☀️ Renewable Energy

Books on the technologies, policies, and economics driving the transition from fossil fuels to solar, wind, and other sustainable power sources. Readers come to understand the engineering and politics of our energy future.

Not the End of the World

by Hannah Ritchie • 2024

The environmental doom story is wrong. The data is turning, and the fixes are within reach.

4.22

7k+

🌍 Environmental Optimism 💡 Climate Solutions 🎯 Effective Environmentalism 🌾 Agricultural Innovation 🌊 Marine Conservation

Not the End of the World

The environmental doom story is wrong. The data is turning, and the fixes are within reach.

by Hannah Ritchie 2024

4.22

7k+ ratings

🌍 Environmental Optimism 💡 Climate Solutions 🎯 Effective Environmentalism 🌾 Agricultural Innovation 🌊 Marine Conservation

Physics of the Future

by Michio Kaku • 2011

What a century of real physics can actually deliver: from invisible computers to fusion power.

4.00

18k+

🔮 Future Studies 🌐 Ubiquitous Computing 🤖 Artificial Intelligence 🧬 Genetic Engineering 🔬 Nanotechnology

Physics of the Future

What a century of real physics can actually deliver: from invisible computers to fusion power.

by Michio Kaku 2011

4.00

18k+ ratings

🔮 Future Studies 🌐 Ubiquitous Computing 🤖 Artificial Intelligence 🧬 Genetic Engineering 🔬 Nanotechnology

The Future We Choose

by Christiana Figueres • 2020

Halve emissions by 2030 or lose a livable planet: the Paris Agreement architect's ten moves.

4.05

7k+

🌍 Climate Crisis ⚡ Climate Action 😢 Climate Grief ⚖️ Environmental Justice 🤝 Collective Action

The Future We Choose

Halve emissions by 2030 or lose a livable planet: the Paris Agreement architect's ten moves.

by Christiana Figueres 2020

4.05

7k+ ratings

🌍 Climate Crisis ⚡ Climate Action 😢 Climate Grief ⚖️ Environmental Justice 🤝 Collective Action

Back to Basics

by Abigail R. Gehring • 2007

Build a home, grow your food, power it yourself: illustrated encyclopedia of self-sufficient living.

4.20

2k+

🏡 Homesteading Skills 🌱 Self-Sufficiency 🌄 Back To The Land 🔋 Off-Grid Living 🔨 Hand-Built Homes

Back to Basics

Build a home, grow your food, power it yourself: illustrated encyclopedia of self-sufficient living.

by Abigail R. Gehring 2007

4.20

2k+ ratings

🏡 Homesteading Skills 🌱 Self-Sufficiency 🌄 Back To The Land 🔋 Off-Grid Living 🔨 Hand-Built Homes

The Upcycle

by William McDonough • 2013

Less harm is still harm. The blueprint for designing products, buildings, and systems that heal.

4.00

1k+

🔄 Circular Economy 🦋 Biomimicry 🌱 Regenerative Design 💼 Sustainable Business 🔗 Systems Thinking

The Upcycle

Less harm is still harm. The blueprint for designing products, buildings, and systems that heal.

by William McDonough 2013

4.00

1k+ ratings

🔄 Circular Economy 🦋 Biomimicry 🌱 Regenerative Design 💼 Sustainable Business 🔗 Systems Thinking

Heroes of the Environment

by Harriet Rohmer • 2009

A teen cleans polluted water. A wrestler teaches recycling. Twelve environmental heroes in action.

3.95

147

🪧 Environmental Activism 🌱 Grassroots Organizing ⭐ Youth Leadership 🏙️ Urban Farming ♻️ Waste Reduction

Heroes of the Environment

A teen cleans polluted water. A wrestler teaches recycling. Twelve environmental heroes in action.

by Harriet Rohmer 2009

3.95

147 ratings

🪧 Environmental Activism 🌱 Grassroots Organizing ⭐ Youth Leadership 🏙️ Urban Farming ♻️ Waste Reduction

Climate Justice

by Mary Robinson • 2018

Climate change is a human rights crisis. Frontline communities are showing the world how to respond.

4.06

3k+

⚖️ Climate Justice ✊ Human Rights 🌱 Grassroots Activism 🌿 Indigenous Knowledge 👩‍💼 Women's Leadership

Climate Justice

Climate change is a human rights crisis. Frontline communities are showing the world how to respond.

by Mary Robinson 2018

4.06

3k+ ratings

⚖️ Climate Justice ✊ Human Rights 🌱 Grassroots Activism 🌿 Indigenous Knowledge 👩‍💼 Women's Leadership

Falter

by Bill McKibben • 2019

Engineers want to redesign humans as the climate exit. The two crises share a cause.

