Living green in an Earthship: The Sustainable Housing Solution

Posted on by

Earthship, the real “Living Green” House

An Earthship is an important instrument in our quest for a living green environment. But what are they? And will they pay off?

What is an Earthship and how are they constructed?

An Earthship is a cutting-edge ‘ living green’ building, constructed from waste and earth. Car tires and other recycled materials are used as construction material, together with rammed earth. Each tire has firmly packed earth pounded into them. Once the tires are packed, they are very difficult to move and form a dense wall. The walls are load-bearing and provide thermal mass which is an important factor for the energy house holding. Thermal mass stores heat and releases it slowly. This keeps indoor temperature constant while outside temperatures fluctuate. Once the walls are ready, they are quite often plastered with natural adobe.

The Earthship

An Earthship make use of our planets’ natural energy sources for their energy needs. They are as living green and self-supporting as possible, harvesting their own water and using plants as a kind of septic tank-system for their sewage. As a private energy plant wind, the sun and running water are used to meet their needs. So the Carbon Footprint of an Earthship is almost down to zero! Really living green!

Earthships are suitable for all kinds of weather, regardless of the season. For their water-needs they catch rainwater. If it is windy, they generate power and if it is sunny they capture heat and electricity. And the best part of it: it is all for free! Apart from using all resources surrounding them they employ extensive energy efficiency and water conservation measures, maximizing the amount of rainwater and renewable energy.

Who invented the Earthship?

The first Earthship is believed to be built by Michael Reynolds, an American architect from New Mexico. The name Earthship was coined by his wife as the house is self-sustaining, requiring no outside source of water nor electricity. The house sort of sails around, hence the name Earthship.

What are the benefits of building your own Earthship?

Because of the way they are built, Earthships provide a large amount of thermal mass. This keeps the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Most homes of this type have been built in the southwest of the United States although I did visit a house under construction in Bancroft, Ontario. I don’t recall if the owners were going to insulate the outside at all, but it may not be a bad idea for northern climates.

The homes are designed to take advantage of natural resources. The homes are typically built in rectangular form and orientated to take advantage of passive solar radiation. Rainwater is also stored in cisterns and gray water is recycled.

It is fairly easy to build your own Earthships. There is obviously quite a bit of labor involved but if time is not a factor, a house of this type could be built with just a couple of workers. Be aware that you need some elementary skills, like carpentry, plumbing and electricity knowledge

Not only are used car tires easy to get, some places will pay you to take them away! As there are lots of cars, there are plenty of used tires, too! And besides the use of tires, also glass or plastic bottles and aluminum cans are used .

Are there any disadvantages of building an Earthship?

Like with any other alternative house building types, you might have a problem reselling a house that is different from standard architectural designs. In most cases, the people who like a living green lifestyle and build alternative homes are usually building them for a lifetime. But plans can change and when you need to sell, it may take longer to find a buyer.

As with all alternative building methods, you might run into some problems with local building codes. The walls are the biggest hurdle. The rest of the house is built using conventional building methods, but getting approval for the rammed tires might be a problem.

Earthships are a very new concept in living green building design, so you might experience difficulties with financing the house.

Build one

Based on the above information and considered you are interested in a living green lifestyle, an Earthship will be a very reliable and absolute environment-friendly investment. So it’s not only a financially interesting move, saving you lots of money on your energy costs. They will also, as the Carbon Footprint is reduced to almost zero, become an important part of your Living Green Lifestyle. So build one….

This article about living green in an earthship was written by Victor.


Twitt

Climate Change & Green Energy

Posted on by

Climate change & the urgence using Green Energy!

climate change

The predictions of the OESO on climate change in their Environmental Outlook for 2050 are rather somber. If we do not drastically and immediately change our habits and start using green energy, we will use in forty years time 80% more energy. The overall temperature of our globe will rise, and water kept in the earth will diminish. Unless we undertake action -now- we will inhabit a planet with concentrated Co2 emissions that will automatically raise average temperatures with 5 to 6 %.

The majority of energy that we use on a daily basis for our homes and cars, comes from burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coals. As is well known, burning fossil fuels produces CO2, carbon dioxide, which is one of the most significant greenhouse gases causing the climate change.

In approximately the last 40 years, temperatures of our globe have increased. By closely following climate change records of those years, we have learned that the globe has warmed circa 0.75°C in the last century. This might not sound very dramatic, but it definitely is! If the temperature continues to rise like this, the environmental and sociological effects are no less than devastating.

