Earth4Energy Review

Review of www.earth4energy.com materials.

I've now watched all of the videos and glanced through the large pile of additional "Platinum Package" materials.

Here is the table of contents that the CD-ROM, which showed up as promised, shows:

1. Solar DIY Guide 
2. Wind DIY Guide
3. Watch Earth4Energy Videos 
4. BONUS: Biodiesel - Alternative Gas For Your Car 
5. BONUS: US Tax Credit Forms 
6. BONUS: Canada Tax Credit Forms 
7. BONUS: Electrical Wiring Plans for Solar Panels 
8. BONUS: Installing & Mounting Solar Panels 
9. BONUS: Energy Consumer Guide 
10. BONUS: Wind Map Resources 
11. BONUS: Renewable Energy Guide 
12. CD BONUS: 101 Ways To Live Greener 
13. CD BONUS: Solar Energy For Power   
14. CD BONUS: 62 Ways To Save Money At The Gas Pump 
15. PLATINUM PACKAGE: >> Access Platinum Package Here < 

First, review of how well the material meets my personal requirements. Note that I don't know that all of these were promised by the seller, but just my own requirements.

Learning how to make my own solar panels:
1. Cost effectively for total system cost (not just per panel) -- D. The video talks about making a 60 watt panel for under $200. At $3.33 per watt, this is more than completed panels on ebay. I need $1 a watt or less. The video is at least two years old, and prices are lower now. Mostly, the video doesn't go into detail about how to get the parts for extra cheap. You'll have to go to YouTube and Google for that info.
2. In order to be able to pay back in energy generation within a few years -- C. There is a good amount of info about how to figure out your energy usage, how to conserve to reduce the need, how conservation pays back more than solar generation. This would be useful information if you've never gone through these exercises before. I have. Exhaustively. But for me, this is really just another way of stating number 1. I'll give it a C because of the material on energy use analysis and conservation.
3. That look good and not like home made clunky junk.  A. The panel design and materials recommended are commercial looking. I would not be embarrassed to put them on my roof.
4. That I can add to my existing grid tied system. D. The only info is about how you should find an electrician and vet them. There is insufficient engineering information for actual end to end DIY on a grid tied system. Requires an electrician ($$$).

Overall grade for MY purpose: C


The general purpose review rating: B
I give Earth4Energy a B based on how well the product promises. I'm not so sure that, after watching those videos, I am really armed with enough info to cut my electric bills to zero. But I'm definitely closer to being ready to start my own skunkworks solar panel plant.

Why a B? Why higher than the "my purpose" grade of C? Because the material is well organized, well presented in a logical, digestible way, comprehensive at the starter DIY level, with good quality basic production values for the videos. It's a good package to help somebody get started. In short, I think it mostly does what it promises.

Why not A+? Because the details around grid tying are scant. The important electrical engineering type details around computing inverter sizing are lacking (or maybe I dozed off at that point). And I'm not sure the material is really worth $50. No doubt there are quite a few books available that cover the same material for $20. But if you like videos and want a pre-organized presentation, this would be a decent option. You do have 60 days to change your mind and ask for your money back.

 If you are thinking of putting together DIY solar, this might be a good place for you to start your learning.  Alternatively, if you are a real tightwad, you can find all of this information for free online from other sources. For a beginner (like I was before a lot of research), the google method will take a bit more effort in order to find and understand everything and how it fits together. Even if you watch all the Earth4Energy videos and read all the additional material, I would still recommend additional google searching and research. I have seen other techniques for constructing, encapsulating and protecting solar panels. I've seen other methods for gathering the wiring at the bottom, and other methods for framing. I do like the recommended framing method in the Earth4Energy videos using metal C framing. Think I'll use that tip.

The "bonus material" is, in my opinion, fluff and I'm not going to bother reviewing that stuff, not now at least. It could be interesting to some people. But I purchased the package for the solar info. I may look at the wind turbine material later. But I'll get my gardening, turning water into gasoline and zombie apocalypse survival info elsewhere.

Hope this helps you decide. I might be back in the future with my own recommendations for similar info from free sources or I might not... depends on if anybody seems interested and if I have the energy (yuk yuk). Comments would be useful.