2010 (2010) Softcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Bob Walch If you are considering converting to any type of solar energy system for your home or business, this is a book you should read before doing so. The authors, with years of practical experience in the field, cover all the bases of solar energy in a practical, meaningful, and easy to understand manner. They cover the relevant technologies, including solar space, water heating, passive solar heating and cooling and photovoltaic electricity. While most books of this nature, especially those for the consumer, focus just on solar electric systems, this volume points out that there are other important, potentially less expensive solar applications for the home. Rather than using an approach that basically suggests that one size fits all solar energy system plan, the authors show how some types of systems are better suited for one climate than for another. They present alternative approaches within each application chapter and let the reader determine which application makes the most sense given his or her situation. This guide also stresses the importance of checking the results of performance tests for solar thermal collectors conducted by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation and test results for solar electric modules and inverters now available from the California Energy Commission. Readers will learn how to access this important information. Last of all, the final chapter on Shopping for a Solar System is a gold mine of information on how to make an intelligent choice when it comes time to move ahead with a solar project. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews