Solar Electricity Basics - Revised and Updated 2nd Edition

Dan Chiras, Ph.D., is the author of numerous books on renewable energy, including Power from the Sun, Power from the Wind and The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy. He has taught workshops on solar electricity through various organizations including the Evergreen Institute, the American Solar Energy Society, the Colorado Renewable Energy Society, Missouri Solar Energy Industries Association, and the University of Colorado. Over the past 40 years Chiras has published articles on natural building, green building, solar electricity, passive solar design, self-sufficiency, and sustainability in publications such as Solar Today, Home Power, and Mother Earth News. He has installed solar electric and wind systems in Missouri, and has lived on solar electricity since 1996. He lives in Gerald, MO.

• Chapter 1: An Introduction to Solar ElectricityChapter 2: Understanding the Sun and Solar Energy— Things You Need to Know to Size and Mount a Solar ArrayChapter 3: Understanding Solar Electricity— Types of Modules, How They Are Rated, and Advances in Solar TechnologyChapter 4: Does Solar Electricity Make Sense? Sizing a System and Evaluating Its Cost and Economic BenefitsChapter 5: Solar Electric Systems: What Are Your Options?Chapter 6: Understanding InvertersChapter 7: Batteries, Charge Controllers, and Gen-SetsChapter 8: Mounting a PV Array for Maximum OutputChapter 9: Final Considerations: Permits, Covenants, Utility Interconnection, and Buying a System Index About the AuthorA Note about the Publisher