Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) [Paperback] is a new product in Online Store. You can get special discount for Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) [Paperback] only in this month. But, you can get special discount up to 30% only in this weeks
Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) [Paperback]
Product Details
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: New Society Publishers (June 1, 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0865715610
- ISBN-13: 978-0865715615
Product Dimensions:
7.5 x 0.6 x 9.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
- Average Customer Review:4.5 out of 5 stars style="margin-left:-3px">See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Bob Ramlow is the solar thermal consultant for the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Program. The owner of a renewable energy company, he has over 30 years experience with solar energy systems. A founder and director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) he has authored a training manual on solar water & space heating. Benjamin Nusz is a graduate of the University of Minnesota -- Twin Cities and is currently working as a solar water heating consultant and site assessor in Wisconsin.
Customer Reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
(21)
4.5 out of 5 stars
5 star
14
4 star
4
3 star
3
2 star
0
1 star
0
See all 21 customer reviews
“This book is practical and written in a very easy to understand manner. ”
“After a history of solar water heating in the US, the book describes various systems that use the sun to heat and store water. ”
“Bob Ramlow has done a lot of work on the subject of solar heating and makes the subject fun to read. ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
72 of 72 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellentMarch 3, 2007
By David Stebbins
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Despite Federal tax credits (up to 30% of the total cost, including installation) for solar water heating there's a lack of information on the subject. For a handyman with good plumbing skills, or a homeowner wanting to learn about solar water heating, this is the best book available. After a history of solar water heating in the US, the book describes various systems that use the sun to heat and store water. Climate, freeze conditions, water quality and amount of sunlight available are some of the factors considered in choosing a system, and the book describes them all. Individual components are detailed in a logical, straightforward way. It's obvious the authors have extensive practical knowledge. The writing style is informal and easy to read. Besides all the solar water heating information, this book also has a good section on radiant floor heating, detailing the use of PEX tubing to heat a concrete slab. The book uses a lot of drawings to demonstrate how things work. More actual photographs of systems and components would have been helpful. I also wish the authors would have included brand names and sources for equipment. The industry still suffers from the stigma of poorly designed systems of the 1970's and 80's. Some reassurances from the authors regarding which component manufacturers are good would have been nice. For the past five years, I've lived with a solar water heating system I bought as a package and installed myself. I've been happy with all the "free" hot water it's provided. If this book had been available when planning my system I would have had a much better idea of what I was doing. Having all the components matched and sized with specific instructions gave me a lot of confidence during installation. In my opinion, for the neophyte, a component package is a good way to go. For anyone planning a residential sized solar water heating system, this is the best book available. It's an excellent guide, whether you decide to choose the individual components yourself, buy a package, or hire a contractor to install a turnkey system. If you're a contractor or someone wanting to get into the solar water heating business, "Solar Hot Water Systems - Lessons Learned 1977 to Today" (Tom Lane) is very good, but the amount of technical detail implies you already have a good working knowledge of plumbing and roofing. [...] Good luck getting into hot water!
Solar Water Heating: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar Water and Space Heating Systems (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) <SPAN style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: capitalize; FONT-SIZE: 16px">[Paperback]</SPAN>
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Rating:
