Solar living sourcebook: your complete guide to living beyond the grid with renewable energy technologies and sustainable living

482 Pages·2014·21.405 MB·English

by  Schaeffer, John

US/Can $39.95 RENEWABLE ENERGY / SUSTAINABLE LIVING
…the best single source I’ve ever found on the technologies,
14TH EDITION
philosophies, and the lifestyle changes we must embrace in
The Essential Guide to Energy Independence –
order for our species to survive and thrive into the future.
WOODY HARRELSON, environmentalist, actor
Fully Revised and Updated
…an owner’s manual for regenerating our earth, skies and water… a masterwork on
re-inhabitation…the best manual you could possibly want.
PAUL HAWKEN, Project Drawdown, and author, Blessed Unrest
…I have always recommended the Solar Living Sourcebook as the #1 source, indeed the
Bible, for all things solar and sustainable. Bravo to the 14th edition, it’s the best one yet!
ED BEGLEY Jr., actor, environmental activist
If you’re interested in understanding alternative energy sources and sustainable lifestyles,
Real Goods offers the most comprehensive, enlightening & entertaining resource
in the world…an indispensable resource on the bookshelf of anyone seriously
interested in helping save our habitat.
BRYAN WELCH, publisher, Mother Earth News, and author, Beautiful and Abundant
This masterful compendium pulls it all together and gives everyone what
we need to get off the grid and democratize clean energy.
KENNY AUSUBEL, CEO and founder, Bioneers
(14th ed)
REVISED
REGULARLY UPDATED SINCE 1982, John Schaeffer’s Real Goods Solar Living
Sourcebook is the definitive guide to renewable energy, sustainable living, alternative & UPDATED
transportation, natural and green building, homesteading, energy conservation and off-
grid living. This completely revised 14th edition, written by experts with decades of hands-on
experience, contains expanded information on permaculture, biodynamics, the Transition
Movement, urban homesteading and emergency preparedness—plus maps, wiring diagrams,
formulae, charts, electrical code specs/regulations/requirements, solar sizing worksheets and much
more. Whether you’re a layperson or a professional; novice or longtime aficionado, the Sourcebook puts
the latest research and information at your fingertips; everything you need to know to make sustainable living a
reality. With over 600,000 copies in print worldwide, it is the most comprehensive resource available for anyone
interested in lessening his/her environmental footprint and increasing energy independence.
This book is our blueprint for both the present and John is a sustainability and solar industry pioneer…
future, if our species is to survive into the 22nd century. his visionary actions and ideas [are] good news for our
THOM HARTMANN, NY Times bestselling author environment, economy and national security.
and talk show host NAT KREAMER, chairman, Solar Energy Industries Association,
White House Champion of Change, and CEO, Clean Power Finance
Here in one book is everything you need… a treasure
trove you’ll find yourself returning to time and again. Buy this book. It can change your life for the better.
RICHARD HEINBERG, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute, And the world, too.
and author, The End of Growth DENIS HAYES, President, Bullitt Foundation
Your Complete Guide to
JOHN SCHAEFFER is the founder of
Living beyond the Grid
Real Goods—the foremost global To help bring you the very best
source for tools and information inspiration and information
on renewable energy, energy about greener, more sustainable with Renewable Energy
efficiency and sustainable living. lifestyles, Mother Earth News is
Since 1978, through Real Goods, recommending select New Society
he has pioneered solar technology Technologies and
Publishers books to its readers.
in North America, providing over SCHAEFFER
This book is one of them.
150 MW of solar power and helping
Sustainable Living
to solarize over 18,000 homes.
JOHN SCHAEFFER
FOREWORD BY BILL MCKIBBEN
www.newsociety.com
What the experts are saying about the
Solar Living
SOURCEBOOK
14th EDITION • REVISED & UPDATED
The Solar Living Sourcebook is a breath of fresh air for everyone interested in being part of the
evolutionary revolution. John’s book is the best single source I’ve ever found on the technologies,
philosophies, and the lifestyle changes we must embrace in order for our species to survive and
thrive into the future. Time is of the essence for all of us to start walking the talk and this book
is the guide for taking those first steps
—Woody Harrelson, environmentalist, actor
Sourcebook is perfectly named, though it could easily be called the masterwork on re- inhabitation,
an owner’s manual for regenerating our earth, skies and water. Succinctly and clearly, Sourcebook
delineates the pathways, tools, and knowledge we need to achieve the title of denizens, human be-
ings who live in accordance with the laws of physics, botany, and biology, people who truly want to
master the art of living as contrasted to a life of taking. The best manual you could possibly want.
