Earthship

As Earthship is called building a specific solar design, which are only heated by passive solar heat gain and storage, by mass or cooled by natural air circulation. They are also characterized by an extensive use of natural and recycled materials as well as their complete self-sufficiency in heat, electrical energy, water and waste water.

Construction and operation

A special feature is the use of waste as a building material civilization. Thus, the closed north, east and west walls are almost always built from used car tires. These are like bricks stacked in the composite and filled with compressed earth. The resulting wall serves as a supporting component and also by their large, usually several tons of heavy mass as thermal storage. The south facade facing the sun, however, is almost entirely glazed. The resulting solar heat gains here are stored in the solid components over days and weeks, so no classical heating is required.

For the self-sufficient water supply is collected rain water on the roof and stored in cisterns. Through an ingenious system every drop of water is used four times. Thus, a self-sufficient water supply even in arid areas with very low annual rainfall and without water supply from outside is possible. The rainwater is filtered and used for drinking or washing water. Then it is watering a building under house plant bed and is cleaned by it. The conditioned water is again used as toilet flushing and finally passed through a septic tank in a befindliches next to the house flowerbed where last impurities are filtered out by the plants.

History

Was developed the principle of Earthships in the 1970s by the American architect Michael Reynolds. It was not until about 30 years later, the concept used by a growing awareness of climate change and sustainable construction methods and outside the United States. The buildings are designed and marketed today by Reynolds ' Earthship Biotecture company in Taos, New Mexico. In addition to the planning and construction of buildings and plans and books are available for building your own.

Dissemination

In 2006, around 2000 Earthships were built, with two exceptions, all in the United States. At least 1,000 more buildings were based on the same principles, but are without the cooperation of Michael Reynolds Earthship Biotecture or incurred. Since then, projects were in Canada, South America, the Caribbean, India and Africa should specifically excluding residential buildings, shelters for victims of natural disasters in Haiti and India, as well as a Waldorf school in Sierra Leone. The buildings arrive thereby at the different climatic conditions of the sites.

In Europe, buildings in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, UK, Sweden, Iceland, Estonia and the Czech Republic have been realized.

The transfer of the Earthship principle to the damp cold climate of northern Europe, however, resulted in the first projects to technical problems, especially with condensation. Construction and operation of Earthships in Brighton ( UK ) has therefore been scientifically monitored and documented by the Center for Sustainable Building at the University of Brighton. A dissertation on the Danish Via University College is concerned with the question to what extent the principle of construction in the northern climate of Denmark can apply.

Systems

Water and Wastewater

The roof surfaces of Earthships are designed so that all precipitation ( water, snow, dew and condensation) in a mostly subterranean cistern flow. The water is first passed through a sand filter to prevent large particles entering the cistern. Cisterns are usually arranged so that they lie in the north side being poured terrain, roughly at the level of the interior spaces. Due to this elevated position the water flows without additional pump in the gradient into the interior where it is processed in the so-called "Water Organization Module" ( WOM ).

WOM consists of a pump operated with direct current, and a series of filters. Only the water runs through all filter stages, that is actually used for drinking. To each basin is provided with an additional tap for drinking water. By means of the pump, the water is pumped which supplies the home network using a standard water pressure in a pressure vessel. The conditioned water is used for all applications in the home with the exception of the toilet. There is only one water already used in sink, shower or washing machine to use the previously filtered in " gray water " flower beds ".

Gray water

When gray water is already contaminated, but not identified by fecal contaminated water that can not be used as drinking water. This contamination is i.d.R. from non-toxic materials such as soap, skin particles or hair. In Earthship is coarse filtering of fat and solids, and passed into a up to 150 cm deep planting bed. These beds are located inside the building directly below the glazed south facade. Filter plants there, together with the microorganisms in the soil, water and nutrients from any use such as Detergents such as phosphates and nitrogen for growth. They also enrich the air with oxygen and water vapor and may also serve the food production in the case of vegetables or fruit trees of small stature.

Achieved the gray water, the end of the planting flower bed collects it in a reservoir and, after it has passed through another filter, used for flushing of toilets.

Black water

After initial experiments with composting toilets now use all newer Earthships this system with water-flushed toilets standard. The waste, contaminated with feces, water is called black water. This is directed to the outside where it is decomposed in an insulated and solar heated multi-chamber septic tank of anaerobic bacteria. From there it is passed into a wetland where there eg can be used for the irrigation of ornamental plants or fruit trees.

Power supply

Earthships produce their entire electrical energy through photovoltaic and in some cases small wind power. The electricity is stored in batteries, redistributed, in the so-called "Power Organizing Module" ( POM), and there, where necessary, converted into alternating current. Ideally, use the main loads such as pumps, refrigerator and at least some lights DC. So the basic functions of the house are also retained in the event of an inverter failure. AC is used for all other applications, such as computer, Internet connection, or the washing machine. In order to achieve complete self-sufficiency with reltaiv little battery power is not used to generate heat or air conditioning. Hot water is solar and instead heated by a wood stove or a gas heater only in the case of a longer cloudy phase.

Ventilation and air conditioning

Most Earthships use no electrical ventilation, but carry warm air simply skylights from. These are usually simple sealed flaps are served the attached via an internal cable and are kept open by means of a counterweight. Due to the rising of warm air creates a chimney effect of cooler air through windows or Earth Coupling readjusts. This creates a constant light breeze in summer and excess heat is dissipated. In winter vorgewämte easily through the soil, air flows into the house or the inlet openings are closed during the winter months.

Depending on the climatic situation and ventilation behavior of the residents there, by this form of air exchange come to moisture problems, which is still favored by the vast number of plants in the interior. Some Earthships were therefore additionally fitted with a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.