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Eco Friendly and Sustainable Homes around the World

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Eco Friendly and Sustainable Homes around the World

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15 Eco Friendly and Sustainable Houses | Green Living

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Traditional but high-tech: Green homes in Kenya

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Traditional but high-tech: Green homes in Kenya

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Traditional but high-tech: Green homes in Kenya | DW English

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Oil extracted from the city's annual 200,000 tonnes of coffee waste is blended with diesel.

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Architects Are Using Mud to Build Sustainable Homes

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Housing and Sustainability Options for the Cold North

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Housing and Sustainability Options for the Cold North

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Cold Climate Housing Research Center: housing and sustainability solutions for the North

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ECO-FRIENDLY TROPICAL HOUSE | IB Personal Project

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Ideas and sustainable...

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Your Home is your guide to building, buying or renovating a home. It shows how to create a comfortable home with low impact on the environment - economical to run, healthier to live in and adaptable to your changing needs.

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Your Home is your guide to building, buying or renovating a home. It shows how to create a comfortable home with low impact on the environment - economical to run, healthier to live in and adaptable to your changing needs.

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Green homes in the Philippines bring benefits to homeowners and the environment

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An Architect's Home: Off-Grid Living in Australia

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An Architect's Home: Off-Grid Living in Australia

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Architect Jerry Wolveridge's Off-Grid Sustainable Home | An Architect's Home ep03

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11 Most Innovative Green Homes that are Friendly to the Environment

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It is fact, that now days households and other living areas in which people live, or reside most of the time, contribute CO 2 emission and green house effects as much as global warming, which threatens to all humans and their health, as well as natural resources which balance is disturbed a long time ago. Sustainable house or Green house or Eco House is one of possible solutions, which with one part can contribute in solving of this global burning issue.

In the broad context, sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Most simply, the idea of sustainability, or ecological design, is to ensure that our actions and decisions today do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations.This term can be used to describe an energy and ecologically conscious approach to the design of the built environmen t.

The house is designed to reduce greenhouse gas

during construction and the house's lifetime.

The house is designed to prevent injuries through built-in

safety features. It has security elements to reduce crime

and improve the occupants' sense of security. Features

are also used to provide flexibility and comfort for people

of varying abilities and at different life stages, including

children and people with limited mobility.

The house is designed to save money during construction

and over the lifetime of the house. Careful planning avoids

the need for major future renovations and reduces costs

associated with energy use, water use and maintenance.

www1.indstate.edu/facilities/sustainability/

One central and often ignored aspect of sustainable architecture is building placement. Although many may envision the ideal environmental home or office structure as an isolated place in the middle of the woods, this kind of placement is often detrimental to the environment. First, such structures often serve as the unknowing frontlines of . Second, they usually increase the required for transportation and lead to unnecessary auto emissions. Ideally, most building should avoid suburban sprawl in favor of the kind of light Careful mixed use zoning can make commercial, residential, and light industrial areas more accessible

The building structure must also be considered. Cost/effectiveness is an important issue in sustainable architecture projects, and one of the most efficient designs herein is the approach. This approach lets everyone have their own yet incorporate communal spaces eg. sleeping/recreation space ,

can help to create a sustainable way of living within a community. While the existing social constructs can be seen to influence architecture, the opposite can also be true. An overtly socially sustainable building, if successful, can help people to see the benefit The same can be said for environmentally sustainable design, in that architecture can lead the way for the greater community.

The standard combines a variety of techniques and technologies to achieve ultra-low energy use.

over the entire life cycle of a building is the most important single goal of sustainable architecture. Architects use many different techniques to reduce the energy needs of buildings and increase their ability to capture or generate their own energy.

The most important and element of an efficient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system is a . A more efficient building requires less heat generating or dissipating power, but may require more ventilation capacity to expel .

Significant amounts of energy are flushed out of buildings in the water, air and streams. , on-site energy recycling technologies can effectively recapture hot water and stale air and transfer that energy into incoming fresh cold water or fresh air. Recapture of energy for uses other than gardening from compost leaving buildings requires centralized

Passive solar building design allows buildings to harness the energy of the sun efficiently without the use of any mechanisms such as Typically building designs incorporate materials with high that retain heat effectively and strong that works to prevent heat escape. Low energy designs also requires the use of solar shading, by means of awnings, blinds or shutters, to relieve the solar heat gain in summer and to reduce the need for artificial cooling. In addition, typically have a very low surface area to volume ratio to minimize heat loss. This means that sprawling multi-winged building designs (often thought to look more "organic") are often avoided in favor of more centralized structures.

Windows are placed to maximize the input of heat-creating light while minimizing the loss of heat through glass, a poor insulator. In the this usually involves installing a large number of south-facing windows to collect direct sun and severely restricting the number of north-facing windows. Certain window types, such as double or triple glazed with gas filled spaces, provide much better insulation than single-pane glass windows. Preventing excess solar gain by means of solar shading devices in the summer months is important to reduce cooling needs. are often planted in front of windows to block excessive sun in summer with their leaves but allow light through in winter when their leaves fall off. L ight shelves are installed to allow the sunlight in during the winter (when the sun is lower in the sky) and keep it out in the summer (when the sun is high in the sky). are often planted to the northbuildings to shield against cold north winds.

In warmer climates where cooling is a primary concern, passive solar designs can also be very effective. Masonry building materials with high thermal mass are very valuable for retaining the cool temperatures of night throughout the day. In addition builders often opt for sprawling single story structures in order to maximize surface area and heat loss. Buildings are often designed to capture and channel existing winds, particularly the especially cool winds coming from nearby Many of these valuable strategies are employed in some way by the of warm regions, such as south-western mission buildings. traditional architecture

In climates with four seasons, an integrated energy system will increase in efficiency: when the building is well insulated, when it is sited to work with the forces of nature , when heat is recaptured (to be used immediately or stored), when the heat plant relying on fossil fuels or electricity is greater than 100% efficient, and when renewable energy is utilized.

