Off the Grid Living with ZeroHouse
Wed, Apr 2, 2008
ZeroHouse, a concept for a prefabricated eco-friendly mini-house is intriguing for a number of reasons. It is intended to be a module based system that can be delivered on two trucks and erected in a day. The 650 square foot concept house is self sufficient, meaning that it doesn’t need to be connected to sewers, electricity or water. Water is collected from rain, power generated from solar cells, and waste composted with the need for disposal only twice a year.
ZeroHouse is possible due to a variety of technologies. Led lighting lowers power consumption. High efficiency insulation in the walls and windows allows the climate to be controlled (both heating and air conditioning) without the need for outside power. Advances in solar technology allow enough power to be collected for a family of four to live, and batteries allow storage of up to a week’s worth of electricity for when sun isn’t available
According to the American Institute of Architects, the estimated cost of the structure is around $350,000, which unfortunately makes it comparable to constructing a traditional (larger) home. The upside is that the ZeroHouse can be installed quickly and in locations that a traditional house can not (due to lack of infrastructure). My hope is that future advances in technology will create more options like the ZeroHouse for self sustained living.
For more details on the ZeroHouse, read AIAchitect’s article, or visit the ZeroHouse website.
(Via AIArchitect.)
Tags: Arcitecture, Clean Tech, Design, Environment
January 6th, 2009 at 5:49 am
What a fascinating true off-grid house!
Although it is similarly priced to a larger house, you must also take into account the fact that whoever lives there will never have any electricity bills, they could get a federal and state tax credit for reducing their carbon footprint, and if they are hooked up to the grid, they could sell any excess power back to the utility.
When you take all the above into account, the cost of the house is very reasonable. It also looks really cool! You could even add on a solar heated pool if you wanted.