Gaiam’s Off-Grid Living section

Mystery boss of Gaiam.

The mysterious Jirka Rysavy, boss of the publicly held Gaiam company, has come up trumps for off-gridders everywhere with the Off-Grid Living section. From books to renewable energy sources, it is a great collection. Take the Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook , for example – a guide to products ranging from simple energy-saving devices like compact fluorescent lights to home-scale energy-harvesting systems that use the sun. Its an essential reference manual from one of the leading industry names. And the best of these products are available here at off-grid.net in our online shop. The goods are high quality but pricey, and Jirka snapped up Real Goods a couple years ago. He is committed to selling products that promote environmental responsibility. Gaiam recently reported 63% profit margins, but you get what you pay for, and we believe their claim to give honest value, The Real Goods Trading Company is one of the fastest-growing companies in America.

Trying to choose your best suited independent renewable energy source? Why not read an introduction into two of the most popular alternative means of generating power, solar and wind.

The Real Goods sourcebook has chapters on Independent Living, Land, Shelter, Harvesting Energy, Managing Energy Systems, Heating and Cooling, Water, Energy Conservation, the Nontoxic Home, Home and Market Gardening, Mobility and Electric Vehicles, and Livelihood and Learning. A wealth of expertise, at $19.70 (£11.13).

If you dream of wind turbines, check out the Wind Power for Home & Business: Renewable Energy for the 1990s and Beyond. It outlines the environmental and economical sense of wind. The book explains how to go about selecting and installing the small wind power systems on the market today, at $13.32 (£7.53).

Sick of rechargeable batteries running out before they claim to? Not a problem with the AccuManager 20 Battery Charger - $69.00 (£38.98) and the Large Rechargeable Battery Kit - $120.00 (£67.80). We put all the brands to the test, using a pair of identical Mini-Mag AA flashlights, and found the Gaiam Real Goods NiMH rechargeables outlasted the top alkaline battery by almost 30 minutes. Rechargeable NiMH batteries, which have always excelled in terms of environmental impact, have pulled ahead when it comes to performance as well as economic return.

Gaiam’s off-grid living collection offers everything from energy efficient appliances to composting toilets to all kinds of useful DC-powered equipment and gear. For more, see Gaiam’s website.

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