"Solar Energy Sourcebook"

Solar, as in solar energy, is once again a buzz word in the press. With traditional energy sources becoming more expensive by the day, solar energy technology may have finally come of age. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s many experimented with solar panels, but the technology just wasn’t developed well enough back then.

Thirty years later, it’s a different world. Much has changed. Much has evolved. Now, solar energy may become one of the sustainable sources of much of our heating and power requirements.

In the very near future, much of this technology will be coming from Japan. This island mega-power with practically no energy resources of its own continued to experiment with solar energy after most of the other countries gave up on the sun’s energy and returned to a reliance on petroleum fuels.

Throughout Japan, the roof tops of many buildings—farms and industrial-- are composed of millions of photovoltaic cells which use silicon chips to turn the sun’s rays into electricity. The Japanese government has been a major underwriter of the expense for the technological improvements to advance the use of solar power.

A new book, Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook, Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living by John Schaeffer is a great resource for all who wish to explore solar energy.

In print and regularly updated since 1982, the Sourcebook has sold over 600,000 copies in 44 countries. This 12th edition includes a brand-new section on practical solar applications, the use of alternative sources of fuel (including biodiesel and hydrogen fuel cells) and hybrid vehicles.

Other technologies explored include composting toilets and greywater systems. In this edition of the book, there are over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, electrical code, solar-sizing worksheets and much more.

Whether you're a layperson or a professional, a novice or a longtime aficionado, the Sourcebook puts the latest research and newest products and vendors at your fingertips---all the information you need to create a self-reliant life for you and your family.

To learn what books the Library owns on solar energy, green products and renewal energy resources, log on to www.columbuslibrary.infor.