What book would you want if you were stranded on a desert island? Widely regarded as the "bible" of off-grid living, Real Goods Solar Living Source Book might be your best choice. With over six hundred thousand copies in print worldwide, it is the most comprehensive resource available for anyone interested in lessening their environmental footprint or increasing their energy independence.

"Solar energy is available all over the world in different intensities. Theoretically, the solar energy available on the surface of the earth is enough to support the energy requirements of the complete planet. However, in reality, progress and development of solar science and technology depends to a large extend on human desires and needs. This is due to the various barriers to overcome and to deal with the economics of practical utilization of solar...

Nine lectures concerning specialized aspects of solar energy such as thermal conversion, the nature of solar energy, and heat transfer and storage.

Describes experiments that can be performed using solar energy in order to learn about its properties, including how different colors absorb sunlight, if it cleans dirty water, and whether it can cook food.

"Unprecedented gas prices, heat waves and droughts, climate change, Solyndra - all make "alternative" sources of energy contemporary areas of activism, controversy, lobbying, and legislation. Yet few know that the ancient Chinese, Greeks, and Romans used solar energy in their architecture; that Galileo and da Vinci both planned uses for the power of the sun; and that by 1918, there were more than 4,000 solar water heaters in California. The history...