4.00

2k+

🤖 Tech Ethics ⚠️ Existential Risk 🛢️ Fossil Fuel Deception ✊ Nonviolent Resistance 🧬 Genetic Engineering

Falter

Engineers want to redesign humans as the climate exit. The two crises share a cause.

by Bill McKibben 2019

4.00

2k+ ratings

🤖 Tech Ethics ⚠️ Existential Risk 🛢️ Fossil Fuel Deception ✊ Nonviolent Resistance 🧬 Genetic Engineering

The Great Transition

by Lester R. Brown • 2014

Wind and solar are now cheapest. The shift isn't a political choice; it's a price signal.

3.66

201

⚡ Energy Transition 📉 Energy Economics 🌍 Climate Policy 🚗 Electric Vehicles 🏘️ Decentralized Energy

The Great Transition

Wind and solar are now cheapest. The shift isn't a political choice; it's a price signal.

by Lester R. Brown 2014

3.66

201 ratings

⚡ Energy Transition 📉 Energy Economics 🌍 Climate Policy 🚗 Electric Vehicles 🏘️ Decentralized Energy

Energy and Civilization

by Vaclav Smil • 2017

A week of American energy use matches a year of Nigerian. The history behind that gap.

4.09

4k+

⚡ Energy History ⚙️ History Of Technology 🏭 Industrial Revolution 🛢️ Fossil Fuels 🌍 Big History

Energy and Civilization

A week of American energy use matches a year of Nigerian. The history behind that gap.

by Vaclav Smil 2017

4.09

4k+ ratings

⚡ Energy History ⚙️ History Of Technology 🏭 Industrial Revolution 🛢️ Fossil Fuels 🌍 Big History

Our Angry Earth

by Isaac Asimov • 1991

Asimov connected climate change, ozone loss, toxic waste, and soil erosion: four alarms, one fire.

3.71

126

🌍 Environmental Crises 🌡️ Climate Science 🏭 Pollution 🌳 Habitat Loss 💰 Environmental Economics

Our Angry Earth

Asimov connected climate change, ozone loss, toxic waste, and soil erosion: four alarms, one fire.

by Isaac Asimov 1991

3.71

126 ratings

🌍 Environmental Crises 🌡️ Climate Science 🏭 Pollution 🌳 Habitat Loss 💰 Environmental Economics

Our Choice

by Al Gore • 2008

The tools to solve the climate crisis exist; here's the plan to deploy them at scale.

3.99

864

🌍 Climate Crisis 💡 Energy Efficiency 💰 Carbon Pricing ⚡ Energy Transition 🌱 Carbon Sequestration

Our Choice

The tools to solve the climate crisis exist; here's the plan to deploy them at scale.

by Al Gore 2008

3.99

864 ratings

🌍 Climate Crisis 💡 Energy Efficiency 💰 Carbon Pricing ⚡ Energy Transition 🌱 Carbon Sequestration

Sustainable Energy - without the hot air

by David J.C. MacKay • 2008

Most energy plans don't add up. A physicist's arithmetic reveals what would.

4.41

2k+

🏛️ Energy Policy ⚡ Energy Systems 🔢 Quantitative Reasoning 🌍 Decarbonization 🔌 Electrification

Sustainable Energy - without the hot air

Most energy plans don't add up. A physicist's arithmetic reveals what would.

by David J.C. MacKay 2008

4.41

2k+ ratings

🏛️ Energy Policy ⚡ Energy Systems 🔢 Quantitative Reasoning 🌍 Decarbonization 🔌 Electrification

How to Survive Off the Grid

by Tim MacWelch • 2016

The off-grid blueprint: energy, water, food, medicine, and self-defense when no one is coming.

3.98

115

🏡 Off-Grid Living 🌾 Homesteading 💧 Water Harvesting 🥫 Food Preservation 🆘 Emergency Preparedness

How to Survive Off the Grid

The off-grid blueprint: energy, water, food, medicine, and self-defense when no one is coming.

by Tim MacWelch 2016

3.98

115 ratings

🏡 Off-Grid Living 🌾 Homesteading 💧 Water Harvesting 🥫 Food Preservation 🆘 Emergency Preparedness

Solar Energy

by Arno Smets • 2016

The semiconductor physics from photon to grid: how light becomes electricity and gets delivered.

