“Self-Sufficient
Homes~Toward a Better Future for All “
William
F. Scharf
Northern
Arizona University
Flagstaff,
Arizona
8205
North Browning Drive
Flagstaff,
AZ 86004
(928) 522-0405
williamscharf@npgcable.com
Abstract
My
Applied Indigenous Studies’ Senior Project at Northern
Arizona University, Self-Sufficient Homes ~ Toward a Better
Future for All, is researching and compiling data on Earth-friendly
components, green-energy technology, and energy efficient
building systems for utilization by the indigenous communities
of the World to improve living conditions. This project
is geared for the often remote indigenous populations
where road accessibility is minimal or often non-existent
and where individuals cannot rely on governmental or community
infrastructure including electric power, heating, water,
or sewage disposal. Self-sufficient homes always have
a very low environmental impact, are highly energy efficient,
and preferably include a small power generation plant
of its own based on solar cells, hydropower, or wind energy.
We all should be stewards of the Earth and it is our responsibility
to give this Earth to future generations in the same or
better condition than we received it. We also have a
moral obligation to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
My wish is to share my research and expertise in such
a way to be a catalyst for developmental projects as small
as providing sanitation where there is none and as large
as community based building and energy generation.
Self-Sufficient Homes
Welcome
to the self-sufficient home. Its inhabitants make their
own energy, produce their own food (in a small garden)
and do their part to save the World’s environment. Get
ready to live in a totally self sufficient home, one that
is specially constructed and equipped to generate all
its power and raise all your food. A home that is self-sufficient
should not be confused with an “independent home” which
typically refers only to its energy use. Most so-called
independent homes are still dependent on food distribution
systems to sustain its occupants.
Modern
self-sufficient homes -- also known as autonomous homes,
bio-shelters or independent living systems -- use an immense
number of appropriate technologies. They generate and
store their own power using solar energy, wind generators,
photovoltaic panels, and renewable energy. They maximize
usable power by using battery electrical storage, high-efficiency
lighting, energy- efficient appliances, super-insulation,
natural lighting, passive ventilation, heat recovery ventilation,
and high efficient pellet stoves. They minimize negative
impact on their surroundings because they can be built
with green or alternative construction. They employ low-water
toilets or compost toilets, wastewater treatment, water
reuse, gray water systems and recycling to reduce pollution
and conserve water. After ensuring that the land stays
healthy, they provide the best possible conditions for
efficient food production, including intensive organic
agriculture, greenhouse food production and composting.
A basic and reliable home control system saves effort,
eliminates mistakes, and helps to coordinate all the activities
and functions.
So
why don’t we all live in self-sufficient homes right now?
Because there aren’t any; not every person is willing
to take the risk of doing something new and challenging.
The fact is that a completely self-sufficient home system
supporting twenty-first century lifestyles, to my knowledge,
has yet to be built and tested in its final form. So
far, my project (based on my beliefs) is to build a prototype
model of this self-sufficient home. My first prototype
self-sufficient home will test many aspects of the design
and show that the concept could indeed be realized. The
prototype will become the first modern home in history
to sustain human occupant indefinitely using concepts,
technology, products and systems from all over the world.
The Self-Sufficient Home Evolves
The
oil embargo of the mid-1970s prompted many projects dealing
with energy efficiency and conservation. My self-sufficient
system project began as my college senior project to attempt
to develop the technology to produce food and energy-independent
living shelters for any location on the planet while being
ecologically compatible with the requirements of each
region.
The
self-sufficient home goal is to be a functional, efficient,
ecologically balanced, need-oriented, simple, durable,
non-pollution, single or multi-family, universal, minimal
existence living system. I emphasized nature as a model,
using a complete system approach. As this ultimate self-sufficient
home comes into being, I drew inspiration from cultural
indigenous information from around the world. The plan
would implement ideas, materials, foods, and methods that
have stood the test of time, as well as newly emerging
technologies. At this time, I planned that the technology
would first lead to the creation of mass-producible self-sufficient
homes [for the indigenous Nation(s)] which would then
inspire the development of plans, kits, and components
for the owner-builder. Throughout the design process,
I considered it important that the home be able to maintain
an average twenty-first century lifestyle with all of
the accompanying conveniences and comforts. This means
that the home essentially had to become a living, sensing,
and reacting mechanism, needing no significant human intervention
other than planting, harvesting, food preparation, and
maintenance - a kind of automatic mini-farm/ranch.