help to provide sustainable electricity for any use. Electrical output of a solar panel is dependent on orientation, efficiency, latitude, and climate- solar gain varies even at same latitude. Typical efficiencies for commercially available PV panels range from 4% to 28%. The low efficiency of certain photovoltaic panels can significantly effect the payback period of their installation . Roofs are often angled toward the sun to allow photovoltaic panels to collect at maximum efficiency. For any solar panel, a true-south facing orientation maximizes yield. If true-south is not possible, solar panels can produce adequate energy if aligned within 30° of south. However, at higher latitudes, winter energy yield will be significantly reduced for non-south orientation.

www.lipower.org/Efficiency/solar-works.html

Wind turbine systems for homes are one of the more cost effective forms of generating electricity from a renewable energy source if you have the right site. Wind turbines begin operating when winds reach 8 mph, achieve energy production capacity at speeds of 32-37 mph, and shut off to avoid damage at speeds exceeding 55 mph. The energy potential of a wind turbine is proportional to the square of the length of its blades and to the cube of the speed at which its blades spin. Though wind turbines are available that can supplement power for a single building, because of these factors, the efficiency of the wind turbine depends much upon the wind conditions at the building site. For these reasons, for wind turbines to be at all efficient, they must be installed at locations that are known to receive a constant amount of wind (with average wind speeds of more than 15mph), rather than locations that receive wind sporadically. A small wind turbine can be installed on a roof. Installation issues then include the strength of the roof, vibration, and the turbulence caused by the roof ledge. Small-scale rooftop wind turbines have been known to be able to generate power from 10% to up to 25% of the electricity required of a regular domestic household dwelling. Turbines for residential scale use are available. They are usually approximately 7 feet (2 m) to 25 feet (8 m) in diameter and produce electricity at a rate of 900 watts to 10,000 watts at their tested wind speed. It is possible to have a system which only gets it power from wind, however, many people combine getting power from a wind turbine with getting power from a solar electric system. The two technologies are often complimentary: when there's little sun (e.g. during the winter or when it's overcast), there's often more wind and vice versa.

www.wsetech.com/windturbinegenerator.php

-also called solar domestic hot water systems-can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home. They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they use-sunshine-is free .

There are two types of solar water systems- active and passive . There are also two types of circulation, direct circulation systems and indirect circulation systems. Direct circulation systems loop the domestic water through the panels. They should not be used in climates with temperatures below freezing. Indirect circulation loops glycol or some other fluid through the solar panels and uses a heat exchanger to heat up the domestic water.

Electric-resistance water heaters that are common in homes today have an electrical demand around 4500 KWh/year. With the use of solar collectors, the energy use is cut in half. The up-front cost of installing solar collectors is high, but with the annual energy savings, payback periods are relatively shor t .

makeitsolar.com

www.petervaldivia.com/.../energy/solar-power.php

Home Solar Water Heating www.urbansprout.co.za/article/ethical_consume

Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma. Air-source heat pumps (ASHP) can be thought of as reversible air conditioners. Like an air conditioner, an ASHP can take heat from a relatively cool space (e.g. a house at 70°F) and dump it into a hot place (e.g. outside at 85°F). However, unlike an air conditioner, the condenser and evaporator of an ASHP can switch roles and absorb heat from the cool outside air and dump it into a warm house .

arizonageology.blogspot.com/2008/10/tax-credi.

A domestic rooftop rainwater harvesting system

Greywater systems

Typical greywater system

Building materials typically considered to be ' green' include rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo (because bamboo grows quickly) and straw, lumber from forests certified to be sustainably managed, ecology blocks , dimension stone , recycled stone, recycled metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable (e.g. , , sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes, compressed earth block , adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax linen, sisal, seagrass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fibre plates, calcium sand stone, (high and ultra high performance, roman self-healing concrete).

The materials common to many types of natural building are clay and sand. When mixed with water and, usually, straw or another fiber, the mixture may form or (clay blocks). Other materials commonly used in natural building are: earth (as rammed earth or ), wood ( or timber frame /post-and-beam), , rice-hulls, and . A wide variety of reused or materials are common in natural building, including urbanite (salvaged chunks of used concrete), tires, tire bales, discarded bottles and other recycled glass.

Several other materials are increasingly avoided by many practitioners of this building approach, due to their major negative environmental or health impacts. These include unsustainably-harvested wood, toxic wood-preservatives, portland cement -based mixes, paints and other coatings which off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and some plastics, particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC or "vinyl") and those containing harmful plasticizers or hormone-mimicking formulations.

A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure , separates space in buildings into , or protects or delineates a space in the open . There are three principal types of structural walls: building walls, exterior boundary walls, and retaining walls.

www.avilionhomes.com

Cob or cobb is a building material consisting of , , , water, and , similar to . Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive. It can be used to create artistic, sculptural forms and has been revived in recent years by the natural building and sustainability movements. Cob is an ancient building material, that may have been used for construction since prehistoric timesCob structures can be found in a variety of climates across the globe.

Cob House

is a type of mudbrick also used today to save energy and is an environmentally safe way to insulate a house. This type of house tends to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.Adobe is a natural building material made from , , and water, with some kind of fibrous or (, , ), which is shaped into bricks using frames and dried in the sun. It is similar to and . Adobe structures are extremely durable and account for some of the oldest extant buildings on the planet.In hot , compared to wooden buildings, adobe buildings offer significant advantages due to their greater thermal mass , but they are known to be particularly susceptible to seismic damage in an event such as an earthquake.

Adobe / Mud brick www.ecobob.co.nz/_ImgUser

is a term used for a natural building method in which "cordwood" or short lengths pieces of debarked tree are laid up crosswise with or mixtures to build a wall. The cordwood, thus, becomes infill for the walls, usually between posts in a Cordwood construction timber frame structure. Cordwood masonry can be combined with other methods (e.g., rammed earth , cob or light clay) to produce attractive combinations. Cordwood masonry construction provides a relatively high thermal mass , which makes it easy to heat and coo.

