Homemade Energy is guide that supposedly teaches you how to make your own solar and wind power. Written by Bill Ford – a scientist, researcher, inventor and energy consultant – the guide claims that even someone with limited technical know-how can build the systems. But does it really work? And how does it compare to Earth4Energy?
What we liked about it:
1 – We had fun:
We found the instructions for the wind turbine very well laid out and explained. They were easy to follow, and we really had fun putting the wind generator together. Also, when it was finished, it actually worked, and our neighbors did not believe us when we told them we had built it ourselves.
2 – Very Affordable
The Homemade Energy Guide was the most affordable guide out on the market. Yes, it was a measly $2 cheaper than it’s rival, Earth4Energy, but us homeowners love to save every penny we can.
3 – Easy for anyone to follow:
It is obvious that Bill Ford wanted to write a guide that even a housewife could follow. The language was really easy to understand, and the instructions made it almost impossible for you not to end up with a working wind turbine. This was despite the fact that the diagrams were a little confusing at times.
What we did not like about it:
1 – Rather short
Homemade Energy was on of the shorter guides we read. It was only about 43 pages long, so it seemed to lack some value-added information. If you compare it to a guide like Earth4Energy or Efficient Planet, we would rather have spent that extra $2 to get all that additional advice and information.
2 – Becoming a little outdated:
This may not be the case with other readers, but we found the solar power plans rather confusing to follow at times. The diagrams did not flow well with the instructions, so we had to contact Bill on numerous occasions for support. We must admit that his response was very good and helpful, but it would be better if he simply updated the guide. What good are free lifetime updates, if we never really get any?
Verdict:
Overall, Homemade Energy was a great guide for people with little technical knowledge, that are willing to learn while building the systems. I only recommendations for Mr Ford is that he keeps up with the other guides, such as Earth4Energy and Homemade Power Plant, and offer more free advice for his readers. This includes throwing in some free video tutorials and revising his solar power plans.
Tim McDonald has been making his own home wind turbine and solar power since June 2008. If you are serious about making your own power, reducing your electricity bill and becoming more energy conscious, then he recommends you get the Earth4Energy Sneak Peek – before buying any energy guide.
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