—Paul Hawken, Project Drawdown, author Blessed Unrest
Sunlight is the source of all life, and if we don’t harvest and manage it intelligently, life (for us
humans) will become irrelevant. John Schaeffer’s masterful and elegantly updated opus, the Solar
Living Sourcebook, is the most comprehensive guide published for the practical management of
sunlight. This book is our blueprint for both the present and future, if our species is to survive
into the 22nd century.
—Thom Hartmann, NY Times Bestselling author and talk show host
John Schaeffer has been a pathfinder in spreading distributed solar energy and self-reliant life
ways since the earliest days. In this astutely practical sourcebook, he provides an indispensable
field manual at exactly the tipping point when these tools are finally becoming the norm. This
masterful compendium pulls it all together and gives everyone what we need to get off the grid
and democratize clean energy.
—Kenny Ausubel, CEO and Founder, Bioneers
I’ve been an early advocate for solar and renewable energy for over 40 years always doing my best
to convert Hollywood to a lower carbon footprint. Through most of those 40 years I have always
recommended the Solar Living Sourcebook as the #1 source, indeed the Bible, for all things solar
and sustainable. Bravo to the 14th edition, it’s the best one yet!
—Ed Begley Jr., Actor/Actor Environment Activist
If you’re interested in understanding alternative energy sources and sustainable lifestyles, Real
Goods offers the most comprehensive, enlightening and entertaining resource in the world in its
Solar Living Sourcebook. Building on many years of accumulated knowledge, Real Goods founder
John Schaeffer has updated the Sourcebook in its freshest and most useful form ever. It’s an in-
dispensible resource on the bookshelf of anyone seriously interested in helping save our habitat.
—Bryan Welch, Publisher, Mother Earth News,
author of Beautiful and Abundant: Building the World We Want
The Solar Living Sourcebook is the must-have resource for consumers seeking the path to a sus-
tainable lifestyle. This well organized and powerful book is still, after 30 years, one of the most
useful resources on my bookshelf.
—Rhone Resch, President & CEO, Solar Energy Industries Association
Smart people who pay close attention to what’s happening in the world around them fall into two
groups: those who turn to whiskey and those who buy the Solar Living Sourcebook. Both have
their merits. But if you have to choose, buy this book. It can change your life for the better. And
the world, too.
—Denis Hayes, President, Bullitt Foundation 
John is a sustainability and solar industry pioneer, who sold the first residential solar system and
published The Solar Living Sourcebook more than three decades ago. His visionary actions and
ideas then have now become a big, mainstream business — solar is the fastest growing industry in
the U.S. and residential solar the fastest growing sector within it. That is good news for our envi-
ronment, economy, and national security. Thirty years from now his recommendations for more
sustainable living should improve our lives in the same ways.
—Nat Kreamer, Chairman of the Solar Energy Industries Association,
White House Champion of Change, and CEO of Clean Power Finance 
Here in one book is everything you need — the information and the technology — to build a more
sustainable lifestyle for yourself and your family. It’s a treasure trove you’ll find yourself returning
to time and again.
—Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute, Author, The End of Growth
Better than a bible! This book ranges from philosophy and history of why we need to go solar as a
civilization to being a very hands-on and practical guide on how to do it, with great graphics and
personal stories to boot. It will be looked back at as the key text of the greatest economic change
the world will experience this century, creating jobs and clean energy for a prosperous and sus-
tainable global community.
—Danny Kennedy, CoFounder, Sungevity and SfunCube,
and author, Rooftop Revolution
For a green economy and a just, sustainable world, it’s crucial to go solar. And what’s the best way
to do that? Turn to the Solar Living Sourcebook!!
—Alisa Gravitz, President, Green America
This amazing book is just swimming in knowledge — and you can dive in again and again to get
your daily fix of sustainable ideas. John is the solar sage and an inspiration to so many of us in the
sustainability business.
—Birchy, co-founder and CEO, Sungevity
John Schaeffer’s Solar Living Sourcebook is the authoritative guide to the solar home in the 21st
century. REAL GOODS has been lighting the way to sustainability for nearly four decades. Read
this book, install solar, eliminate your electric bill and declare independence from the grid forever!