Cordwood construction

Rammed earth, also known as taipa, pisé de terre or simply pisé, is a technique used in the building of walls using the raw materials of mud, , and . It is an ancient method that has seen a revival in recent years as people seek more sustainable building materials and natural building methods. Because of the nature of the materials used it is incombustible, thermally insulating and very strong and hardwearing. It also has the added advantage of being a simple way to construct walls. Traditionally, rammed earth buildings are common in arid regions where is in scarce supply.

the use of timber framing in buildings offers various aesthetic and structural benefits the timber frame structure goes up quickly in its modern incarnation the timber frame can give the home owner the ability to make a creative statement through the use of design and specialty touches like carvings of favorite quotes and incorporating timbers from heirloom structures, like a barn from a family homestead.Disadvantages: some possible disadvantages of wood as opposed to some other building materials include: Noise from footsteps in adjacent rooms above, below, and on the same floor in such buildings can be quite audible. The possibility of infestation by insects such as , Timber framing is now a modern method of construction, Ideally suited to mass house building as well as public buildings. In conjunction with a number of natural insulations and timber cladding or modern lime renders, it is possible to quickly construct a high performance, sustainable building, using completely natural products. The benefits are many - the building will perform better over its lifespan, waste is reduced (much can be re-cycled, composted or used as fuel). Timber frame structures are frequently used in combination with other natural building techniques, such as cob, straw bale, or cordwood/masonry. Advantages: cockroaches or powder post beetles , or by other pest animals such as and . Wood more readily than some other materials, making timber-frame buildings somewhat more susceptible to fire damage, although this idea is not universally accepted.

Timber frame www.timberstructures.net

is a method that uses Straw-bale construction bales of straw (commonly wheat, rice, rye and oats straw) as structural elements, insulation , or both. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or "green" construction projects. Straw-bale construction has some advantages over conventional building systems because of the renewable nature of straw, its cost, easy availability, and its high insulation value.

Straw-bale construction www.supergreenme.com

Sustainable flooring is produced from sustainable materials (and by a sustainable process) that reduces demands on ecosystems during its life-cycle. This includes harvest, production, use and disposal. It is thought that sustainable flooring creates safer and healthier buildings and guarantee a future for traditional producers of renewable resources that many communities depend on. Below are examples of available, though less well-known, eco-friendly options.

Sustainable flooring

is made from a fast growing renewable timber (technically grass). It is natural anti-bacterial, water-resistant and extremely durable.

Bamboo flooring

Cork flooring is made by removing the bark of the (Quercus Suber) without harming the tree (if harvested correctly); it is a truly renewable resource. It is naturally anti-microbial and has excellent insulation properties, ensuring minimal heat loss and comfortable warm walking surface. Cork is resilient and 'springs back' preventing imprints due to heavy traffic and furniture, it also provides excellent noise insulation. Cork is low in (volatile organic compound) emissions, however it is important to check the finish applied. Cork is not suitable for bathrooms, as it absorbs moisture.

Cork flooring

is made from dried and milled flax seeds mixed with other plant material (pine resins, wood flour, ground cork) with a jute backing, all completely natural materials which come from renewable sources and are 100% biodegradable. All by products and waste is milled and used. Linoleum does not fade, as the pigments are embedded in the structure. It is anti-static, repelling dirt, dust and other small particles, making it hypoallergenic - for this reason it is often used by people with respiratory issues (asthma, allergies). It is also fire-resistant and does not require additional fire-retardants finish.

Linoleum Flooring

is made from a Rubber flooring rubber tree , a 100% renewable resource. It is easy to install and maintain, is anti-static and provides effective sound insulation and vibration reduction. Rubber flooring is also resistant to fading and cigarette burns. Some rubber flooring is made from synthetic rubber, this is not a sustainable product.

Rubber flooring

Recycled Carpet www.durablecorp.com/.../d/u/duraridge2.jpg

Frame of Recycled PVC www.buildingdesign-news.co.uk/2009/images-200..

Double-pane Windows - These energy efficient windows can reduce heating bills by 34% in cold climates, and 38% in warm climates. www.uwsp.edu/.../double-pane%20window.j

A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a . A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of . The characteristics of a roof are dependent upon the purpose of the building that it covers, the available roofing materials and the local traditions of construction and wider concepts of architectural design and practice and may also be governed by local or national legislation .

The elements in the design of a roof are:

The of a roof may range from leaves, wheaten or to lamininated glass , sheeting and precast concrete . In many parts of the world have been the predominant roofing material for centuries.

Japan, rice straw thatch.

Metal Roof

Asphalt shingles use recycled, mixed paper in their base and some use reclaimed minerals in the surface aggregate. This type of material does not last as long as the others mentioned above. Recycled plastic roof materials are starting to be introduced as a lightweight option.

The construction of a roof is determined by its method of support and how the underneath space is bridged and whether or not the roof is pitched. The pitch is the angle at which the roof rises from its lowest to highest point. Most domestic architecture , except in very dry regions, has roofs that are sloped, or pitched. The pitch is partly dependent upon stylistic factors, but has more to do with practicalities. Some types of roofing, for example , require a steep pitch in order to be waterproof and durable. Other types of roofing, for example , are unstable on a steeply pitched roof but provide excellent weather protection at a relatively low angle. In regions where there is little rain, an almost flat roof with a slight run-off provides adequate protection against an occasional downpour.

A roofing system that can deliver high solar reflectance (the ability to reflect the visible, and ultraviolet wavelengths of the sun, reducing heat transfer to the building) and high thermal emittance (the ability to radiate absorbed, or non-reflected solar energy ) is a cool roof. Most cool roofs are white or other light colors.

A is a of a that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and , or a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. Also known as "living roofs," green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a habitat for wildlife, and helping to lower urban air temperatures and combat the heat island effect .

Green roof www.naturalbalancedevelopment.com/.../msl/6.gif

Jeans - Yes, jeans - as in blue jeans. Some insulation companies recycle the waste denim from blue jeans manufacturers and make it into insulation. This cotton fiber is as effective as fiberglass, and works for thermal as well as noise insulation. It is treated with borate, a non-toxic chemical that does not outgas and acts as a fire retardant and mold inhibitor.

Another common clothing item, wool makes excellent insulation. You have the option of having it treated chemically to reduce the risk of insect infestation. It has been used successfully without being so treated, and if you want to avoid chemicals altogether, you can try it untreated. Wool is naturally resistant to fire.

