An essential how-to on powering your home with sun, wind, water, and more.For readers wanting to save money—and the planet—by using alternative energy, this book provides everything they need to know. The five basic sources are fully covered: sun, wind, water, earth, and bio. The benefits, what is needed, and whether it will work for a particular home are all carefully laid out in this comprehensive overview. Solar energy for home heating, water heating, and electricity; wind power, hydrogen, and micro hydro power; heat pumps—air, geothermal, and water source; heating with wood and bio fuel.