Energy bills have skyrocketed in North America, and traditional energy sources can be as damaging to the environment as they are to your pocketbook. The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy will show you how to slash your home energy costs while dramatically reducing your carbon footprint.

Completely revised and updated, this new edition describes the most practical and affordable methods for making significant improvements in home energy efficiency and tapping into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources. If implemented, these measures will save the average homeowner tens of thousands of dollars over the coming decades.

Focusing on the latest technological advances in residential renewable energy, this guide examines each alternative energy option availableincluding:

• Solar hot water and solar hot air systems
• Space heat: passive and active solar retrofits and heat pumps
• Wood heat
• Passive cooling
• Electricity from solar, wind and microhydro
• Hydrogen, fuel cells, methane digesters and biodiesel.

This well-illustrated and accessible guide is an essential resource for those wanting to enter the renewable energy field. Packed with practical tipsand guidelines, it gives readers sufficient knowledge to hire and communicate effectively with contractors and is a must-read for anyone interested in saving money and achieving energy independence.