Homemade Energy - a guide written by Bill Ford, a scientist, researcher and energy consultant - claims that it can show you how to build your own working home solar and wind power generators, even if you have never picked up a tool in your life before. So does it really work? And are the instructions as easy to follow as they claim to be? We put bought it, put it to the test and saw how it compared to Earth4Energy.
The Advantages of the guide:
1 - The project was fun:
The plans for the home wind turbine were really easy to follow. They were detailed enough and laid out intuitively. This made a fun project to complete with few glitches along the way. What's more is the end result was that we had a professional looking wind turbine that really worked.
2 - Cheapest option
Homemade Energy is the cheapest guide out there. Okay, it is only $2 cheaper than say, Earth4Energy, but every dollar helps when you are trying to save on costs.
3 - Easy for anyone to follow:
It was very apparent to us that Bill Ford wanted to produce a guide that anyone could follow, since it was so easy to understand. Thought we did have a small problem with the diagrams, we still ended up with a working wind turbine.
Dislikes
1 - Lacks features
At only around 43 pages long, this guide lacks that extra information and detail. Perhaps you could argue that it is to the point, however, when compared to Earth4Energy, we would rather spend that extra $2 to get that additional info.
2 - Becoming a little outdated:
We're not sure about other users, but we occasionally struggled to follow the solar power plans easily. The diagrams did not quite flow with the instructions and we had to contact support numerous times for assistance when building the solar panels. Although they were very helpful, they never decided to pass on that knowledge to everyone by updating their guide with the additional solar panel information. Bill Ford offers free lifetime updates, but what good is that if he never revises his guide?
Conclusion:
Homemade Energy is by and large a an energy guide for beginners, that have the patience to learn while doing, which is vital for any diy plans. However, Bill needs to keep up to date with his competitors, such as Earth4Energy and Efficient Planet, and offer more value for his customers. This includes updating his solar power plans, and perhaps offering video instruction too. - 31812
The Advantages of the guide:
1 - The project was fun:
The plans for the home wind turbine were really easy to follow. They were detailed enough and laid out intuitively. This made a fun project to complete with few glitches along the way. What's more is the end result was that we had a professional looking wind turbine that really worked.
2 - Cheapest option
Homemade Energy is the cheapest guide out there. Okay, it is only $2 cheaper than say, Earth4Energy, but every dollar helps when you are trying to save on costs.
3 - Easy for anyone to follow:
It was very apparent to us that Bill Ford wanted to produce a guide that anyone could follow, since it was so easy to understand. Thought we did have a small problem with the diagrams, we still ended up with a working wind turbine.
Dislikes
1 - Lacks features
At only around 43 pages long, this guide lacks that extra information and detail. Perhaps you could argue that it is to the point, however, when compared to Earth4Energy, we would rather spend that extra $2 to get that additional info.
2 - Becoming a little outdated:
We're not sure about other users, but we occasionally struggled to follow the solar power plans easily. The diagrams did not quite flow with the instructions and we had to contact support numerous times for assistance when building the solar panels. Although they were very helpful, they never decided to pass on that knowledge to everyone by updating their guide with the additional solar panel information. Bill Ford offers free lifetime updates, but what good is that if he never revises his guide?
Conclusion:
Homemade Energy is by and large a an energy guide for beginners, that have the patience to learn while doing, which is vital for any diy plans. However, Bill needs to keep up to date with his competitors, such as Earth4Energy and Efficient Planet, and offer more value for his customers. This includes updating his solar power plans, and perhaps offering video instruction too. - 31812
About the Author:
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.