Mineral Wool www.lowenergyhouse.com/glass-wool.htm

Sheep Wool Insulation www.natureproinsulation.co.uk/sheepswool.htm

Sheep Wool Insulation www.natureproinsulation.co.uk/sheepswool.htm

Cellulose Insulation

Stawe bale insulation

Spray Foam insulation www.sacramento-home-repairs.com/images/spray

Natural insulation - earth

There are a number of sensible reasons to employ the use of 'eco friendly' garden and landscape techniques when you build or develop your home.

Protection from the Sun

Water Conservation

Wind Breaks

Reducing Electricity Consumption

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It is fact, that now days households and other living areas in which people live, or reside most of the time, contribute CO 2 emission and green house effects as much as global warming, which threatens to all humans and their health, as well as natural resources which balance is disturbed a long time ago.

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Green Living: Top 10 Sustainable Houses around the World

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Green Living: Top 10 Sustainable Houses around the World

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51 pictures
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The cost of a house can be counted in dollars, but the construction and running of a house takes a toll on the environment that's harder to measure. Increasing numbers of people are looking to minimize both environmental impact and financial outlay by outfitting their homes with sustainable technology, and the resulting boom in sustainable building is driving new levels of architectural innovation. With this in mind, Gizmag highlights ten remarkable sustainable houses.

The term sustainable is thrown about quite a bit these days, but there's more to it than adding some solar panels to the roof of an inefficient building and calling it a day. True sustainability is made up of many facets, from building materials to the use of renewable energy sources to design that strives for efficiency and harmony with the surrounding environment. We think the following selections meet many of these criteria.

Waste House

The Waste House is a sustainable construction project installed at the UK's University of Brighton. As its name suggests, the prototype home is built almost exclusively from discarded waste.

Around 90 percent of the materials that went into making the Waste House derive from household and construction waste, including 20,000 toothbrushes, 4,000 DVD cases, 2,000 floppy discs, and 2,000 used carpet tiles, used to clad the home's facade. While nobody actually lives in it at present, the building is a remarkable achievement and proves the organizer's mantra that "there is no such thing as waste, just stuff in the wrong place."

S House

Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects has been tinkering away at the issue of providing practical, sustainable, and most importantly, cheap, homes. The result is the S House, a US$4,000 dwelling part-built using local, easily-obtained materials, including Palm leaf thatching and bamboo.

The interior of the S House is very basic and measures just 30 sq m (322 sq ft), with one large interior space. The building is prefabricated and can be disassembled into multiple small pieces for easy transport by local builders. Vo Trong Nghia Architects is still working on the design of the S House but the eventual plan is to mass market it.

Fall House

San Francisco's Fougeron Architecture recently designed and built a particularly beautiful luxury house that's guaranteed to make the neighbors see green. Located on California's Big Sur coastline, the Fall House sports a copper facade that will weather and patina over time, as it comes into contact with the sea air. The copper is also designed to offer a degree of fire-protection.

In addition to its enviable looks and views, the two-story Fall House features energy-efficient windows and its open design naturally encourages stack ventilation, automatically opening windows help reduce the need for air-conditioning. A graywater recycling system is also installed.

ZEB Pilot House

The ZEB Pilot House, by international architecture outfit Snøhetta is a remarkable experimental home that makes an even more remarkable claim: thanks to incredible efficiency and ample solar panels, it's said to generate almost three times the amount of electricity it requires - leaving plenty of surplus juice for charging an EV, for example.

In order to achieve this performance, the ZEB Pilot House features the proverbial kitchen sink of sustainable technology, including a large photovoltaic array, rainwater collection system, solar thermal panels, and an efficient heat exchanger. It doesn't hurt that the home is easy on the eyes, too. The ZEB Pilot House's performance is currently being monitored to make sure the claims of energy-efficiency are justified.

Pop-Up House

Whatever kind of home you live in, the chances are it took longer to build than the Pop-Up House, by French architecture firm Multipod, which was erected by a team of builders in just four days with no more tools than a screwdriver. The firm likens the construction process to building with Lego.

The Pop-Up House is a prototype prefabricated home that Multipod aims to bring to market for around €30,000 (roughly US$41,000). Thanks to its excellent insulation and near-airtight thermal envelope, no heating is required for the home in its location in Southern France, and it meets the very exacting Passivhaus energy standard.

Tighthouse

Said to be the first certified Passive House in New York City, Tighthouse represents an impressive energy-efficient renovation of an existing row house that's over a hundred years old.

Architectural design firm Fabrica718 added a new rear facade, an additional story, a roof terrace, and an art studio to the house. Sustainable technology installed includes two solar thermal panels for hot water needs, and solar PV panels, which reduce grid-based electricity requirements. As the home is almost air-tight, a highly-efficient heat recovery ventilation system (HRV) is always running to provide plenty of fresh air.

Blooming Bamboo

Like Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Vietnamese firm H&P Architects has also produced a prototype home that will eventually be mass-sold to Vietnamese people on a low income. However, this particular home is also flood-proof. The Blooming Bamboo house is placed on stilts and designed to withstand floods of up to 1.5 m (5 ft) in depth, though H&P Architects hopes to increase this to 3 m (10 ft).

The 44 sq m (473 sq ft) home is built around a central frame constructed from bamboo that is clad using locally-sourced materials including bamboo, fiberboard, and coconut leaves. The homes are expected to be produced at a cost of just US$2,500.

Slip House

The Slip House, by Carl Turner Architects, offers a potential template for affordable, sustainable family homes in the UK. Slotted between a row of terraced houses in London, the residence also rests on a brownfield site, formerly used for industrial or commercial purposes. Its unusual form consists of three slipped orthogonal box shapes.

The Slip House features a rainwater harvesting tank, solar panels, mechanical ventilation, triple glazing, and a high level of insulation - all of which saves up to 1092.73 kg (1.2 ton) of CO2 per year, according to the designers. Carl Turner Architects is using the home as a prototype for in-house research, hoping to refine its ideas for producing affordable and sustainable family homes.

Illawarra Flame

Students from Australia's University of Wollongong took a typical Australian "fibro house," and retrofitted it with enough sustainable technology to make the notoriously energy-hungry style of home into a net-zero house. The Illawarra Flame house project involved a lengthy renovation process, including transforming a bedroom into a living space, and the installation of prefabricated pods which contain amenities including laundry room and bathroom.

