“Gaiam Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook”, by John Schaeffer and others

Schaeffer, John, Alan Berolzheimer, and Bill Giebler. Gaiam Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living. Hopland, CA: Gaiam Real Goods, 2008. Print.

This was not at all what I expected, but a very enjoyable book.  To get the negatives out of the way first; it’s not sure whether it’s a catalog, a how-to book, or a non-fiction collection of articles, and that makes things rather confusing.  Information is repeated, sometimes word for word, and sometimes contradicting itself.  There are many authors, but in the sense that Schaeffer pulls large sections from books published by the company (with permission, of course).  Also, I didn’t finish the book.

That said, though, this is a great library reference.  I learned about how solar systems work, including safety aspects that I hadn’t been aware of.  I still don’t really understand electricity (but that’s okay; I’ve given up on understanding Shakespeare and electricity in this lifetime), but know a lot more about the practical aspects of using it than I did.  The worksheets that allowed me to calculate how many solar panels we could put on our roof and how much power we could expect to get from it are invaluable.  The catalog sections are either deadly boring – page after page of batteries – or delightful – solar versions of items I don’t even own.  They don’t just cater to the most stringest of environmentalists – you can choose the level you’re ready for and outfit yourself accordingly.  Together with Steward Brand’s How Buildings Learn, I came across the notion twice in one week about “embodied energy”; the energy that went into producing an item or constructing a building, that is lost when that item is thrown out.

Like I say, it’s great fun, and although I wouldn’t recommend you go out and buy it, certainly borrow the latest version your library has.  Not everything has been updated in each edition, so the catalog prices aren’t necessarily up to date, but it certainly gives a useful ballpark.