Solar & 12 Volt Power for beginners: off grid power for everyone

It seems most DIY books and videos fall into two categories; they are either assume you already have vast amounts of knowledge on a subject and are too technical, or they assume you are an idiot and spend 20 minutes explaining what a hammer is and how to use it. Not so with this book. I wanted a simple and straightforward intro to solar power and that's what I got. The author assumes you don't know anything about the subject, but doesn't treat you like you're an idiot. He doesn't go into a lot of superfluous information that isn't relevant like most books. (I don't need to know the history and manufacturing process of solar panels.) His directions and explanations are clear and easy to understand and there are enough photos to and diagrams to make a total novice feel confident in what they are doing. If you're looking to go completely off grid this book may be a bit basic but it's a good starting point. For someone (like me) who wants a s simple solar system to power a work shed this book is probably all you need. I am very happy with my purchase and highly recommend it.

I think this has something for both the novice and the intermediate. For a novice, this is a great way to become familiar with the components that could be used with a solar generator. With the information that was provided, I feel I could comfortably do a DIY solar generator (with instructions from a internet source) or know what I am looking for in a pre-built solar generator. For the intermediate, it can act as a quick refresher. The chapters are laid out in small chunks, with excellent pictures and drawings (in color), for each of the components. The chapters explain what the component are for, and how to use them, or connect them in a system. These are brief chapters, so one will not be overwhelmed with excessive material, but with that said one will not learn all the reasons behind each component. He has provided quick and dirty mathematics so there is not a lot of math required, but he has shown where to obtain more detailed math calculators, of one wants more details. I am sure there are things that are missing in this book, but 'What I do not know, I do not know.' I personally feel more confident in what I would need to look for, in a solar generator (pre-built or DIY). This for myself, was the book I was looking for, prior to embarking on my next step towards either 'off the grid' or simple back up of existing electrical reliance, whether it be for a few days, or longer, or just for a man cave (or she shed).

It is nice to see 10 point font in a book again! That makes it easy to read! This gives a breakdown of tools, wire bushes, and batteries. It has close up photos of what a connector should look like that you just made. The con- he only used a lead trolling motor battery 🫤. Never talked about gel(AGM) batteries or LiPo4 lithium batteries! In chapter 22, he shows his 12 volt build that is very confusing and cluttered. I'm still not sure if it was 12 volt only or it did (hidden somewhere) have a inverter to change from 12 volts to 120 volts. For the price of this book, I would of expected MORE!

Great layout of how a 12v system works. Information layout to setup the system and how to add on to the system going forward. I am working on my overlanding trailer and will be adding a 12v system because I killed my Bluetti with my new IceCo fridge last fall. I purchased a too small of a Bluetti (even after lots of research - so much bad information out there). This book helps with how big a battery is needed for running this number of lights/fridge. It's easy math. Buy the book and keep it for a reference.

I might have a mental block when it comes to learning anything about electricity, but I needed to set up an off-grid solar system economically and be able to maintain it myself so I bought this book. I'm glad I did, it was perfect. I am so impressed with its good concise writing and understandable photos and diagrams. Now I am looking forward to getting started on building my off-grid system. I feel a lot smarter and confident. Thank you George Eccleston for keeping everything simple and understandable. So many writers feel the need to show how smart they are, but by keeping everything simple you achieve your objective of allowing us to learn faster and better - that is very smart.

The author clearly does not understand basic electrical theory. Most of his explainations about watts ,volts, and amps are just plain wrong. The author talks about power loss in small wires ,but doesnt talk about voltage drop which is the real main problem. However...I enjoyed the book and learned some valuable information. It made think about the systems I have built and used over the years.

Great book. I'm serious, I didn't know anything at all about solar for ham radio, but this book explained everything. I have bought other books on the subject and got zero usable information. Mr. Eccleston got me over that and now I am in the process of building my solar system to keep my radio going in the great outdoors. He really took the beginner into account when writing this book and walks you through every step. Plus he doesn't try to oversell when a less expensive but acceptable option would work just as well. Setting up a solar system is doable for anyone with this book.

This book provides a short, direct explanation of how to set up a solar-powered 12vdc system with a battery and solar panels. I feel that, with the material in this book, I have a good basis for building my own system.

great book for starting your solar experience it clarified what , why and how to set up and easy to understand

Easy to understand, great asset to have, however in my research, there is conflicting information regarding, when to connect solar panels to controller, the book states to connect panels to controller than battery. In my research, apparently this is wrong as this damages controller, so connect your battery 1st than panels. Also it does not state inverters have capacitors and connecting this to a system will energise the capacitor and wake it up and this throws out a spark from the battery, you also need to know there is still charge in the capacitor when you disconnect it from the system. You can get around this, I suggest you to have a look at how to do this. As this book deals with 12V only, it may not be a big deal, BUT when you upgrade to a bigger system, then we all know what is possible with electricity. All in all, is the best resource for me as is easy to understand, for dummies like myself, couple it up with a couple of vids and you will def have no problem.

Good guide

Simple, informative. All the info you need to complete a 12volt circuit including solar panel, battery, AC inverter powering several items.

As someone looking to wire up a Shepherds Hut for off-grid use I started looking at (expensive) caravan and RV systems. It dawned on me that I’d be paying for functionality I probably didn’t need and maybe a simpler 12v DC system could do the job. Having read this book from start to finish I’m confident I can build a system of my own that will do everyI need at a fraction of the cost. Great book, easy to follow and very informative.