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    Do-it-Yourself Solar and Wind Energy System: DIY Off-grid and On-grid Solar Panel and Wind Turbine System
    Do-it-Yourself Solar and Wind Energy System: DIY Off-grid and On-grid Solar Panel and Wind Turbine System
    Do-it-Yourself Solar and Wind Energy System: DIY Off-grid and On-grid Solar Panel and Wind Turbine System
    Ebook104 pages35 minutes

    Do-it-Yourself Solar and Wind Energy System: DIY Off-grid and On-grid Solar Panel and Wind Turbine System

    By Eric Layton

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    About this ebook

    Eric Layton, a well-known solar expert, wrote this guide for readers that are trying to build their own solar or wind system.  
     
    Using pictures, this do-it-yourself (DIY) solar and wind system was built with a battery back-up system. His new book is a comprehensive guide on the design, thought process, equipment, and technique on designing this DIY system. Using photographs taken throughout the building process, he covers why he chose certain components in addition to any issues building and installing. This book was written to help fellow solar and wind enthusiasts, as well as inspire those who would like to build their own solar and wind DIY system.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEric Layton
    Release dateMar 2, 2015
    ISBN9781507086506
    Do-it-Yourself Solar and Wind Energy System: DIY Off-grid and On-grid Solar Panel and Wind Turbine System

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    • 5/5
      The book is illustrative and informative. It is easy to follow. It details use of trial-and-error principles to develop the system.

    Book preview

    Do-it-Yourself Solar and Wind Energy System - Eric Layton

    Introduction

    This book was written in order to help you understand more about this specific do-it-yourself solar and wind system. Over the course of 4 to 5 years, a do-it-yourself (DIY) solar and wind system was built in Florida. This system has 11 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, 1 wind turbine, and a battery storage system. Currently, it has the capability to produce 2.25 kilowatts (kW) of power at maximum. The system was built over a period of several years due to cost and availability of funds.  Overall, the cost not including labor was estimated to be about $9,200 to $10,000.  My father put in the most work around 60 plus hours over the 4 years of the project.  He designed the system to be modular, meaning that as more funds are available, more solar panels, batteries, inverters, and equipment can be purchased and easily added to the system. Having a modular system allowed us to start small and granted us flexibility to expand as the resources became available.  The shed that houses the main components is also modular; it can be expanded at least another 10 feet to accommodate the growing system. 

    Not everyone can build a system like the one outlined in this book. Designing, researching, and building a DIY system can and probably will take over 40 hours of dedicated manpower. There are countless parts needed required to create a custom design in order to mount your hardware.  Also, please do not attempt to build a system if you do not have experience with electrical work and all the hazards it includes. This DIY project is dangerous if you do not have prior experience.  All necessary precautions should be taken to ensure your safety. A licensed electrician should be brought in to work on the system if you do not know how to properly wire it. In order to build a system like the DIY system in this book, the proper permits need to be filed (required permits may differ by location).  If you are using this design and build your own on-grid or off-grid system, you need to have the carpentry, electrical, and other skills necessary to safely complete a project of this nature.

    As this DIY system was built, I made sure to record the progress on my YouTube channel. I recorded many aspects of this system, including installation of the solar panels and the wind turbine. There are more than 13 videos on my YouTube channel that will further explain the DIY system. Links to these videos on the internet have been included towards the end of this book. Some of the videos are long, but I have tried to fully detail every aspect of the system. The comment sections on each video are open, so please feel free to post any comments or questions as I usually answer within a few days.  In a way, this book compliments the YouTube videos. I highly recommend viewing all of the videos to learn even more than what this book contains.  

    A return on investment (ROI) section has also been added towards the end of this book to help

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