This is what the web is all about. Guy Marsden has a sprawling website (over 200 pages) that I highly recommend only if you can relax for a while. Guy is everything from an artist - he worked on "Star Wars" - to an inventor/engineer. Much of the site is related to trying to be realistically self sufficient. I found lots of low-budget-do-it-yourself information as well as things for the more engineery types among us (of which I am not one of) (yet) such as his conversion of his gas lawn mower to solar charged DC batteries. ( my solution is simply to not mow the lawn) I found lots of good materials and product resources as well. This is something I'm always looking for as much of my work is very budget oriented and I am faced with questions such as " should I spend twice as much on triple glazed windows or is there a shade or window quilt or storm window or panel that could do the job for 1/4 the cost?"