Even
though the goal is to make this mini-farm/ranch completely
self-sufficient, 100% self-sufficiency is technically
unattainable in the purest terms. Everything will break
at some point because sun, water, friction, heat, and
other forces are constantly at work. Routine component
replacement and maintenance requires some materials that
may have to be purchased locally.
The
basic design of a self-sufficient home would remain the
same if built in any climatic region, though it would
have to be adjusted or modified slightly depending on
local conditions. Factors that would affect the fine-tuning
of the design include soil conditions, solar/wind ratio
for power generation, rain fall, and average temperature.
In a rainforest, for example, a self-sufficient home would
use more photovoltaic panels to generate energy from the
sun and rely less on wind generators. In colder locations,
generating energy from wind power would be more important.
Self-sufficient home construction in the tropics would
favor foliage to help keep the sun’s rays off the surface
of the home by using wall or roof lattices, while heating
the home would be a primary consideration in cold locations,
requiring greater insulation systems for the primary heating
zone or core rooms.
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
Panelized
systems consist of prefabricated, or factory manufactured
panels that form a structural envelope and significantly
simplify on-site framing. A variety of panelized systems
are available. The most common are structural insulated
panels (SIPs); other panelized systems include light-gauge
steel, aluminum, concrete and fiberglass components.
The
systems can provide structural and insulating capacity,
and most lend themselves to quick on-site assembly, which
can reduce labor costs. Different systems offer various
additional advantages; they may be lightweight or constructed
to provide resistance to damage from earthquakes, high
winds, moisture, and insect infestations.
Installation
techniques differ by manufacturer, but many include connections
along the top and bottom of the panel and at adjoining
panel edges. An example of this is shown in Figure 1
below. This diagram was taken from a presentation prepared
by HY-R Building Systems. http://www.getenergysmart.org/Files/
Presentations/HY-R%20NYSERDA%20Presentation.ppt a link
from New York State’s Energy Smart web page.
Figure
One
From:
http://www.getenergysmart.org/Files/ Presentations/HY-R%20NYSERDA%20Presentation.ppt,
from a link from New York State’s Energy Smart web page.
In
general, manufacturers must obtain individual code approval.
Panels are manufactured in a factory, which ensures their
quality and consistency, but may limit flexibility. For
example, concrete foundations must be placed precisely,
and on-site design changes can be costly and difficult.
The initial cost of prefabricated panels may be higher
than that of conventional framing materials. However,
labor savings are often significant enough to offset the
initial cost difference. Some things to think about before
switching to this building technology - make sure it is
the right choice for you.
BENEFITS:
o
Affordability: Reduced on-site construction time; reduced labor costs.
o
Quality/Durability: Increased product consistency; potential resistance to earthquakes,
high winds, moisture, and rodent/insect infestation.
o
Environmental
Performance: Provides increased sound proofing and decreased noise
pollution for the indoor environment.
o
Operational
Cost: Panelized systems can be designed to offer a uniform and
continuous air barrier that improves insulation and helps
homeowners stay comfortable while reducing their heating
and cooling costs.
DRAWBACKS:
o
Affordability: Material costs are higher, requiring higher up-front cost;
once panels are designed and produced, changes in layout
and openings are difficult and costly.
o
Initial
Cost: Costs can vary by panel type, the amount of customization
needed, and job proximity to manufacturing plant. In
general, panelized wall systems have high material costs
and lower labor costs than traditional stick-built construction.
Wind, Solar and the Environment
In
the 1970s oil shortages pushed the development of alternative
energy sources. In the 1990s, the push came from a renewed
concern for the environment in response to scientific
studies indicating potential changes to the global climate
if the use of fossil fuels continues to increase.