Sustainable additions include a roof-based 9.4-KW solar panel system, rainwater harvesting and gray-water recycling systems, energy-efficient LED lighting, and a building management system that offers fine control over, and information concerning, all electrical appliances and stored energy.

P.A.T.H.

Renowned French designer and architect Philippe Starck recently teamed-up with Slovenian prefab firm Riko to bring out a new line of high-end prefab houses called Prefabricated Accessible Technological Homes (or P.A.T.H.).

In addition to multiple shapes and sizes P.A.T.H homes can sport an all glass outer shell, a combination of wood and glass shell, or fully-wooden shell. Optional sustainable tech includes a roof-based solar array, roof-based wind turbine, and a rainwater collection and filtration system.

That completes our pick of innovative sustainable houses, You can check out each one in the gallery. If you think we've missed any particularly noteworthy picks, or if you have any thoughts on the sustainable building movement in general, please do let us know in the comments below.

View gallery - 51 images

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View gallery - 51 images The cost of a house can be counted in dollars, but the construction and running of a house takes a toll on the environment that's harder to measure.

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Rooftop solar-power production is fairly commonplace now, and you always know exactly which roof has them because they are highly-visible and somewhat clunky looking. They aren't ugly but, they aren't really beautiful either.

As a follow-up to our original article on the Tesla solar roof here, the next phase of solar-power generation for homes are solar shingles, solar tiles or what has become known as Solar Roofs. Simply with the mention of that, it is likely that at least a few of you instantly thought of the Tesla Solar Roof. Good on ya, or good on Elon Musk I guess, for getting in your head. However, what many don't realize is that Tesla is not the only solar shingle manufacturer, but they are certainly the most well known - and the buzz that surrounds any business activity with the name "Tesla" attached to it is certainly making waves in the home solar industry.

What are Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)?

Standard photovoltaic solar panels are typically large panels that protrude from roofs by several inches. Contrary to that, the low-profile rooftop solar roof option, which is also known as BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaics), are solar shingles or tiles that are installed directly onto roof sheathing in areas of high solar exposure, and are used in conjunction with conventional roofing materials such as asphalt shingles or metal in areas of low solar exposure. An instant advantage with BIPV over existing rooftop solar panels, is that you don't need to remove roof coverings in order to replace them, since BIPVs themselves offer weather proofing. That alone is a significant improvement over PV panels that always have a tendency to look like an add-on.

Price comparison between solar panels and solar shingles or solar roofs

Trying to compare the prices of rooftop solar panels to BIPV solar roofs is a bit of an exercise in futility due to a significant number of variables that would need to be considered. The biggest one being, that to mount standard solar panels on a roof, you need to cover that roof in the first place. Solar shingles are in themselves a weather protective solar roof cover AND a power-generating solar panel.

The average per-watt price for an old-school rooftop solar installation currently (Feb 2020) ranges between $2.57 and $3.35 USD, and the average total price for a full solar panel setup in the US averages between $11,411 and $14,874 after any regional solar-tax credits are applied. Again, that's an average; incentives vary, and not all states (or Canadian provinces) will have tax incentives and rebate programs. (Keep in mind that even when not indicated, all prices listed here are in US dollars.)

The above may seem a lower price than a full solar roof installation, until of course you add the cost of a roof covering, and possibly having to remove panels in fine working order simply to replace defective shingles beneath them. And, to add additional types of apples to compare with these oranges - you also have aesthetics, durability and home resale value to consider.

Most roof-mounted solar panels (when properly installed) are rated to withstand as much as 140 mile per hour winds, which is great, and is even a bit higher than the Telsa solar roof. But, the asphalt shingles beneath and around those panels can often only handle 90 mile per hour winds, which means you may have to remove the panels to do roof repairs. So... how do you like your apples and oranges so far?

Where BIPV solar roofs really pull away from solar panels is the lack of hassle with roof coverings, and the cool factor. They just look cooler, full stop. And we are probably all attracted to 'shiny things' a bit more than we may like to think. : )

Solar roofs & solar shingles that aren't from Tesla

Solar shingles have been around for a while, but none of them ever really secured a stronghold in the Solar Roof industry, nor did they get much media attention prior to the arrival of the Telsa solar roof, but kudos to the pioneers of the industry. There are several manufacturers of BIPV shingles, Tesla of course being one of them, but let's start with the others. You will notice that they are all fairly close in characteristics, performance, price and warranty, but there's one inescapable difference... read on:

Dow Powerhouse solar shingles in review:

After a short stint in the market, Dow Chemical Powerhouse shingles folded up their tent, but made a recent comeback under a new license holder; RGS Energy. The Dow Powerhouse design was a thin-film copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), but the new 3.0 version uses silicon cells instead.

The shingles are offered in a 55 Watt version at 15.6% efficiency, and a 60 Watt version at 17.1% efficiency. Dow shingles did recently receive some industry accolades, as they were named the "best energy-efficient product" at the 2019 International Builders Show in Las Vegas so this appears to be a viable solar roof option.
Costs & Warranty comparison for Dow Powerhouse solar shingles

Install price: $3.89 per Watt

Product warranty: 11 years.

Weather-performance warranty: 25 years.

Certainteed Apollo solar shingles in review:

Certainteed solar roof shingles are installed directly onto roof sheathing with standard deck screws. Fasteners are covered by the subsequent solar shingle, just like asphalt shingles.
14 high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells provide a power rating of 63 watts per solar shingle with a conversion-efficiency rating between 14.7% and 15.3%.
Costs & Warranty comparison for Certainteed Apollo solar shingles

Install price: $4.90 per Watt

Installation and workmanship warranty: 25 years.

Power output warranty: 25 years.

Inverter and other components: 10 years.

110 mile per hour wind warranty: 10 years.

SunTegra solar shingles in review:

According to SunTegra's product specs, their solar shingle system has a conversion efficiency rate between 14.4% and 15.9%.
SunTegra shingles contain 16 solar cells each and offer 64 to 67 Watts of power output. Like other BIPV shingles, SunTegra mounts directly to roof decks and acts as the roof covering.
Costs & Warranty comparison for SunTegra solar shingles

Install price: SunTegra doesn't list the cost on their website, but numbers circulating around the web indicate $3.65 per Watt.

Product warranty: 10 years.

Power output warranty: 25 years.