—David W. Orr, author, Hope is an Imperative.
First there was the Whole Earth Catalog, and then there was the Real Goods Solar Living Source-
book, and now...there is still the Solar Living Sourcebook. Now in its 14th edition, the Sourcebook
continues to be jam-packed with exciting ideas and innovative products to make the good life a
practical reality. Always a classic, but now even better.
—Stephen Morris, Publisher Green Living Journal and founder of The Public Press
The Solar Living Sourcebook, long a trusted source of accurately described energy-efficient products,
has evolved into this remarkably comprehensive textbook for an education in Sustainability. You’ll
not only see what’s available, but how to think about your choices as you learn the why and how
to develop a lifestyle with minimal environmental footprint. Bucky Fuller wrote, “Philosophy, to
be effective, must be mechanically applied.” Here’s the philosophy and most everything else you
need to do so.
—Jay Baldwin, Senior Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design
and Sustainability, California College of the Arts (CCA) San Francisco
For all those dedicated to sane, reverent common sense — and to those not yet, here is a comprehen-
sive, rousing guide to a renaissance of reverent ingenuity. Critique holds up a necessary mirror to
our world — “look — ack!”, with a wave of the hand we change the mirror into a window — “look how
beautiful it could be!” then with another wave of the hand — the window becomes a door — “let’s
go and here’s how!” John Schaeffer’s Solar Living Sourcebook does all three. Let’s spiral this forth to
libraries, schools, neighborhoods, elected officials — at this time of dire beauty.
—Caroline W. Casey, “weaver of context” for The Visionary Activist Show radio show,
founder of Coyote Network News, a mythological news service
for the Trickster Redeemer within us all.
At a time when the Earth and its inhabitants are facing unprecedented challenges, John Schaeffer’s
14th Edition Solar Living Sourcebook offers an excellent comprehensive roadmap to sustainability.
Reminiscent of The Whole Earth Catalog, which helped lead a generation to Earth friendly alter-
natives to conventional practices, The Solar Living Sourcebook is much more valuable and speaks to
our vexing 21st Century issues. The complex problems we face can only be solved with a full menu
of synergistic solutions. This book goes far and deep in laying the foundation for sustainable living.
Globally we all live in the same neighborhood. By demonstrating what works, what is affordable,
and what is sustainable, we can show, by example, and lead the way to a greener and brighter
future for all of humankind. A greener future is ours alone to make. This book is an essential step
in leading the way. Future generations are depending upon us now to make ecologically smart
decisions and this book is an essential first step.
—Paul Stamets, D.Sc., Fungi Perfecti, and author, Mycelium Running
The solar photovoltaic cell — a unique California success story — was only 24 years old when John
and his team at the Solar Living Institute first published this veritable bible of sustainable living.
Today, hundreds of thousands of Californians have followed in John’s footsteps, installing two
nuclear power plants worth of solar power on rooftops from Humboldt to San Diego. Other states
and countries now give California a run for its money in this race to the top where everyone wins.
Whether you’re an off-grid, hay-bale house, zero-carbon-footprint enthusiast or someone who’s
just interested in saving a little money with a home solar electric or hot water system, this is the
resource book for you.
—Bernadette Del Chiaro, Executive Director, California Solar Energy Industries Association
The Solar Living Sourcebook continues to be the bible for practical uses of commercially- available
solar, energy efficiency and other clean energy options. Now that more people than ever before are
turning towards solar energy options, to me, this is the first resource to start with.
—Scott Sklar, President The Stella Group, Ltd.
and Adjunct Professor, The George Washington University
Phenomenal. Once again, John and team have outdone themselves with this edition. The Solar
Living Sourcebook has been, and always will be, the definitive guide for all things solar, off grid,
and natural living and with the usual soulful philosophy thrown in for good measure. For earth!
Congratulations and thank you!
—Howard Wenger, 30-year solar pioneer
John Schaeffer has been shining a light on the way forward for a long time — and his newest edition
does not disappoint. If you think it’s high time we started living as if we plan to be on this planet
for a while, you’ll find the Solar Living Sourcebook an essential reference.
—Adam Browning, Executive Director, Vote Solar
John has been working for decades to make solar accessible to everyone, and the Updated Real
Goods Solar Living Sourcebook is another important contribution.