What
is wind energy? In reality, wind energy is a converted
form of solar energy. The sun’s radiation heats different
parts of the earth at different rates - most notably during
the day and night, but also when different surfaces (for
example, water and land) absorb or reflect at different
rates. This in turn causes portions of the atmosphere
to warm differently. Hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric
pressure at the earth’s surface, and cooler air is drawn
in to replace it. The result is wind.
Air
has mass, and when it is in motion it contains the energy
of the motion (“kinetic energy”). A wind energy system
transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical
energy that can be harnessed for practical use. Wind
electric turbines generate electricity for homes, businesses
and for sale to utilities. Wind energy offers a viable,
economical alternative to conventional power plants in
many areas of the world.
Figure 2. Photo taken from on-line catalog
of Real Goods.
http://www.gaiam.com/
realgoods/default.htm
Wind
is a clean fuel; wind electric turbines produce no air
or water pollution because no fuel is burned. The most
serious environmental drawbacks to wind turbines may be
their negative effect on wild bird populations and the
visual impact on the landscape. To some, the glistening
blades of windmills on the horizon are an eyesore; to
others, they are a beautiful alternative to conventional
power plants. With the wind electric turbines, there
is still the problem of what to do when the wind is not
blowing. At those times, other types of power systems
or plants must be used to make electricity. Introduce
solar panels -- living with the sun. Photovoltaic (PV)
panels convert sunlight directly into electrical energy.
The following explanation of solar panels was taken from
the “Resource” link (http://www.solarenergy.org/ resources/olderkids.html#1)
on the web site of Solar Energy International:
"A solar
panel (module) is made up of a number of solar cells.
Solar cells are generally made from thin wafers of silicon,
the second most abundant substance on earth, the same
substance that makes up sand. To make the wafers, the
silicon is heated to extreme temperatures and chemicals,
usually boron and phosphorous, are added. The addition
of these chemicals makes the silicon atoms unstable (their
electrons less tightly held). When photons of sunlight
hit a solar panel, some are absorbed into the solar cells,
where their energy knocks lose some of the modified silicon’s
electrons. These loose electrons are forced by electric
fields in the PV panel to flow along wires that have been
placed within the cells. This flow of electrons through
the wires is electricity, and will provide power for whatever
load we attach (a calculator, a light bulb, a satellite,
etc.) a home or building."
Building
integrated solar systems produce electrical power from
sunlight and are also an integral part of the building.
One advantage of incorporating solar electric materials
into a roof, skylight, or awning is that it can reduce
the cost of the system. Blending solar electric features
into the structure of a building takes advantage of high
reliability and reduces the overall cost of the system
because the solar components perform two functions, they
replace traditional building materials such as tile, brick,
or glass and they generate electricity while also taking
advantage of the existing structural elements of the building.
Another advantage of blending solar with traditional building
materials is aesthetics as in Figure 3. Some building
owners believe they cannot use solar because it is not
compatible with traditional architecture. Because solar
modules now come in a variety of styles, colors, and sizes,
it is possible to integrate solar modules into almost
any structural design. For example, commercial or residential
buildings with traditional roof shingles can use solar
modules that resemble traditional roof shingles. Solar
panels can also be installed onto a flat surface to cover
a porch or awning and more traditional panels can be used
as the porch cover itself as in Figure 3.
Figure 3
From: http://www.gaiam.com/retail/2/SolarElectric
A hybrid
system with a wind turbine combined with solar panels
is the most efficient and reliable method to generate
ones’ own electricity. Hybrid energy systems can provide
reliable off-grid power for homes, farms or even entire
communities (a co-housing project, for example) that are
far from the nearest utility lines. Figure 4 illustrates
this concept of hybrid systems and was taken from the
advertising brochure of Solar Electric Systems & Products,
Incorporated. Today’s renewable energy materials offer
a variety of possibilities for building integration.
Figure 4. Hybrid system.
Graphic
taken from advertising brochure of Solar Electric Systems
& Products, Incorporated.
Gray Water and Rainwater
What
is gray water? As its name connotes, gray water is of
lesser quality than potable water, but of higher quality
than black water. Black water is water flushed from toilets.
