Description
Off Grid Solar is a pocket guide and quick reference for anyone looking to build an electrical energy system with the free sunshine available to us all.
“The limitations to widespread solar are not centered on the cost, the efficiency, or the need for advancements in technology. The limitations are solely due to the lack of widespread knowledge on the subject.”
With that philosophy at heart, solar and battery expert Joseph P. O’Connor draws from his years of experience to craft a how-to guide needed by everyone around the world. Founder of OCON Energy Consulting, O’Connor has conducted and taught the installation/maintenance of Off-Grid solar projects to people and communities as far away as the central African rainforest and right in his own backyard of Oakland, California. For anyone interested in harvesting their own solar energy completely detached from the grid, this is the book for you.
Thanks to straightforward explanations for readers of all levels, this book establishes a familiarity with the basic low-cost components alongside the most innovative technologies. With this knowledge, the reader can make better decisions based on their technology needs, rather than simply trusting the recommendations from others.
Need to keep costs down? How many solar panels are needed to refill the batteries? What is the best way to angle your solar panels? On projects both big and small, Joe’s got you covered.
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About the Author
Joe O’Connor is a solar manufacturing entrepreneur as well as a consultant, speaker, and writer on solar energy. Joe has built off-grid solar energy systems in the U.S., Haiti, Nepal, Portugal, Guatemala, and most recently in Virunga National Park, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To learn more about his work in Congo, click here to read SolarCity, Tesla, and Virunga, Building Solar Micro Grids for the guardians of Africa’s oldest and most biodiverse national park.
Seeking to amplify his impact after over a decade of traveling to remote places to install solar, Joe decided to share his knowledge and experience of off-grid solar energy systems by writing a book.
Joe is currently a Senior Applications Engineer for Energy Storage at Mercedes-Benz Energy. In his previous position at SolarCity, Joe supported the MicroGrid Team and the GivePower Foundation by designing solar photovoltaic and Tesla Powerwall systems. He also prototyped, designed, and patented a new solar racking system that enabled SolarCity to become one of the largest commercial installers in the U.S.
Prior to his work at SolarCity, Joe launched a cost-efficient solar racking product at solar manufacturing start-up, Sollega. Joe has also worked with Sustainable Energy Partners in San Francisco, completing dozens of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
Joe earned his M.S. from NYU Polytechnic University in Manufacturing Engineering and was selected as a recipient of the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship. He earned his B.S. from Cal Poly University in Industrial Technology.
He first became passionate about renewable energy after volunteering with GRID Alternatives—the Habitat for Humanities of the solar industry—when he teamed up with other volunteers to install solar electric systems on homes of low-income families in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Joe believes that advancements in the renewable energy industry will help our global society break its dependency on oil, coal, and natural gas. He is on a mission to make renewable energy the dominant energy source on our planet.
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