—Billy Parish, Founder & President, Mosaic
The 14th Sourcebook is written proof...the spell is broken! We can’t continue to fight Mother
Nature, and happily, our personal choices can make a greener world! This comprehensive ency-
clopedic guidebook inspires us all how-to move forward to the solar age.
—Johnny Weiss, Principal, Solar Consulting LLC, Co-Founder, Solar Energy International (SEI)
A rainbow of post-its flies out of the pages of our Ninth Edition Solar Living Sourcebook, which is
a go-to guide here at our ecological architecture practice. We look forward to similarly flagging
and referencing this new 14th edition, which is without doubt a far more up-to-date and complete
version. You’d better get your own copy because we loan out some of the books at our office, but
never this one!
—David Arkin AIA, LEED AP, Arkin Tilt Architects
This book was an inspiration to me in college and with solar scaling faster than cellphones today
this latest edition is showing that we are the verge of the largest wealth creation opportunity of
our generation — Climate Wealth.
—Jigar Shah, founder of Sun Edison
Since it first appeared in 1978, the Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook has been one of the essential
go-to volumes for anyone interested in solar energy and green alternatives of all kinds. This latest
edition is even better than its predecessors, which is no small feat, and belongs on the bookshelf
of anyone who recognizes that today’s fossil-fueled lifestyles are past their pull date and is ready
to embrace the challenges of the future.
—John Michael Greer, author of Green Wizardry and After Progress
John Schaeffer, the founder of Real Goods and an early pioneer in promoting resilient living
strategies for self-reliant communities has given us in this Sourcebook the most comprehensive
overview of how we can move forward in today’s uncertain world of climate chaos towards a more
ecological life style in tune with ourselves the living world.
—Sim Van der Ryn, Professor Emeritus UC Berkeley, Architecture & Ecological Design,
and author, Ecological Design and Design for an Empathic World
The 14th edition of the Solar Living Sourcebook is a great resource for those that care about the
health of natural systems. Both inspiring and practical, it offers resources and knowledge on how
to live lighter on the land. Are you ready for the solar revolution ?
—John W. Roulac, Founder & CEO Nutiva, author, Backyard Composting and Hemp Horizons

Cataloging in Publication Data:
A catalog record for this publication is available from the National Library of Canada.
Text, drawings, and photographs, unless otherwise noted, are copyright © 2015 by John Schaeffer
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Diane McIntosh.
Printed in Canada. First printing October 2014.
The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook is the fourteenth edition of the book
originally published as the Alternative Energy Sourcebook, with over 600,000 copies in print,
distributed in forty-four English-speaking countries.
The logo and name Real Goods™ are the trademark of Real Goods Solar Inc.
New Society Publishers acknowledges the financial support of
the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for our publishing activities.
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-86571-784-8 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-55092-579-1
Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook
should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below.
To order directly from the publishers, please contact:
Real Goods
Solar Living Center
13771 So. Highway 101
Hopland, CA 95449 USA
www.realgoods.com
Toll-free (North America): 1-800-919-2400
OR:
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189
Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0 Canada
www.newsociety.com
Toll-free (North America): 1-800-567-6772
Real Goods has checked all of the systems described in this book to the best of its ability; however, we can take
no responsibility whatsoever regarding the suitability of systems chosen or installed by the reader. Due to the
variability of local conditions, materials, skills, site, and so forth, New Society Publishers, John Schaeffer, and
Real Goods assume no responsibility for personal injury, property damage, or loss from actions inspired by
information in this book. Always consult the manufacturer, applicable building codes, and the National Electrical
Code™ before installing or operating home energy systems. For systems that will be connected to the utility
grid, always check with your local utility first. When in doubt, ask for advice; recommendations in this book
are no substitute for the directives of equipment manufacturers or federal, state, and local regulatory agencies.
