When more than ten thousand people attended this one-day event, it suddenly became clear that the promise of living in homes powered by sunlight, wind, and falling water had caught the imagination of far more Americans than expected. In this newly revised and expanded edition, Potts again profiles the solar homesteaders whose experiments and innovations have opened the possibility of solar living for the rest of us. Potts provides clear and highly entertaining explanations of how various renewable energy systems work, and shows why they now make more sense than ever. He is a brilliant guide to the stages of planning and design faced by everyone who seeks to create a home that reconciles the personal and global dimensions of ecology. Over the past five years, the concept of an independent home has evolved beyond the energy system to encompass the whole process of design and construction involved in planning a renovation or a new home.
Independent homes are homes with integrity and personality.
Potts writes with lucidity about a group of homeowners some would consider to be the lunatic fringe and others would regard as among the only sane people on the planet. This move toward self-reliance is an important trend that will continue to surprise and delight us as we approach the inevitable dawn of the Solar Age. Independent homesteaders offer us all lessons on using our energy better. This work reconnects us with the planet in unexpected ways. I invite you to explore these excerpts from the new book, starting with the contents and the Introduction .