Climate change and the weather

More frequent and extreme weather is one of the effects of climate change. When rainfall is heavy, rivers burst their banks more frequently, and so-called flash floods will become common. Since rain records began in 1766, the amount of winter rainfall in for instance England and Wales has risen. Over the last 45 years there is evidence that there have been more extreme rainfall events. The year 2009 had the most serious flooding in the United Kingdom for 270 years. If we do not undertake any action, flooding will really become a widespread issue.
At the same time climate change also hits the summers. They are getting drier & hotter. In 2003 a heat wave killed thousands of people across European countries. Widespread water shortages and drought will become a major threat. Overall, it’s clear that the cost to society, the environment, our health and the economy will be enormous. Luckily, there is something we can all do about the climate change.

The most obvious solution to stop the climate change is to switch to green energy on a large scale. Using green energy does not impact the environment if only we are using solar energy and the second-generation bio-fuels made of plant rests rather than edible plants. A widespread use of green energy has the most profound impact on the reduction of the gashouse effects and the reduction of carbon dioxide emission.
At the same time we should seriously diminish burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. As we know, this produces carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases causing climate change.

Using less energy, living the livin’ green lifestyle, will help fight climate change, as well as saving you money. A few simple measurements our governments and we as individuals can implement:

• Make our households more energy-efficient
• Ban incandescent bulbs in favor of energy-saving light bulbs
• Introduce an additional tax on energy use for businesses
• Increase prices of fossil fuels
• Lower VAT on green energy devices.

If you are interested in some good tips of saving energy and help stop the climate change, please feel free to subscribe to our newsletter (no strings attached!). Get these saving energy tips for free straight away. See at the right of the page.

Want to read more about climate change? Also check this website

This article about climate change is written by Liesbeth.


Twitt

LED lighting, does it pay off?

Posted on by

LED lighting, already a good alternative for old-fashioned light bulbs?

To answer that question it is important to understand how LED lighting works. The name LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and it is a semi-conductor that emits light when electricity runs through. A LED consists  of an anode, a diode and a LED chip, placed inside a reflector.
LED lighting
How LED lighting works

The whole LED is covered with transparent or colored plastic. This plastic is a lens which focuses the light.  Inside the LED there is a lens that bundles the light beam. LEDs are available in many colors, including RGB (red, green, blue). So with combining different colored LEDs in one unit, you can cover the complete color spectrum.

Although manufacturers claim that these kind of lamps have a lifecycle of at least 10 years, this is a little beside the truth… The intensity of a high-quality LED is reduced by almost 50% after approximately 50.000 burning hours. So instead of mentioning the life-cycle in years it is better to count the burning hours. Nevertheless, 50.000 hours is a long time, almost 6 years if you let the lamp burn 24/7…

What is the light output of LED lighting compared to other kind of lamps?

The amount of energy emission a lamp delivers is described in “Lumen”.

The good, old-fashioned light-bulb emits approximately 18 lumen per Watt.

Halogen spots almost 20 lumen;

White LED’s more than 50;

A CFL about 60;

Fluorescent tubes over 75 and

Natrium lamps (streetlights) more than 150.

You see that LED lighting gives more light with the same amount of Watts than a light-bulb or a halogen spot.LED lighting is not only used for standard purposes, but is also used when accent or decorative lighting is needed. Besides that, Led-lighting is often used in signaling applications.

Why is LED lightning still not used as workplace lighting on a large scale?

That’s because fluorescent tubes are still cheaper and more energy friendly. Also LED displays light is much colder compared to the standard tube color (830). And finally LED displays dazzle more because of the focused light. Until now there are almost no luminaires that diffuse the LED lighting without reducing the light output.

But, in private homes fluorescent tubes are rarely used. So replacing your old-fashioned bulbs or halogen lamps in your house by LED lighting will save you a lot of money. Even now purchase prices of LED lights are rather high, compared to traditional bulbs. But as they last a lot longer, in the end you save more money on your energy bill that the cost of the lamp. And the expectation is that prices of LED lighting will decrease rapidly the coming years.

By the way, LED lighting helps to reduce your carbon footprint…

Want to read more about climate change?

This article about LED lighting is written by Victor

 


Twitt

Carbon Footprint: what is yours?

Posted on by

Carbon footprint: We hear a lot about it!