4.04

151

☀️ Photovoltaics 🔬 Semiconductor Physics 🏗️ Solar Engineering ⚡ Energy Science 💎 Solid-State Physics

Solar Energy

The semiconductor physics from photon to grid: how light becomes electricity and gets delivered.

by Arno Smets 2016

4.04

151 ratings

☀️ Photovoltaics 🔬 Semiconductor Physics 🏗️ Solar Engineering ⚡ Energy Science 💎 Solid-State Physics

Renewable Energy

by Bruce Usher • 2019

The energy transition was stalled by storage. The solution is already in millions of garages.

4.33

302

🔄 Energy Transition 📉 Technology Cost Curves 🌍 Climate Economics 📜 Energy Policy 💡 Techno-Optimism

Renewable Energy

The energy transition was stalled by storage. The solution is already in millions of garages.

by Bruce Usher 2019

4.33

302 ratings

🔄 Energy Transition 📉 Technology Cost Curves 🌍 Climate Economics 📜 Energy Policy 💡 Techno-Optimism

The Breath of the Gods

by Simon Winchester • 2025

Polynesian canoes, the Spanish Armada, and Japan's salvation all turned on wind. Its full biography.

3.77

712

🧱 Microhistories 🌬️ Atmospheric Science 🌍 Climate And Civilization 🌪️ Forces Of Nature 📖 Popular Science

The Breath of the Gods

Polynesian canoes, the Spanish Armada, and Japan's salvation all turned on wind. Its full biography.

by Simon Winchester 2025

3.77

712 ratings

🧱 Microhistories 🌬️ Atmospheric Science 🌍 Climate And Civilization 🌪️ Forces Of Nature 📖 Popular Science

Here Comes the Sun

by Bill McKibben • 2025

The climate crisis has a solution: the sun, which quietly became the cheapest power on Earth.

4.50

1k+

⚡ Electrification ✊ Climate Activism 💰 Energy Economics 🏘️ Decentralized Energy 🗳️ Energy Democracy

Here Comes the Sun

The climate crisis has a solution: the sun, which quietly became the cheapest power on Earth.

by Bill McKibben 2025

4.50

1k+ ratings

⚡ Electrification ✊ Climate Activism 💰 Energy Economics 🏘️ Decentralized Energy 🗳️ Energy Democracy

Systems Thinking for Sustainable Development

by Edward Saja Sanneh • 2018

Energy, water, health, and waste are one system. Solve them separately and each solution unravels.

4.00

🧠 Systems Thinking 🌍 Sustainable Development 📋 Environmental Policy 💧 Water Security ♻️ Circular Economy

Systems Thinking for Sustainable Development

Energy, water, health, and waste are one system. Solve them separately and each solution unravels.

by Edward Saja Sanneh 2018

4.00

2 ratings

🧠 Systems Thinking 🌍 Sustainable Development 📋 Environmental Policy 💧 Water Security ♻️ Circular Economy

Solar Power for Sustainable Living

by Sustainable Stevie • 2012

The DIY solar reality check: what your bills, roof, and local code demand before you start.

3.75

☀️ Solar Energy 🔨 Home Improvement 🌱 Sustainable Living ⚡ Energy Independence 🏡 Off-Grid Living

Solar Power for Sustainable Living

The DIY solar reality check: what your bills, roof, and local code demand before you start.

by Sustainable Stevie 2012

3.75

4 ratings

☀️ Solar Energy 🔨 Home Improvement 🌱 Sustainable Living ⚡ Energy Independence 🏡 Off-Grid Living

Solar Power

by Mark Prentice • 2016

Install your own solar panels, slash your bill, and sell the surplus to the utility.

2.50

☀️ Solar Energy 🏡 Off-Grid Living 🔧 Diy Solar ⚡ Energy Independence 💰 Energy Savings

Solar Power

Install your own solar panels, slash your bill, and sell the surplus to the utility.

by Mark Prentice 2016

2.50

2 ratings

☀️ Solar Energy 🏡 Off-Grid Living 🔧 Diy Solar ⚡ Energy Independence 💰 Energy Savings

Ciencias de la Tierra

by Eduard J. Tarbuck • 2011

You cannot electrolyze tap water. The source matters more than the electrolyzer.

3.62

222

🚰 Water Management 💧 Green Hydrogen 🔬 Water Quality 📋 Environmental Planning ⚡ Energy Infrastructure

Ciencias de la Tierra

You cannot electrolyze tap water. The source matters more than the electrolyzer.

by Eduard J. Tarbuck 2011

3.62

222 ratings

🚰 Water Management 💧 Green Hydrogen 🔬 Water Quality 📋 Environmental Planning ⚡ Energy Infrastructure

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