By Kevin Stevens, Networx
Imagine a home that heats and cools itself without the need of a furnace or AC unit: one that produces its own zero-emissions supply of electricity, and is not dependent on a municipal source for water. This kind of home also processes all of its wastewater locally, and can even grow a quantity of its occupant’s food. Additionally, the home is built with local and recycled waste products, and it can be built with basic low-tech labor. Does this sound like the ideal home of a space age future? Believe it or not, these homes exist today (many have been built by builders in New Mexico) and have been in existence for over 30 years. This type of home is called an “Earthship” and it exhibits all of these features and more.
Heat and Cooling Naturally
Earthships are homes built with passive solar design principles. During the cool winter months, low angled sunlight enters the home and warms the floors and walls. Exterior and load bearing walls are constructed from a “core” of up-cycled tires and rammed earth. This high thermal mass core is covered with concrete or earthen-based plasters for a smooth and cosmetically appealing surface. The mass of the walls and structure “absorb” the sun’s heat, this heat is stored in the mass walls and is then released back into the living space after the sun sets. In summer, the cool base temperature of the earth around the home provides natural cooling. This is supplemented with convective air flow and skylight vents.