With this comprehensive guide you can plan the ideal independent power system for your home, boat or RV. You'll understand how a power system works, be able to talk intelligently with equipment suppliers about your needs, and have the necessary tools to make and manage your own electricity. Beyond the efficient production and consumption of electrical power, this book offers a window to the world of independent living, a world that encompasses elements such as shelter, food, health, education and recreation. These elements of an independent life-style come together in the home, whether the home exists in a house on land or a boat at sea, or temporarily in a recreational vehicle. The author shows that living independently does not mean being isolated or doing without, but rather having the opportunity and the ability to take control of your life, to live simply yet elegantly, and to have the courage to follow your own path when convention defies common sense. More and more people are realizing that independence of this nature tends to empower individuals, strengthen families and rejuvenate small communities.