At Livin’ Green we are very conscious of our carbon footprint and are making almost daily adjustments in order to reduce our impact on the environment. However, I wonder whether it is sufficiently known what this precisely means. If we need to reduce our carbon footprint it would be nice to know what it is..! Therefore a brief explanation.

We are affecting our environment in many different ways: we drive, fly and warm our houses. Even the type of food we are eating can make a difference. Now, your carbon footprint is no more than one figure that provides you with a quick notion of your impact on the change in carbon emissions you make. Our carbon footprint is not at all difficult to measure, to compare and to understand.
When people are talking about carbon emissions & about the carbon footprint they are referring to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As you may have learned at school, carbon dioxide is released when you burn fuels that are carbon-based. Almost all fossil fuels that we use are carbon-based, including:

• petrol and diesel in cars.
• jet fuel that is used in planes.
• coal, gas and oil in our homes.

CO2, carbon dioxide, is a so-called greenhouse gas, and too much of it inevitably is leading to a climate change, which is also rather well known as ‘global warming’. Other green house gases, like methane for instance, equally contribute to a climate change. Countries see these as part of their carbon emissions, but an individual usually only counts his or her emissions of CO2. Your carbon footprint is the amount of CO2, that enters the atmosphere because of the electricity and fuel you use. It is measured in tonnes of CO2. If you want to know your own carbon footprint, this depends mostly on the following factors: how often you use an aeroplane, how much (and also what type of) energy you use for heating, how you travel and also what appliances you use.
Once you know your carbon footprint, it helps to understand what impact you have on the environment – and, of course, to find alternative ways to reduce that impact. You can look for good alternatives in the green energy sector. There are so many great solar chargers around, or solar panels, or ground water heaters. These appliances can go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use. By making our houses and cars more energy efficient we could make big reductions in our carbon footprint.

carbon footprint

To reduce your carbon footprint why not think of:

• insulating your home (expensive, but a good longer-term investment!)
• buying energy-efficient appliances or solar chargers
• plugging your electronics in power-strips
• or perhaps cycling / walking / using public transport
• taking vacation closer to where you live.

At Livin’ Green we recommend reducing your carbon footprint by saving on energy on the one hand, and switching to green energy on the other. In due course, you should be completely reliable on green energy sources, which is the best way forward!

Another suggestion how you could improve reducing your carbon footprint is reading this article on squidoo.

This article about carbon footprint is written by Liesbeth.

Twitt

Groundwater heating and its Benefits

Posted on by

The groundwater heating System

Groundwater heating or geothermal heating can help us in our struggle to avoid extremely high energy bills! So let’s have a look at groundwater heating for heating or cooling our houses. Increasing energy prices may not be the only reason to look for different technologies. Our houses and all the other buildings are responsible for almost half the world’s Carbon Dioxide. So these are two very important reasons to look for Low- and Zero-Carbon energy systems (LZC).
Next to the more commonly known LZC systems like solar and wind power, there is a much more reliable power source to manage our home-temperature: groundwater heating. One of the big advantages of groundwater heating is that it is very reliable. Different from solar- or wind-energy no wind or sun is needed. The temperature in the used source is very stable. So in our search for renewable energy and a Livin’ Green Lifestyle, groundwater heating is very interesting.

How does groundwater heating Work?

