Go big green!
Take a sneak peek at 10 of the student-designed solar homes that will be hitting the National Mall in October for the 2009 Solar Decathlon.
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Comments
Uncle B, I hope that you realize that 90 degree Celsius would mean the death of almost all living things on earth
I don't like a single one of them, the only one that is passably non sucky (if I was forced to pick one to live in) is the "Icon Solar House by The University of Minnesota". If this is the future of solar houses then you can keep them.
Because it is no secret technology, Canadian Straw Bale insulated houses allow comfortable lifestyles at minus 40 degrees Celsius, heating with Solar alone! and obviating need for air conditioning, totally, on 90 degree Cecilius summer's days too! Meanwhile, Americans pay, pay. pay! (poor assholes!),and NASA, holds the secrets to space age insulation technologies, techniques, that Yankee Doodle paid to develop, but will never enjoy! (poor *******!) Current HIVAC equations, taught at trade.... More
Straw bale houses are quite common in this neck of the woods (Colorado) with generally good results especially for the farmers that are now getting a premium for straw. "Canadian Super Insulation?" what planet have you been on lately? There are some issues that require regulation (building inspection) and real thought.
First, Uncle B, imagine 1000 straw bales stacked on a foundation and set on fire - nice and toasty - for a few minutes. So the wiring must be done correctly, and air must.... More
One word: aerogel
I think it will be a while before eco-houses become available.
http://www.off-grid.net/2008/11/12/brainless-council-bans-eco-house/
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This isn't true everywhere.
Where it is...get involved and help change the laws. If you live in a country where the laws are in someone else's control??? REVOLT!
The Natural Fusion and the Icon Solar are my favorites!
JR Nuerge
fly on a plane across north america and you will witness wide swaths of land with little or no inhabitants. the space issue, Phil, and Jonathan have more to do with concentrations of population around city clusters that actually space available.
however with companies as policy buying up patents and then shelving them, the invention that would allow us access to these areas are lost. Human greed my friends, not space on the planet is the reason why these wonderful inventions will be great.... More
We are adding the equivalent of SEVEN New York Cities in population to the planet EVERY YEAR. The carbon footprint particularly in industrialized nations is a huge problem. As far as open spaces--yes, populations are clustered around water sources and areas suitable for human habitation. How do you propose bringing water, for example, to the currently uninhabited desert areas? This has nothing at all to do with "greed." Most large urban centers have dead zones that could be utilized for.... More
. . . examples of the semi-suburban, low density, fantasy of the return-to-nature style of upper-middle-class living. Honestly, if this is where the thinking about the future is, I don't think we're going to get there.
All of these houses do assume that there is land to be had. On the other hand, working it at this level might make it easy to bring this across to apartments/commercial buildings in the future. And don't forget ultra-small houses (600 sq ft or smaller)....the power behind these houses could supply 100% of their needs.