So is Tesla the best solar roof?

Most manufacturers of solar shingles operate in the same general way - they mount directly to roof sheathing for a low-profile and reasonably seamless look, and they kind of integrate with existing roofing materials. The prices vary between manufacturers, as do the warranties, but yes, we have a favorite. None of these solar roof competitors listed above compare to the Tesla warranty or appearance. A Tesla Solar Roof is at first view the most expensive solar roof option, but again, you're talking apples and oranges.

What makes the Tesla solar roof different?

Solar shingles (or traditional solar panels) on an un-shaded south-facing shed roof will capture solar radiation the whole time the sun is up. But, most houses aren't built like that; there are various roof styles with north-facing pitches that collectively mean perhaps as much as 70% of a roof surface will never see the (sun)light of day, so putting solar panels on them would be a waste of time, money and resources. This is where Tesla starts to stands out from the pack in a detailed comparison.

Tesla has developed an integrated active / inactive roof-tile system, so you don't end up paying for solar panels that won't generate power, and you don't have visible junctions between active and inactive shingles and tiles. The other providers listed above also provide active and inactive components, but you know exactly which are which because they look so very different - and as a home is typically the most expensive purchase and investment we will make, we tend to be quite fussy about the aesthetics.

That means that, aesthetically speaking, Tesla is the clear front-runner, and aesthetics are very important to designers, architects, homebuilders and homebuyers.

The new version of Tesla solar shingles is in the news because they have reduced the cost of installation and are ramping up production of the V3 Tesla solar roof to install 1000 per week by 2021. The newest patented version is a larger-sized PV solar shingle made by assembling smaller solar tiles which will reduce the installation time. They have also reduced the amount of connection points, which also speeds installation; that equates to savings in labor and a lowered price from their original offering. These design modifications likely contribute to the longer warranty and projected product lifespan, which is said to be 30 to 50 years. Faster install, more durable, longer life... see where this is going? Mass-market, that's where...

Tesla has been around long enough now for a pattern of behavior to emerge, and the solar roof seems no different. To use the Tesla EVs as an example; rather than first releasing a low-priced electric commuter vehicle, Tesla released the sleek eye-catching sports car that few among us could afford. All we could do was salivate and wait for the next one. So, when they finally released the Model 3 for the masses, Tesla was already a household name and we lined up like black-Friday shoppers for the chance to get one. And now, Model 3s are everywhere, and the new buzz is now about the "affordable" version of the SUV Model X, the new Model Y - the electric SUV for the masses... not to mention the Cybertruck of course which was designed from it's unique exoskeleton up to be affordable.

So back to the Tesla solar roof in detail - this is the 3rd version of the Tesla solar roof shingles or more accurately tiles, and the price point they have provided - when you consider the lifespan and power they produce - means this could be a more-affordable roof covering than the cheapest asphalt shingles on the market. And WE think THAT is great news. This is not to say that their competitors can't also claim to be 'cheaper than shingles' in the long run when energy generation is considered, but no one can touch Telsa so far in terms of aesthetics, longevity, and frankly, the 'wow' factor.
Costs & Warranty comparison for the Tesla Solar Roof tiles

Install price: Tesla claims $1.99 per Watt ( we hope that will come to fruition and remain cautiously optimistic)

Product warranty: 30 years.

Power output warranty: 30 years.

130 mile per-hour wind warranty: 30 years.

Ecohome predictions for the BIPV market

One very legitimate criticism of all Tesla products so far is the meeting of their own delivery-target dates. The Tesla solar roof is no different. Their competitors have a long head-start in the industry, but once a good number of Tesla roofs are installed in Canada and the US, and consumers get a look at them compared to the competition, we think it will be game over. And did you notice the warranty timelines? 30 years across the board is a noticeable improvement (and indication of confidence) over combo 10 to 25 year warranties for different components from the Tesla solar roof competitors.

And this all begs the question - if they really do become the most sought-after roof, will they then be able to meet demand? Well, there is a Tesla masterplan for that too. Since as much as 70% of a roof won't need active solar panels, it makes no sense to tie up Tesla production facilities with producing inactive but matching roof tiles, so they will probably license that out to mainstream roof tile manufacturers instead. And, considering it is 70% of the roof surface, and it's going to be in the premium roof covering market sector - and it has that magic "Tesla" name attached to it - which roofing product manufacturer wouldn't be interested in producing the inert Tesla solar roof tiles?

In our opinion, all solar roof competitors will have no option but to follow suit and offer a full-roof solution PDQ, and why they haven't thought of this yet is a mystery to us. When they finally take notice that Tesla is eating their lunch, it may well be too late to do much about it, so watch for roofing manufacturers like Certainteed to possibly give up their solar ambitions and get in the back seat of the Tesla and stick to providing the non-active components, or up their offer and also introduce non-active versions of their own solar roof coverings so they can also offer a full solar roof package. That's just our take anyway, but at the very least, it will be a fun competition to watch as renewable energy takes off with the increase in Zero Net Energy homes being built in the USA & Canada as part of the Green building trends for 2020.

Now you know more about the Tesla Solar Roof, Cost, Competitors & What our reviewers think, find more info pages about Solar PV & sustainable & resilient green building techniques here :

Find more about sustainable home construction in the EcoHome Green Building Guide pages

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Tesla Solar Roof Cost Comparison, Competitors & Reviews

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Rooftop solar-power production is fairly commonplace now, and you always know exactly which roof has them because they are highly-visible and somewhat clunky looking. They aren't ugly but, they aren't really beautiful either. As a follow-up to our original article on the Tesla solar roof here, the next phase of solar-power generation for homes are solar shingles, solar tiles or what has become known as Solar Roofs.

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There is a lot you can do in home construction to take advantage of the free energy provided by the sun. That can be passive solar, which is about home orientation and window design to passively heat your home, or active solar which involves mechanical solar panel systems.

Solar panels can be either thermal (which transfer heat directly to your home), or photovoltaic (which convert sunlight into electrical energy). The angle at which you put either type of panel will determine how well they perform.The following is an excerpt from a piece written by Hugh Perry, provided courtesy of ecoHouse Canada Magazine.

