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John Russel Review

Peak oil is on us. To add to which, there's increasing turmoil in the Middle East and the unpleasant possibility looming of war with Iran. The price of oil is going up, and with it the price of electric power.

At the same time, the cost of renewable energy technology such as solar and wind power is coming down. It's not surprising, then, that so many people are looking into installing their own power-generation system at home. It would save money, increase their independence from the utility company, and help reduce their carbon footprint and other environmental impacts of their lives.

The only problem is that, when you look at what it would cost to get a contractor to install a solar or wind power system, you find that it costs a small fortune before you can begin saving money on your electric bills by generating your own electricity.

EXPOSED

Even if you buy a kit in order to install your own solar system, you're still looking at a hefty up-front cost, and it will be many years before you recoup the cost from savings on your electric bill. Because of all this, the idea of doing it all yourself -- making your own solar panels or wind turbines and installing it all yourself -- is gaining a lot of popularity, and you can find a fair selection of guides online for doing just that.

John Russel PDF Guide

Electrician John Russel has put together one such guide in a combined video and ebook format. He's asking the usual price of $49.97 (all such guides seem to go for just a hair short of fifty bucks and most for that amount to the exact penny).

The videos and ebooks are in three sections: how to build a solar panel, how to build a wind turbine generator, and how to install a home energy system. Unlike a lot of others, Russel seems to recommend (and to have installed himself) a combined solar and wind system rather than all one or the other.

John Russel Power4Home Claims And Truth

As usual for guides like this, Russel provides a slightly misleading claim that you can build a home solar/wind system for under $200. While this is technically correct, and might be worth doing because even a small amount of power will save a bit on your electric bill, if you want to achieve real independence you are going to have to invest a bit more than that. However, it remains a fact that you can save a lot compared to having your system installed professionally, and save a lot on your electric bill over time.

Russel's command of language is quite good. He speaks in a folksy, easy to understand way. This makes a difference of course in conveying information.

His format for his manuals, with the videos accompanied by manuals, is different and arguably superior to most other DIY solar system guides out there, especially in the way it divides the process up into the three logical sections of building your own solar panels, making your own wind turbine, and putting it all together into a home system.

Also, if you're interested in a dual system that incorporates both solar and wind rather than relying exclusively on one or the other, this is the first guide we've seen that incorporates both into a single system, although information about how to build your own solar panel or wind turbine is readily available.

Make no mistake: although it's not technically all that difficult, making your own solar or wind system from scratch will take some time and some hours of effort. But it will also save you a lot of money compared to having someone else do it.