Explanation of the groundwater heating systems

The most common groundwater heating system is to gather heat from the ground by means of ‘genuine’ geothermal energy. Therefore you need to drill holes into specific types of rock which are kept very warm by the decay of radioactive minerals. One of the few disadvantages of such a temperature control system is that it is dependent on the presence of hot bedrock. This is a rare condition and suitable geological conditions exist in only few locations. Until now this lack of suitable conditions effectively prevents widespread application of true geothermal sources. Normally, ground and groundwater temperatures are 50 to 55°F. These temperatures are too low to be used for direct heating. But with the modern groundwater heating technologies, it is possible to extract heat from such low-temperature energy sources and using it in combination with existing technologies. Groundwater heating is done by chilling the soil below. And conversely, the building can be cooled in summer as the heat pump works in reverse to shed heat into the ground.
Nowadays two kinds of groundwater heating systems are known to us: Open Loop systems and Closed Loop systems.
The difference between those two systems is that an Open Loop system pumps water, so it can draw water from a great distance. A Closed Loop system does not abstract water, but circulates fluid through a loop op pipes. A heat pump at the surface processes the water and extracts the energy to heat or cool. Afterwards the water is recirculated back into the ground. So a Closed Loop influences a relatively limited volume of ground. Of course it is important that with this limited influence the environment is not harmed, but the peak heating or cooling is limited as well. Most of the closed-loop systems have peak heating or cooling capacities of less than a few hundred kilowatts.
An Open Loop system actively pumps groundwater and therefore can use water from a great distance. So that results in a much larger capacity than a Closed Loop system, even up to 1 Mw! So Open Loop systems can be a serious option for larger developments, while the economic capacity of closed-loop systems is limited. But it also influences a much greater volume of ground.
In the the vision of Livin’ Green, Open Loop groundwater heating systems are not considered Renewable Energy systems, as they do require electrical energy for water pumps and heat pumps. Sources such as wind, water and solar do not require an external energy source and are therefore considered Renewable. But Open Loop groundwater heating systems are classed as LZC systems! That is because they are producing much more energy than the electrical energy they consume, up to three or four times more! And the best part is that if a system can be run via a simple heat exchanger to provide cooling, without using a heat pump, the ratio of cooling energy compared to electrical energy that is consumed can be 20 to 1.

groundwater heating

While open-loop ground-source systems can offer great advantages in order to meet our future energy needs, nevertheless there are two key disadvantages.
The first one is the impact on groundwater resources. Dependent on the way the water is abstracted, such systems could seriously affect sensitive ecological sites like wetlands or delicate nature by lowering the groundwater level.

The second major disadvantage is the disposal of the water that has passed the system. Cooling will produce water that is warmer than when it started, and heating will produce a waste stream of cooler water. It is essential that we manage this stream of waste water if we want the implementation of ground-water source systems to be successful.
One way to manage is to re-injecting the waste water back into the soil or rock layers from where it came, via another set of boreholes. This possibility has the advantage it avoids surface water impacts and confronts us with sewer disposal. But this approach has a disadvantage too… If the extraction and re-injection wells are not separated wide enough, warmer or colder water may ultimately circulate between the extraction and injection and influence the optimal conditions

And the Conclusion?

Using groundwater as a LZC source of energy for heating and cooling buildings has real potential to reduce carbon emissions. It can save a significant amount of operational costs. Energy prices are increasingly rising and it is evident that they will not decrease again for a long time, perhaps never again… So that increases the economic advantages.
But future development and use of these systems has two major challenges:
1 The willingness of the government or other regulators to grant groundwater abstraction licenses for cooling or heating systems. Nearby abstractors and / or other stakeholders will have to be demonstrated that such systems will have minimal impact on their business.

2 The need to dispose lots of warmer or cooler water produced by the system. One option is to dispose of the waste water by re-inject it into the water holding layer. However, the risk is the migration of warmer/colder water between the abstraction and re-injection boreholes, affecting the long term efficiency of the system.

But nevertheless these kind systems can be a profitable way to heat or cool your house in the future, for both your purse and the environment. The impact on your energy bill will be huge, while the impact on the environment will be much and much less than the impact of using the traditional energy sources…

So it can be a very meaningful addition to the “Livin’ Green Lifestyle”…..

This article about groundwater heating is written by Victor.


Twitt

Portable Solar Products

Posted on by

Portable solar products are handy & save energy too!

At Livin’ Green we are committed to increasing the awareness of green energy. With ever rising fossil energy prices we notice a lively interest in the use of green energy, especially in solar energy. The amount of portable solar products that are offered on the internet and otherwise, is so enormous, that people hardly know where to start and what portable solar products to chose. Therefore we have selected various portable solar products for you, based on our experience and knowledge in the area of renewable energy. Rather than providing you with many different options in each category, we have decided to select only those products that we believe in, and that seem to be the best in their particular category.

One of the handy portable solar products: the Solar backpack

Nothing is a greater nuisance than traveling and being unable to communicate because the batteries in your mobile phone are flat..! A possibility is to use portable solar products like a solar chargers for your cell phone. Another possibility is to get a backpack that automatically charges whenever you are traveling. It charges when you walk, when you relax on a terrace, whatever… Also, and that is a great advantage of a solar back pack, it can charge various different cellphone devices.

Out of all the solar products we have chosen one, the Blue Solar backpack & cellphone charger, which is -unlike many others- not heavy. Otherwise, the disadvantages would outweigh its advantages.  Solar Everything is a solid producer, by the way. It has very good reviews, and we can wholeheartedly recommend it.

