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Showcases of EcoHouses

Case studies of purpose-built and retrofit sustainable houses.

Retrofit Eco Houses
Article at Chesepeak Bay Climate Action Network	A retrofitted house to 90% renewables, electricity, hot water and heating, budget: $7,500.
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.
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.
The Underground House Cumbria, UK	We live in an earth-sheltered house that we have built in an old, disused quarry site in the east of Cumbria. The house has been built into hole created by the quarry space, making invisible from behind and with only a glass front and some photo-voltaic tiles being seen from the front.
Conventional Houses and Projects with lower impact
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.
Round House of Millerton New York	Building techniques and materials list for this energy-efficient round house fitted with solar panels for electricity production.
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	Welcome to the new home for the Department of Natural Resources and Parks and Department of Transportation. King Street Center is a model of environmental integrity and sustainability, built upon a unique public-private partnership. I encourage you to take a virtual tour of the building, taking note of the recycled products, new innovations and sustainable features.
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.
Building of Straw: The Fallsburg Project Straw-bale house	A documentary about the construction of a Strawbale House in South Fallsburg, NY