Do It Yourself 12 Volt Solar Power, 2nd Edition

This book will be a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone planning to build an economy free of fossil fuels. It is written at a level I would judge to be accessible to a person with "hands on" mechanical skills and some knowledge of electrical fundamentals.

very good book, very fast delivery too. Clear explanations on how to build 12 V appliances at home. I find it important to get good technical information which is and clearly explained for a new beginner with pictures and drawings.

The title pretty much sums up me opinion of this book. This is a must-have for anyone wanting to be energy-independent, since it provides the information needed on how to have our everyday items run on 12-volt, greatly reducing energy consumption.

If you are like me who bought it hoping to learn how to build a small 12v solar system step by step,this is not for you.The books tells you differences between different parts but shows little or no info on what should be work together or how and where to connect the parts together.It explains how the parts work technically but I found it useless to me who only wants to know what to buy, and how to connect it safely.Very disappointed.

This book contained everything I needed to know to build my solar project. Good pictures and diagrams laying out everything that was needed to finish the job.

Possiblities

I fine this book very interesting. Everything I look for in a books - I buy DIY books they draw me in, if they can do that then I should be able to do this. Not alway true but that kind of thought process is what I love.

great book, basic understanding, a must have beginner book

Great beginners handbook. hippies into the age of electricity! Great ideas and inspiring examples. I throughly enjoyed this book and will be putting much of the information to use over the coming year as I electrify my outbuildings.

The book is interesting and somewhat useful but not as much as anticipated. I found the content to be a bit dated and it lacked the detail I was looking for with respect to wiring a 12 DC system. Still, for the price it wasn't a waste of money.

Was a very good summary for anyone wanting to install a solar panel and make it work for you.

I bought this book because I have some friends who have an island where the only source of electricity is a 12v system using a wind turbine and a solar panel to charge lead-acid batteries. Over the years we have fiddled with the system and are always looking for ways to improve it and - if the truth be told - for "toys for boys" projects to make better use of it. This book starts off with a summary of generation methods, moves on to a very useful section on batteries, then covers charging and regulation before ending up with a series of projects one could build. The whole thing is written by someone who has "been there, done that" and got the (no doubt eco-friendly) tee-shirt. So there are lots of practical comments about how to source components and to modify them for 12v use. There are also some useful circuit diagrams for charge regulators and other devices and the book is well illustrated with easy to understand diagrams. The first sections, and especially those on using lead-acid batteries and sizing components, are not only well written and comprehensive but also entertaining. If you have any experience of batteries you will know what a PITA they are and there are lots of tips in here for revitalising them and extending their life. In particular the author explains *why* they cause problems and what the solutions are, and he is clearly writing from real experience. I learned more about batteries from 1/2 hour reading this book than from endless confusing and sometimes contradictory web searches, and it is worth buying for these first sections alone. The later sections on "projects" are full of ideas but lack details - hence the 4 star rating. But don't let me put you off: if you buy a book like this you are likely to be of a practical turn of mind and should be able to make some of the items he proposes. I'm quite taken with the idea of a solar tracker built from a palette, bicycle wheel and motor from a tape recorder ... Incidentally the book was originally written in German and while the translation into English is very good there are some odd words and abbreviations that require a moment's thought, I particularly liked the reference to "quicksilver" (mercury)! In summary this is a genuinely useful handbook for a small-scale DIY 12v system that is well written, practical and entertaining. It is very much a "hands-on" guide, and you will need to be the sort of person who is not afraid to pick up tools and experiment in order to get the most from it. I'm glad that I bought it.

Easy to read and understand without going off track. The pictures are in black and white and not that useful but this is a minor gripe for what is an excellent book which includes many diagrams and look up tables also. It should be on every DIY Solar enthusiasts shelf if they have just started out looking into this subject.