The direction and angle of solar panels:

Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane (the earth), and another plane or axis of direction (the solar panel). This is referred to as 'incidence angle'. If the earth's rotation around the sun were fixed instead of its wobbling pattern, all parts of the earth would have one specific season instead of four.

It is the earth's latitude that determines the changing seasons, and thus, the best angle to set panels at various times of the year. As a result there are two angles or inclinations that are referred to and they are often confused. One relates to the front of the panel and the other to the rear. A simple way to communicate these angles is to start from the earth and work upwards.

The front 'inclination' is the angle of the sun to the earth.
The rear inclination is the 'tilt' of the panel relative to the earth.

Since the incidence angle of the sun changes each day in the six-month cycle, averaging a tilt of the solar panel is necessary when not using a solar tracker. Trackers are not practical for thermal panels due to the weight but are used for PV panels. Solar trackers follow the sun's path across the sky and can track the daily changes in incidence.
A general rule for capturing direct solar energy when not using a tracker, is to tilt the panel up from the earth as follows:

Dec. 21 - latitude (assume 45°) plus 20° to 35°

Feb. 21 & Nov. 21 - latitude plus 10° (This is an ideal fall and winter setting, as February is the coldest month and November has the least sunlight.)

March 21 & Sept.21 - equal to latitude

June 21 - latitude less 20° (However if heating water or air the additional heat may not be desired.)

The earth orbits the sun in an elliptical cycle becoming closest to the sun on the winter solstice resulting in the greater solar irradiance (the amount of solar radiation striking a surface). For this reason, solar thermal panels can experience the most intense production of heat.
Hugh Perry, senior mechanical inspector, Norr Limited.

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An introduction to the math behind the placement of solar panels to optimize your yield, and speed up your return on investment. There is a lot you can do in home construction to take advantage of the free energy provided by the sun.

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A stirling idea for charging your cell phone

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A stirling idea for charging your cell phone

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The idea behind the Epiphany onE Puck is simple: use a Stirling engine powered by heat disparities (a hot or cold drink, a candle, ice, etc.) to fully charge your cell phone. Invented in the early 1800s, Stirling engines are far from new. However, with new materials and modern electronics they are now being put to use in creative ways, previously unexplored.

The onE Puck is the brainchild of Epiphany Labs and a group of technologists and business professionals who have a self-professed passion for inventing new technologies and tinkering with existing ones to develop products that create positive changes throughout the world.

Currently seeking funding for the onE Puck through Kickstarter, it's no surprise that with an idea this good and the experience to back it up, Epiphany Labs has exceeded their $100K funding goal. With 42 days left in the campaign, you still have time to jump on board and be one of the first to call this sweet little device your own.
How it works:
The oNE Puck could not be easier to use. Compatible with all iPhones, iPods, Android phones, and any device that uses a USB charger drawing 1000 mA or less, it's as simple as connecting the onE Puck to your device and setting your drink down.

From their Kickstarter page:

"Say you are out for a night at the bar and your phone battery dies. Rather than awkwardly moving to a corner to plug in your charger, or leaving altogether, you can pull out the Epiphany onE Puck, power it up with that cold beer you're holding, and charge away!

Your work schedule is unpredictable and you're always on the go. The only constant part of your day is the daily hot coffee or tea that keeps you going. Traveling from city to city, or country to country leaves you no time to bother with finding an outlet or adapter to charge your phone, which is bound to power-down sooner or later. The Epiphany onE Puck is the answer to your problem. You can now multi-task to the max! Use that cup of coffee to recharge both you and your smart phone at the same time.

The possibilities for the Epiphany onE Puck are endless. You only live once, and there is simply too much to see and do. Who wants to be bothered with worrying about finding that hidden outlet, plugging in your cord, and recharging? Don't let your phone battery decide where life will take you next. Leave the power to the Epiphany onE Puck."

Although we are super excited about the ability to charge our cell phone batteries while we enjoy our morning beverage, the implications of this device go far beyond handheld electronics. Epiphany Labs plans to expand the knowledge and experience gained from perfecting the Epiphany onE Puck to build even larger Stirling engines that can power even larger appliances. They hope one day to crack the code to powering entire households.

Excited? Cruise over to their Kickstarter page and you could be one of the first to own one of these sweet little devices and your cell may never be out of power again!

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Coaster that charges cell phones with a coffee

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Imagine charging your phone with the heat from your morning coffee. With the Epiphany onE Puck you can. The idea behind the Epiphany onE Puck is simple: use a Stirling engine powered by heat disparities (a hot or cold drink, a candle, ice, etc.) to fully charge your cell phone.

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Could you really power your home with a bicycle generator?

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Could you really power your home with a bicycle generator?

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Mitigating climate change at home, get on your bike!

As we look for ways to mitigate climate change, improving home energy efficiency and decentralising power generation is something we can do to reduce our personal energy consumption and carbon footprint. Theoretically then moving towards home solar, wind power and even bicycle generators can make for a more efficient home, as you rely less on grid-fed power.

Even in the greenest province or state with renewable energy there is still a significant amount of GHG emissions (greenhouse gases) due to consumption, as even hydrolectric installations damage the environment and release methane.

You could literally drive yourself nuts if you over-analyse your every move in terms protecting the environment and reducing your climate impact, so when we stumble across a cool tech gadget that is an easy way to be eco-friendly, and looks like fun too, then we love passing it along. Hence this post on the bicycle generator - rather than drive to a gym to get your exercise, how about having a pedal-powered phone charger at home?

Pedal powered electricity generation

Talk about a way to ease any device-time guilt - power your TV and devices by cycling! As a parent that struggles with device time and kids too, I quite like the idea of teaching kids about climate change and energy efficiency by making them pedal-charge their devices. The effort expended puts energy use into perspective and may just encourage them not to take their device time for granted.

As Manoj Bhargava, the founder of The Hans Free Electric™ bike, shares in the video above, it is possible to generate electricity at home while simply doing a daily workout routine - sounds like the perfect way to do our bit to reverse climate change!

How does the bike powered generator work?

When you pedal the bike, that action drives a flywheel which turns a generator and charges a battery. A high-efficiency house ( with LEDs for example) could possibly meet its basic lighting and powering needs. Other solutions would of course be required for efficient water heating, cooking and heating but hey, it's a start!

