Ch. 1 Introduction : Introduction ; Renewable energy eco-nomics ; What is energy? ; A few words about energy and climate change -- Ch. 2 Energy efficiency : New home design considerations ; Working with what you already have: updating an older home ; Appliance selection ; Energy-efficient lighting ; Water supply and energy conservation ; Summary -- Ch. 3 A primer for off-grid living : Making electricity-an overview ; The changing seasons ; Phantom loads ; Metering and such ; Economics ; Selecting a dealer -- Ch. 4 A showcase of selected off-grid homes , Introduction - Portable systems : The Beevor family cottage / Seasonal and weekend solar systems ; Fairmont hotels' "Kenauk" cabins / A luxury resort company goes off-grid ; The Houston/Lebfevere Earth Ship3 / An affordable entry in solar-powered energy independence ; Kemp's Lake view stable / A mid-sized sustainable home and horse stable ; Hubicki home "Unter den Birken" / 5,200 square feet of sustainable luxury -- Ch. 5 Space heating and colling with renewable energy : Passive solar space heating ; Active solar air heating ; Active solar water heating ; Solar pool heating ; Active solar space heating ; Heating with renewable fuels ; Space cooling systems ; What systems cannot be used off-grid -- Ch. 6 Photovoltaic electricity generation : What is watt? ; PV cell construction ; PV output rating caution ; PV module lifespan ; PV module maintenance ; PV module installation checklist - calculate your energy requirements, ensure the site has clear access to the sun, decide whether to rack or track, eliminate tree shading, consider snow and ice buildup in winter, ensure modules do not overheat in hot weather, decide on the system voltage, locate the array as close to batteries or inverter as possible -- Ch. 7 Electricity from the wind : Home-sized wind turbines ; Wind turbine ratings ; Wind resources in your area ; Site location and installation ; Getting started and a word about safety ; Tower foundations and anchors ; Electrical supply leads ; Erection of the tower with a crane -- Ch. 8 Micro hydro electricity production : Understanding the technology ; What is a good site? ; Water head level ; Flow at the turbine intake ; Zero head sites with good flow ; Penstock design issues ; Additional pipeline construction detailes ; Electrical energy transmission distance ; Site selection summary ; Splashing about with micro hydro -- Ch. 9 Battery selection and design : Why use batteries? ; Battery selection ; How batteries work ; Depth of discharge ; Operating temperature ; Battery sizing ; Hydrogen gas production ; Safe installation of batteries ; Battery and energy metering ; summary -- Ch. 10 D.C. voltage regulation : Series controller ; Maximum power point tracking ; Diversion charge controller ; Voltage regulator selection ; Charging strategy (all controller configurations) ; Nighttime ; Sunrise ; Absorption of tapering charge ; Float stage ; Equalization mode ; Diversion loads -- Ch. 11 D.C. to A.C. conversion using inverters : Inverter A.C. waveform ; Inverter ratings ; Sine wave versus modified squar wave inverter models ; Output voltage ; Inverter continuous capacity ; Inverter surge capacity ; Inverter temperature derating ; Battery charging ; D.C. to D.C. voltage converters -- Ch. 12 Fossil-fueled backup power sources : Generator types ; Generator rating ; Voltage selection ; Fuel type and economy:gasoline, natural gas, propane, diesel, biodiesel ; Generator noise and heat ; Generator operation ; Other considerations ; Further notes on biodiesel fuel -- Ch. 13 Putting it all together safely : A word or two about safety ; Electrical codes and regulatory issues ; What goes where? ; Direct current wiring overview ; AC/DC disconnection and over-current protection ; Battery cables ; Wiring color codes ; System grounding ; Lightning protection ; Interconnecting the parts ; PV array ; Wind turbine connection ; Renewable source to battery feed cable ; Over-current protection and disconnection device ; Battery wiring ; Battery voltage regulation-series regulator, shunt or diversion regulator ; The inverter-DC input connection, AC output connection ; The generator ; Energy meters -- Ch. 14 Pools and hot tubs powered by sol : Conventional swimming pools off-grid ; The alternative way forward; the eco-pool concept: Overview, Eco-pool construction ; Hot tubs and solar power: a marriage made in heaven: Wood-heated hot tubs, Solar-heated hot tubs -- Ch. 15 Communications beyond the "end of the line" : Cellular phone service ; Whole home (fixed) cell service ; Point-to-point phone service extender ; Fixed-point, broadband code division multiple access (CDMA) (digital) wireless service (provided by the phone company) ; Radiotelephone service ; Satellite phone service ; Wide-area wireless high-speed internet service ; Satellite internet service ; Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service -- Ch. 16 Biofuels : Biofuel introduction: an alternative to fossil fuel ; Ethanol-blended fuels ; Biodiesel as a source of green fuel and heat ; Brew your own : an introduction to "biodiesel" production ; A quick stop at church ; Biodiesel 101 -- Ch. 17 Living with renewable energy : Solar thermal systems ; Solar electric systems ; Getting started ; Up and running ; What else? -- Ch. 18 Conclusion.