I was doing some research recently for what the perfect home might look like in this green age we live in. What should eco friendly homes do for us, how would they work? What I found was a great example of a home that is completely off the grid as far as energy goes, makes its own energy and manages both water and waste in an intelligent fashion. They are called Earthships and are designed by a guy named Michael Reynolds. The water systems are of particular note.
The way these houses use water is extraordinary. They catch rainwater on the rooftops and funnel it into an underground cistern. The cistern is kept underground to help combat evaporation – I tell you a detail is not missed in these homes. The water gets re-used a few times before it heads out to a vegetation station near the home. Here’s an example of the water usage. When we take a shower, the water is taken from the cistern, heated on demand with a high end, efficient heater and ready for use. The smart thing is that the water doesn’t head down the drain, it goes through what’s called a grey water system. Grey water is funneled through an interior garden that can be used for food production or just for decorative plants and flowers. Once the water goes through this system it gets re-purposed once again as toilet water. Now the ‘used’ toilet water heads into a local septic system then out to the wet area outside.
The main thinking with the energy system was that a design that did not need any energy for heating or cooling was key. With windows that are designed tot let in the low lying winter sun but keep out the rays of a high summer sun – natural heating can go a long way. The building itself is partially built underground making use of the earth’s stable radiant temperature of 58 degrees. Nice and cool in the summer but warm enough in the winter that with a little sunlight it gets up to 72 degrees quite easily. For more detail and a few photos take a look at this story on these wonderful self-sustaining homes.