1. Self Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Dream Houses
INTRO TO EARTHSHIPS
Self Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Dream Houses

2. “An understanding of mechanical systems for most humans is limited to what is within reach of their fingertips. It is understood that when you flip a switch on the wall, a light comes on. When you turn on the tap, hot water comes out. When you pull the handle on the toilet, it flushes. Little thought is given to where the electricity comes from or what kind of nuclear waste was produced to generate it. How many of us even know where the power plant is that supplies our power? Few people ever wonder which water table is depleted to bring them water and what chemicals have been added to it. Where does the sewage go after it is flushed and which rivers and lakes are polluted by it?”

3. Basic principles Heating & Cooling Power Generation Water Harvesting
Waste Management
Food Production
Building with Recycled Materials

4. Passive Solar Heating
Rocket Stove
Radiant Floors
Insulation
Heating

5. Passive solar heating (1)
Thermal Mass: Any material that helps you store the sun’s heat. Usually very dense earth.
Absorbs heat by day, radiates it back out at night
Home must be south facing for max efficiency
Right thickness of thermal mass is key.
Too thick = heat being lost into extra mass
Too thin= not enough storage
Earthship Brighton had 2m walls
Too thick!
When using thermal mass in floors, they must remain bare

6. Passive Solar Heating (2)
Glazing: Layers of glass arranged to allow maximum light in, while also keeping heat from escaping
Must be custom made! Most expensive part, also most important.
Takes 3 months to be made
Traditionally at 90 degree angle to sun
This will cause more wearing of windows and beams
A rating is best.
U-value: how much heat can travel through the material
R-value: how much sun light can pass through
You want LOW U , HIGH R

7. Rocket Stove (Masonry)
Radiant Floors

8. Insulation Stops heat flow
Rigid insulation board in structure (weight bearing)
Compressible in inner divides of home
Many varieties!

9. Passive Cooling
Curtains
Cooling

10. Passive Cooling Hot air rises Cold air sinks
Custom windows allow for cool air flow through bottom trap, and warm air to escape through upper ventilation traps
Better insulation = less infiltration
Be aware of wind flow in your area
Having bodies of water nearby helps!

11. } Power Sources Storage Hydro Solar Geothermal Wind Generator
Batteries
Thermal Mass }
depends on location!
Power

12. Battery
Tesla
Aquion S20P
Aquion M100
Iron Edison
Cycles
5000
3000
2000
kWh/ lifetime
29000
5400
65000
5500
Total Cost
$3600
$1155
$16000
$2700
$/kWh
$0.12
$0.21
$0.24
$0.50

13. Consumption Comfort Central Air Conditioning: 2 tons= 1450 kwh Fans:
Whole House= 30 kwh
Ceiling= 12 kwh
Water Heating/Supply:
Water Heater
2 Persons= 195 kwh;
4 Persons= 310 kwh
Kitchen Appliances:
Coffee Maker= 9 kwh
Dishwasher= 30 kwh
Microwave Oven= 16 kwh
Oven= 58 kwh
Toaster= 3 kwh
Blender, Can Opener & Food Mixer= less than 1 kwh
Lighting:
4-5 Room= 50 kwh
6-8 Room= 60 kwh
Outdoors, 1 Spotlight, All Night= 45 kwh
Housewares:
Clocks= 1 1/2 kwh
Vacuum Cleaner= 4 kwh
Health and Beauty:
Hair Dryer= 2 kwh
Curling Iron, Shaver= less than 1/2 kwh
Refrigerator-Freezer:
Manual, cu. ft.= 125 kwh
Frost-free, cu. ft.= 170 kwh
Laundry Services:
Dryer= 75 kwh
Iron= 5 kwh
Washing Machine= 9 kwh
Home Entertainment:
Radio/Record Player= 9 kwh
Television (color solid state)= 27 kwh

14. Water Rainwater Greywater Blackwater
We use around 150L/day per person!
Quebec has 1000mm/year precipitation
Re-using of water! Must use biodegradable/organic cleaning products for this to work
Water

15. Rainwater 1. collected on roof 2. pre-filtration (debris)
3.storage (underground)
4. filtering
5.sent to house

17. Greywater What was used for showering, cooking, cleaning
1. grease removal through membrane
2. grey water planters
3. toilet flushing

18. Blackwater What comes from your toilet! 1. sifting through septic tank
2.overflow into a reed bed
3. soaking away of water into vegetation or storage

20. Reed beds
Compost toilets
Cess pool/ Septic tank
waste

21. Compost Toilet

22. Grey Water Planters
Greenhouse
Plant Types
Food production

23. Grey Water Planters Cement/Earth container Waterproof membrane
Gravel, then sand, then soil
Must be able to prune the plants
Heat loving fruit and veggies work best
Must be Alkaline!
Grey Water Planters

24. Building with recycled materials
Rammed Earth Tires
Re-purposed wood, tiles, doors, etc.
Glass bottle walls
Bottle Bricks
Building with recycled materials

26. Bottle Bricks

27. Basic building steps
Land → Budget → Plans (design + execution) → Permits→
Locals → Build storage → Crew facilities→
BUILD!

28. Dig Your Holes

29. Tire Wall

30. Walls Up

31. Plumbing and Wiring

32. Windows + Inner Earth Walls

33. Homemaking

34. modifications Thermal mass Rocket stove
Outside waterproofing (not jus earth)
Tilted roof (no snow)
Moveable solar pannels

35. Further Reading Designing Building http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com/
“Normandy Earthship” on youtube
The Edible Container Garden by M. Guerra
Building
($)
Workaway.info
Helpx.net
(Quebec!)
Further Reading