Our Choice: Blue Solar Backpack & Cell Phone Charger.
Looks great & works well!

solar productssolar products

Portable solar charger

There are many different solar chargers around. Some are absolutely huge and terribly impractical, others are rather light-weight and handy. The Joos Orange Portable Charger is a tried and tested product that has our preference within this range of products. It is reasonably priced for what it delivers! JOOS Orange gives you power anywhere without the compromise of other portable solar chargers. It is a tough device: Super durable and waterproof, and it reliably delivers power where and when you need it. The JOOS Orange works in real-world light conditions such as low light, in the shade and even in light rain. It also works fast! It charges at least 3.5x faster than any other portable solar charger in the same price range. We hae not tested them all, but we are convinced that the JOOS Orange is among the best-performing solar charger under the sun.

JOOS Orange Portable Solar Charger – $149.00
Retail Price: $159.00
You Save: $10.00
from: GoGreenSolar.com

<

Some more specifications of the Joos Orange portable device:

It captures up to 20 x more energy than any other solar charger. One hour in direct sun equals 2 hours 3G talking time! The large 5,400mAh replaceable battery holds sufficient energy to charge your phone several times, and can even charge an iPhone about two and a half times. If you add the optional Power-Boost Reflector Kit and improve charge times up to 40%.

On top, it is designed to charge all personal electronic devices such as cell-phones, smartphones, MP3-players, GPS devices, portable game devices. Its thin rectangular shape makes the JOOS Orange very easy to carry and store. Adjustable legs make pointing it towards the sun real easy! And perhaps most importantly, the JOOS Orange is rock-solid. The internal battery pack will keep its charge for years. And the JOOS Orange even keeps charging when submerged in water!

This article about solar products is written by Liesbeth.




Twitt

Support a Livin’ Green Lifestyle with Solar Panels

Posted on by
300

Solar Panels as part of a Livin’ Green Lifestyle

Solar Panels

Solar Panels are increasingly becoming a common feature of our Livin’ Green lifestyle. Therefore it is a good idea to prepare yourself before you decide to invest in solar panels. For most people the important question is “What can I save!”. Of course, that is a good question, now that energy prices are going sky-high! It is estimated that there will be an average price increase of at least 7% a year. So it doesn’t look like energy will ever be cheaper again. And at least the sun is for free, so let’s make good use of it. Realize, even when the sun doesn’t shine, solar panels can still provide us with energy!

How to choose solar panels

But where should you look for if you decide to buy solar panels? First, as you should do with every major investment, you should consider all the facts and look at all options available. Of course you know you will save a lot of money with solar panels, but you have to start with a big investment. And how big this investment will be, depends on many factors. For instance, how big is your roof, what is the roof-slope and, does it face the south or north, when have you got shadow…. Also your location is important. How many sunny hours are there?

What can you save?

The power of solar panels is displayed in Watt-Peak (Wp). As the production of energy is variable, the maximum capacity is indicated. A system with a capacity of 1.000 Wp delivers approximately 700 to 900 kWh. A saving of $ 120,- up to $ 180,- a year. To make that happen, you need 8 square meters of solar panels. The investment for a system with this capacity is about $ 3.000,- (installation included). Saving begins with requesting quotes, because there can be big differences in pricing. The investment will be paid back in about eight to nine years. After that period the solar panels will act like a money-box, especially considering the ever increasing energy prices!

Do-it-yourself

Nowadays it is even possible to install the solar panels yourself. You can buy solar panels at the hardware store. Most of the time solar panels provide you with an easy-to-follow installation manual. But beware, installing it yourself can be dangerous as most of the time you are working on the roof! And with the installation of only solar panels your system is not complete. You need to convert the light into voltage. Therefor you need converters, electricity cables: a so-called PV system.

Check for subsidies on solar panels

And then it is very useful to check whether there are any local subsidies or other kinds of support. Sometimes you can save money if you buy solar panels together with your neighbours. And you can even make a deal with your local electricity network to deliver the surplus to them in exchange for a fee.

And finally, a big advantage is that solar panels don’t need a lot of maintenance. However, it is wise to check the system now and then if everything works like it has to.

For more information about solar panels also check this site

this article about solar panels is written by Victor

TOP SELLING DIY GUIDE FOR INSTALLING SOLAR ENERGY DEVICES!

Click Here!

Twitt