New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an
ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment,
in a manner that models this vision. We are committed to doing this not just through education,
but through action. This book is one step toward ending global deforestation and climate change. It is
printed on Forest Stewardship Council-certified acid-free paper that is 100% post-consumer recycled
(100% old growth forest-free), processed chlorine free, and printed with vegetable-based, low-VOC
inks, with covers produced using FSC- certified stock. Additionally, New Society purchases carbon
offsets based on an annual audit, operating with a carbon-neutral footprint. For further information,
or to browse our full list of books and purchase securely, visit our website at: www.newsociety.com
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
A MESSAGE FROM THE RGS ENERGY CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
FOREWORD: by Bill McKibben..................................... xv
INTRODUCTION: by John Schaeffer, Real Goods Founder . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1 RELOCALIZATION: A Strategic Response to Peak Oil and Climate Change. . . 9
Ecological Economics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Overshoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Peak Oil and Implications for a Transportation-Dependent Economy. . . . . . . . 13
Climate Change and the Need to Eliminate Fossil Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Relocalization: A Strategic Response to Overshoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Approaching Social Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Pioneering Solar Down on the Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Chapter 2 LAND AND SHELTER: Designing and Building Your Green Dream Home . . . 21
The Impacts of Modern Building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Passive Survivability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Strategies for a Responsive Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Renovations and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Building a New Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Passive Solar Design: A Primer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Building Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
The Healthy Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Your Home, Your Choice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Words of Wisdom from Real Goods Staffers and Colleagues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Spirit of the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Chapter 3 SUNSHINE TO ELECTRICITY: Creating Renewable Energy with Solar,
Wind, and Hydroelectric Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
What Are Photovoltaic Cells?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Sixty Years of Photovoltaics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
System Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
PV Racking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Wind and Hydro Power Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Hydroelectricity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Wind Energy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
S O L A R L I V I N G S O U R C E B O O K vii
Wind Energy and Wind Turbines —
What You Need To Consider to Make a Decision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Hydrogen Fuel Cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Chapter 4 FROM PANEL TO PLUG: How to Get Your Renewable Energy Source
Powering Your Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
A Renewable Energy System Primer: Putting It All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Off-grid and Battery Backup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
System Sizing Worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Grid-tied Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Converting Sunshine into Electricity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
What’s the Payback?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Safety and Fusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Charge Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Large Storage Batteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Real Goods’ Battery Troubleshooting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Common Battery Questions and Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Real Goods’ Battery Care Class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Frequently Asked Questions About Rechargeable Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Inverters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Potential Problems with Modified Sine Wave Inverter Use —
and How to Correct Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Potential Problems with ALL Inverters — and How to Correct Them. . . . . . . . . 168
Inverter Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Wire, Adapters, and Outlets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Wire Sizing Chart/Formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
RGS Energy Solar Project Case Study: Ironhouse Sanitary District. . . . . . . . . . 173
RGS Energy Solar Project Case Study: Little Quittacas Solar Farm . . . . . . . . . . 174
Chapter 5 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND SOLAR MOBILITY:
Be Empowered When the Grid Goes Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Want Some Protection, or at Least a Little Backup? How About Total Freedom?. . 175
Steps to a Practical Emergency Power System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
What Do You Really Need in an Emergency?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Chapter 6 ENERGY CONSERVATION: Superefficient Lighting, Heating,
and Cooling Are the First Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Living Well but Inexpensively. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
It All Starts with Good Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Retrofitting: Making the Best of What You’ve Got. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Conserving Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
House Heating and Cooling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Home Cooling Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Energy-efficient Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Superefficient Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Lighting Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Light Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
viii R E A L G O O D S
Chapter 7 WATER DEVELOPMENT: Reckoning with Our Most Precious
and Endangered Resource . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
The Three Components of Every Water System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Solar-Powered Pumping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Real Goods’ Homestead Plumbing Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Friction Loss Charts for Water Pumping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Chapter 8 WATER HEATING: The Most Cost-effective Solar Alternative . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Common Water Heater Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Solar Water Heaters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Types of Solar Water Heating Systems: Operation and Installation. . . . . . . . . . 257
Chapter 9 WATER AND AIR PURIFICATION: Clean Water and Air
Are Human Rights! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
The Need for Water Purification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Methods of Water Filtration and Purification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Air Purification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Chapter 10 COMPOSTING TOILETS AND GREYWATER SYSTEMS: Novel, Safe,
and Clean Solutions to an Age-old Human Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Reclaiming Valuable Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
What Is a Composting Toilet?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Greywater Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Chapter 11 REGENERATIVE HOMESTEADING AND FARMING:
Growing Your Own Organically Using the Permaculture
Principles While Living the Good Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Permaculture: A Holistic Design System for Your Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Biodynamic® Agriculture: Food and the Cosmos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Biodynamic Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Chapter 12 URBAN HOMESTEADING: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living . . . . . . . 305
Urban Permaculture Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Gardening in the Urban Habitat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Animals on the Urban Homestead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Remaking Our Relationship to Food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
The Heirloom Kitchen Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Natural Building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Powering Down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Greywater and Rainwater Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Personal Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
S O L A R L I V I N G S O U R C E B O O K ix