Field manual · free to read online
Build your
own sun.
Heat, cool, and power your home with projects you build yourself. 92 original guides, from a window air heater to a full PV array, written so you can build from the page.
- Parts
- 09
- Chapters
- 15
- Build guides
- 92
- Calculators
- 20
Field manual · Vol. 1
DIY
Solar
Book
Heat, cool, and power your home with the sun
92 projectsHardcover
The hardbound edition
A manual you keep on the bench.
Every guide on this site, set for print with full-page diagrams and worked numbers, in a hardcover that can take sawdust on the bench.
- 01All 92 guides in one hardcover
- 02Diagrams, materials lists, and cost estimates for every build
- 03Worked examples you can check with a pencil
Coming soon
The hardcover is in production. Every guide is free to read here today.
What's inside
Conservation first · then collectors · then power
- Part IStart Here1 chapter · 7 guides
- Part IIConservation First2 chapters · 12 guides
- Part IIISolar Space Heating2 chapters · 15 guides
- Part IVSolar Water Heating2 chapters · 13 guides
- Part VPassive Solar Homes and Sunspaces2 chapters · 11 guides
- Part VIStaying Cool1 chapter · 6 guides
- Part VIISolar Electricity1 chapter · 8 guides
- Part VIIIWind, Water, and Biofuels2 chapters · 10 guides
- Part IXTools, Calculators, and Testing2 chapters · 10 guides
Start with these builds
All 92 guides- 01Build a Simple Window-Sized Solar Air HeaterA shallow south-facing box that moves room air across a black absorber, with flaps so the window does not become a night-time hole.Solar Space Heating · Beginner
- 02Build a Low-Cost Blower Door from a Box FanA fan sealed in a doorway panel that makes house leaks visible. It is not a certified airflow test.Conservation First · Intermediate
- 03Drainback Systems Step by StepA pumped loop that empties into a reservoir when the pump stops, so freeze and boil are designed out.Solar Water Heating · Advanced
Start before you build
Chapter 2, Find the Leaks: measure how your house loses heat before you spend a dollar on collectors. Like every chapter, it is free to read here.