Bhargava and his team developed this bicycle generator to take advantage of the mechanical energy created by humans to solve some of the world's most pervasive problems, namely bringing power to the developing world while mitigating climate change.

"Everything requires energy. Energy is the great equaliser," says Bhargava, adding that over half of the world's population have no access to electricity or access to electricity for two or three hours per day.

Having access to clean, free energy will enable poverty-stricken communities to not only light their homes but to connect to the internet. Bhargava says the reason the majority of those who are poor stay poor is because they have no power. He aims to fix this with theThe Hans Free Electric™ bike.

One bicycle could potentially provide a small village with electricity if each household spends on hour per day pedaling the bike, and in such an environment where power is a more precious commodity, finding a willing cyclist would probably be easy to find 24 hours a day.

In developed nations, the bike could also be utilized to cut energy costs and remedy the obesity crisis at the same time.

The bicycle is also a clean way to generate power. As Bhargava says himself, if half of the world uses a The Hans Free Electric™ bike, half of the world would be using eco-friendly energy

Manoj's plan was to distribute 10,000 of the bicycles in India. In addition, he pledged 90% of his wealth to charity and research, you can find an update on the Manoj Bhargava Hans Free Electric™ bike project here.

So was the power your house with a bike idea debunked then?

So, if the price was right, would you use a bicycle generator? By all means let us know, and we do fully expect there to be a few nay-sayers to this idea, as it would be very difficult to power a standard North American code-built house with one given the way we devour energy in our lives, but... just maybe, if you had a home that was able to operate on significantly less energy, something like this could actually start to make a difference.

Looked at in detail, the reality however, is that the bike is designed for very small houses in rural India, and the actual usage is limited to a few very low-powered lightbulbs, possibly occasional use of a small fan, and charging portable devices like phones.

Doing the math: an hour on the bike generates around 0.11 kWh (more or less, depending on how fast you cycle, but probably not much more), and the average North American house uses 30 kWh per day. So, an hour on the bike provides only 0.37% of the energy needed for 24 hours, or approximately enough for five minutes. Oops - that looks like a debunk to us, right there!

So, let's look at the positives as we look how to reverse climate change, we all know we need to excercise more but it's often hard to pull ourselves away from our devices to do so. What if your device required pedalling to operate? Just sayin'...

The truth on how to use less energy? Build more efficient homes

For more info on how to build an energy efficient home, or perhaps build an off-grid home, or even how to build an off-grid Tiny Home, check out our building guide pages, or use our Edelweiss House as an example of what is possible when you design for optimum energy efficiency from the beginning, as it only consumes about $600 a year in total energy - that includes all the electricity for lighting, heating, cooking, bathing, and even charging an electric car for an extended daily commute.

And if you're into the latest tech gadgets for micro-power generation, off grid living or energy efficiency, check out some of these - the pedal-powered washing machine, the Trinity portable wind turbine, the pedal-powered Fun Box tiny house, or the Stirling coaster phone charger that uses the heat or cold from your coffee or beer to charge your device... How cool is that?

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Can you really power your home with a bicycle generator?

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As we look for ways to mitigate climate change , improving home energy efficiency and decentralising power generation is something we can do to reduce our personal energy consumption and carbon footprint. Theoretically then moving towards home solar, wind power and even bicycle generators can make for a more efficient home, as you rely less on grid-fed power.

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When it comes to energy resources, there is always the question of sustainability. It is important that resources provide enough energy to meet our needs-to heat our houses, power our cities, and run our cars. However, it is also important to consider how these resources can be used long term. Some resources will practically never run out. These are known as renewable resources. Renewable resources also produce clean energy, meaning less pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.

The United States' energy sources have evolved over time, from using wood prior to the nineteenth century to later adopting nonrenewable resources, such as fossil fuels, petroleum, and coal, which are still the dominant sources of energy today. But the Earth has a limited supply of these resources. Recently, renewable resource use has begun to increase. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 11 percent of the U.S. energy consumption came from renewable resources in 2017.

There are some challenges associated with using renewable resources. For instance, renewable energy can be less reliable than nonrenewable energy, with seasonal or even daily changes in the amount produced. However, scientists are continually addressing these challenges, working to improve feasibility and reliability of renewable resources.

Renewable resources include biomass energy (such as ethanol), hydropower, geothermal power, wind energy, and solar energy.

Biomass refers to organic material from plants or animals. This includes wood, sewage, and ethanol (which comes from corn or other plants). Biomass can be used as a source of energy because this organic material has absorbed energy from the Sun. This energy is, in turn, released as heat energy when burned.

Hydropower is one of the oldest renewable resources and has been used for thousands of years. Today, every U.S. state uses some amount of hydroelectricity. With hydropower, the mechanical energy from flowing water is used to generate electricity. Hydroelectric power plants use the flow of rivers and streams to turn a turbine to power a generator, releasing electricity.

Geothermal energy comes from the heat generated deep within the Earth's core. Geothermal reservoirs can be found at tectonic plate boundaries near volcanic activity or deep underground. Geothermal energy can be harnessed by drilling wells to pump hot water or steam to a power plant. This energy is then used for heating and electricity.

Wind energy generates electricity by turning wind turbines. The wind pushes the turbine's blades, and a generator converts this mechanical energy into electricity. This electricity can supply power to homes and other buildings, and it can even be stored in the power grid.

Radiation from the Sun can be used as a power source as well. Photovoltaic cells can be used to convert this solar energy into electricity. Individually, these cells only generate enough energy to power a calculator, but when combined to create solar panels or even larger arrays, they provide much more electricity.

Searching for the right method of using renewable resources is a task that is growing ever more important as the Earth's supply of nonrenewable resources continues to dwindle. Converting to renewable energy will not only better sustain the world's rapidly growing population, but it will also provide a cleaner, healthier environment for the generations to come.

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When it comes to energy resources, there is always the question of sustainability. It is important that resources provide enough energy to meet our needs-to heat our houses, power our cities, and run our cars. However, it is also important to consider how these resources can be used long term.

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Planning for Home Renewable Energy Systems

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Planning for Home Renewable Energy Systems

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Planning for Home Renewable Energy Systems

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Planning for Home Renewable Energy Systems