Customer Reviews

This will be useful to anyone looking to install a solar system on a budget. Review by Mary Lewis, Permaculture Magazine

Review

If, like me, the thought of ohms and amperes leaves you recoiling in horror at the memory of GCSE physics then this no-nonsense guide provides a useful, back-to-basics approach for the layperson. The book begins with a lesson in how electricity works and the main components of a DIY solar system. Daniek uses clear diagrams and terms that made sense even to me. The information does get more technical as the book progresses and I must confess that I lost it somewhere between Schottky-Diodes and Mosfet-Transistors, but then that isn't the point of this book, it is not a coffee table browse. This is a reference book that will help you trouble-shoot and get the best value for money from what you can find in skips and hidden in the back of the garage. It is also quirky and humorous in its refusal to conform; of course you can make a sun following system from a bicycle wheel, a pallet and the motor from a broken CD player! I am definitely going to use the idea of attaching a whisk to a portable drill. Daniek also debunks some important solar myths and gives practical tips as to how to avoid potentially damaging Electro Smog in your living space. This will be useful to anyone looking to install a solar system on a budget. Enjoy the sun. (Posted on 01/07/2010)

This book is unique Review by Patrick Whitefield, author of the Earth Care Manual

Review

This book is unique. As far as I know no-one else has collected together a full range of the techniques you can use to live happily off the grid with solar electricity. At present it s mostly relevant to travellers and people living beyond the reach of the mains, but the day when it becomes important for all of us may be nearer than we think. (Posted on 01/07/2010)

Both the man and this book are a real inspiration. Review by Chris Stewart, author of Driving Over Lemons.

Review

Michel Daniek is one of those people who makes you think that however much you care, and however much effort you make to do your bit for a better world, there's always that extra mile to go. Michel goes that extra mile, but he has the great gift of making it lively and fun. Both the man and this book are a real inspiration. (Posted on 01/07/2010)