Earthships: No electricity, heating, or water bills

June 28, 2008

What are earthships? Earthships are dwellings, mostly made out of old tires or other recycled waste, built on the earth for the purpose of living “off the grid.” It uses passive solar and geothermal energy which allows the home to be heated without gas. Its design allows for a comfortable year-round temperature. Many people who live in earthships say they pay anywhere from $0 to $100 per year for utilities. It even recycles rain water so you’re not dependent on the tap.

Watch this video for more info.

In a typical design, the tire wall is U-shaped. The inside of the U is built facing the south (if you’re in the northern hemisphere; north if you’re in the southern hemisphere). In the winter, the sun’s low rays hits the tire wall and the heat slowly permeates throughout the house. In the summer, the sun’s rays are too high in the sky to hit the tire wall. Instead, the cool temperatures of the earth seep into the house to keep the home at a constant 60-75 degrees. In hotter climates, a cool air pump can be installed 8 feet below the ground where it is considerably cooler than above ground, and the cooler air can be circulated throughout the home.

So, to recap:

• Earthships are made from mostly recyclable or waste materials, drastically cutting down on building costs. (Typical costs are about 1/2 of the average home.)
• The earthship heats and cools itself, relieving the need for grid electricity and gas
• Rain and snow is collected to provide water for the home. Hot water is heated passively by solar, further negating the need for gas power.
• Earthships use and reuse all household sewage in indoor and outdoor treatment cells resulting in food production and landscaping with no pollution of aquifers. Toilets flush with greywater that does not smell.
• Electricity needs can be generated from the installed solar panels, with grid power as backup.
• Greenhouses are usually included because the plants aid greatly in filtering water and provides fresh oxygen.

I believe we need to make a shift into living in dwellings such as these. We need to stop building energy-intensive houses and buildings and start moving into a greener space. Imagine if everybody lived in houses like these — we’d need far less electricity and wouldn’t be dependent on the grid for power or the sewer systems for water. If the government won’t help us save our earth, we’ve got to put it in our hands.

For the entrepreneurs, look into building and selling these in your area. If I had the funding I’d definitely do it, especially in these times when people are sick to death of high energy prices.

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