Retrofit Eco Houses |
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Article at Chesapeake Climate Action Network | A retrofitted house to 90%
renewables, electricity, hot water and heating, budget: $7,500. |
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Florida
Zero Energy Homes | In 1998 the Florida Solar Energy Center began its Zero Energy Homes research program in collaboration with the City of Lakeland municipal utility and builder Rick Strawbridge. Two homes, one the builder's standard model (the Control) and the other a super-energy-efficient photovoltaic residence (PVRES), were constructed and tested on a side-by-side basis for more than a year. |
The EcoHouse
UK, Leicester | The EcoHouse, Leicester's internationally renowned environmental
show home, demonstrates hundreds of environmental features and ideas, inspiring and encouraging visitors to make green changes to their own homes and gardens. Situated just off the Hinckley Road in Western Park, the EcoHouse is easily accessible by public transport, bicycle or car. |
EcoHome
UK, West Bridgford | Converted Victorian Villa as a model ecohouse. As well as
super insulation, the house includes composting lavatories, solar water heating, use of low energy materials and paints, heat exchanging fans and other technologies. |
Eco-Renovation
of Coker Hill House
UK, Somerset | In October 2004, I bought a new house and
carried out extensive renovation work. I had a lot to do on a restricted budget
but I also wanted to minimise the environmental impact of the house. What
I discovered was that most major things like solar heating, wind power and
rainwater harvesting were too expensive but that there were quite a few smaller
things I could do. |
EcoHuis Antwerpen
Belgium | (Website in Dutch only) Infocentrum en ecohuis showcase met mogelijkheid tot overnachting. |
Solar Energy House
New Zealand, Auckland | Unbiased solar electricity & hot water, efficient appliances, wetback, sustainable material advise - tour the Solar Energy House, Meadowbank, Auckland. |
Purpose built Eco Houses |
Straw Bale Houses |
Home Alive
Canada | HOME ALIVE!™ is a living showcase for eco-materials and building systems. It is a resource for construction professionals, homebuilders and owners, as well as building technology students. |
Earth-sheltered Houses |
Hockerton Housing Project
UK | The Hockerton Housing Project is the UK's first earth sheltered, self-sufficient ecological housing development. Project members live a holistic way of life in harmony with the environment, in which all ecological impacts have been considered and accounted for. The residents of the five houses generate their own clean energy, harvest their own water and recycle waste materials causing no pollution or carbon dioxide emissions. |
Conventional Houses and Projects with lower impact |
An Ecological Assessment of My Cottage at Lynedoch
EcoVillage (PDF)
South Africa | A study of materials used, resources,
sanitation, ecological impact, conceptual design. |
Going Green at
the Beach
Washington | A green demonstration home near Seattle,
Washington, that showcases energy efficiency, healthy indoor air quality, water
conservation, green building practices, sustainably produced materials, and
natural landscaping. The site provides information on how the home was designed
and constructed, as well as how it performs. |
Borrego Springs Zero Energy Homes
California | Building America program research project. Cutting
edge wall & cooling systems.
Building material recycling, etc |
Zero Energy
Home Dallas
Texas | Proper solar orientation, a ventilated radiant barrier roof system, careful air-infiltration control, spray foam insulation, DURISOL block construction (which contributes to the passive solar design/storage of the building envelope), air sealed attics, accurately sized roof overhangs... |
The Oxford Solar House
UK | The Oxford Solar House is the first low energy house in the United Kingdom with a fully integrated photovoltaic roof. It was designed to function as an ordinary standard family home which requires only a minimum amount of energy for heating, cooling and lighting. |
Thornhill EcoHouse
UK
| Thornhill ecohouse is a three bedroom family house that was designed to be beautiful and comfortable to live in but which was as compatible with sustainable living as we could make it. We wanted to reduce our impact on the planet while enhancing quality of life and biodiversity. |
Sherwood Energy Village
UK | Sherwood Energy Village is a unique initiative that has transformed a 91-acre former colliery into an environmental enterprise. The site comprises industry, commerce, housing, education, recreation, tourism and leisure. All houses will be designed and built to meet high energy efficient and best practice standards, cutting energy bills for householders. |
The EcoHouse
UK, Leicester | The EcoHouse, Leicester's internationally renowned environmental
show home, demonstrates hundreds of environmental features and ideas, inspiring and encouraging visitors to make green changes to their own homes and gardens. |
Unconventional Houses with lower impact |
Miller Dome
Texas | Monolithic dome house with passive solar energy.
Thin-shell concrete structure. |
Mount Best
Solar House
Australia | Well-insulated house with reflective passive solar
heating, 100% self-sufficient in electrical energy (solar + wind), gravity based
water collection and distribution system that does not need pumps, ... |
| OurCoolHouse | Showcase site by the owner of this passive solar house that features earth shelter design, geothermal exchange, and energy recycling. Includes plans, documents the construction and explains the efficiency of the design. |
Kaiwaka
New Zealand | Natural cooling and heating system. Windmill electricity generation. Nature friendly material use. Rain water use. Solar energy collection. Compost heat use. Methane gas from the septic tank. Cleansing ponds with photosynthesis.
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Solar Houses |
USA |
| The Florida Solar Cracker House |
Features: passive solar, timber-framed construction with vaulted ceilings, a
composting toilet, off-grid power production, rainwater collection, ... based on
historic building design adapted to the local environment. |
Maine Solar House
Maine | This active solar house along the coast of Maine gets its fuel for electricity and hot water free each day from the sun. |
Watson Solar House
Massachusetts | This page documents our solar cell project on our home in Boston Massachusetts which went online February 11th, 2004. Includes online production graph etc. |
Ocean Solar
Oregon | This site details our experience in setting up solar power, and experimenting with wind power, at a residence in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Here, you'll find a description of the system, images of the installation, live power and weather information, and our ongoing comments on the systems and issues. |
David Allan's Solar House
Utah | Located in the cooler central Utah climate at 6,000 ft. elevation, the Allan's Solar home integrates seven different forms of collection: trombe wall, solarium convection, photo-voltaic cells, propylene-glycol heat exchange, eutectic salt chamber, berm-insulation, black chimneys for passive solar air-conditioner. |
Canada |
| Solar Nova Scotia |
Great photo gallery of solar home projects in Nova Scotia! From solar air
heating, retrofits to the latest solar home design... |
Germany |
| Gemini | Futuristic solar house model. |
Larger Building Projects with lower impact |
King Street
Center
Washington, Seattle | King Street Center is a model of environmental integrity and sustainability, built upon a unique public-private partnership. |
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Home Depot Smart Home | A live-in research laboratory, this 6,000 gsf residence hall serves as a testing ground for smart and sustainable technologies. Initially developed by a student as a senior thesis, the Smart Home Program has evolved to include the participation of over 450 students. |
EcoHouses @ YouTube |
Casa Nuaanarpoq
Off-grid house | This short view of an "off the grid" home provides inspiration that we can integrate creativity, simplicity and reliable technology into our modern living spaces. During a video shoot for a solar energy documentary, Peter Walker discovered Ken Anderson from Edge Architects, an architect design firm which has intelligently integrated both high and low tech systems. |
This New
Green House
Straw-bale house | See how a house is really built out of straw these days!
Designed for complete energy efficiency, these straw bale homes are in Crestone,
Colorado. |
Other Architectural Eco House Sources |
| American Institute of
Architects - Top Ten Green Projects | Since 1997, every year, the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) invites electronic submission of built
eco projects. |
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the respective websites linked next to the copyrighted material.