Gray water derives from residential water uses, i.e.,
water from the bath, shower, washing machine and bathroom
sink are the sources of gray water. Not water for all
uses, gray water is most suitably used for subsurface
irrigation of non-edible landscape plants. Along with
its application to outside irrigation, gray water can
be used in some situations for toilet flushing. Gray
water systems vary from simple low cost systems to highly
complex and costly systems. Improvement in technologies,
and systems innovations, regularly occur. See example
in Figure 5.
Figure
5. Gray Water above ground storage tank.
Photo
from City of Portland’s Environmental Services’ Clean
River Project retrieved November 15, 2006, from http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=127468
Rain
water harvesting is collecting rainfall to meet water
needs. A rainwater harvesting system concentrates and
collects for direct use and storage rain falling on the
house and grounds. Free, literally falling from the sky
and unhindered by government regulations, harvesting rainwater
splendidly augments domestic water resources. Water is
collected or harvested from the roof and from catchments
such as gutters. Houses can be designed to maximize the
amount of catchments’ area, thereby increasing rainwater-harvesting
possibilities.
A cistern
is a structure that captures and stores roof runoff.
The collected water can be used for landscape irrigation,
fire suppression, and some interior uses, such as toilets
and washing machines. It is possible to use a cistern
system for household drinking water if it has proper filtration,
inspection and permitting. Cisterns are constructed of
durable material, such as concrete, plastic, polyethylene,
or metal; a sample is shown in Figure 6.
Figure
6: Below-ground Cistern.
from the City of Portland’s web site:http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=127468
Cisterns
range in size from 100 gallons to 10,000 gallons. They
can be placed above ground, underground, or on a rooftop.
A roof washer or filter removes contaminants and debris
before the run off enters the cistern. A pipe from the
cistern conveys the stored water, either by gravity or
pump, to the designated interior or exterior use. In
some instances, an overflow system conveys excess runoff
to a destination location. At sites with irrigated crops
or garden plots the overflow can be conveyed to the onside
area for use. See Figure 7 for a schematic view of a
rooftop rainfall collection-cistern storage system.
Roof
washer /
Preliminary Treatment
|
Figure 7. Rooftop Rainfall Collection-Cistern Storage System.
From
Evaluation of Rooftop Rainfall Collection-Cistern Storage
Systems in Southwest Virginia by Virginia Water Resources
Research Center (1998), retrieved December 1, 2006 from
http://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/pdf/sp3-1998.pdf
Environmental Solutions (Toilet Systems)
Composting
toilets use biological processes to deal with the disposal
and processing of human excrement into organic compost
material. A composting toilet can be defined as a system
that provides an environment within a container for aerobic
(in the presence of oxygen) decomposition and stabilization
of waste. In recent years compost toilet systems have
begun to compete with and replace conventional toilets
as seen in Figure 8.
Figure 8. Compost toilet. Note.
Photo from Envirolet® composting toilets’ catalog page
18.
Composting
toilets reduce the volume of human excreta and other organic
materials on site over months through predominantly mesophilic
composting and yield a fertilizer that is, after the legally
required period of time, able to be utilized in horticultural
or agricultural applications.
Figure 9. Compost toilet system. Note.
Photo from Envirolet® composting toilets’ catalog
page 23.
Composting
toilets are also becoming more common as an accepted alternative
in commercial applications, where the odor-free operation
of a properly functioning unit appeals to some business
owners than conventional toilets, with their consumption
of large quantities of clear water. Composting toilets
have entered the mainstream plumbing realm by being tested
and, if approved, labeled by the internationally acclaimed
National Sanitation Standard (NSF) a testing facility
for all types of water and sanitation products. Composting
toilets have their own testing standard called Standard-41.
Standard-41 can also be tested and awarded by other recognized
testing laboratories such as Canadian Standards Association
(CSA), as long as said agencies are testing to the current
NSF standard and NSF recognizes their testing. The following
chart of standards is provided as part of the Envirolet®
composting toilets’ catalog.
Waterless,
odorless composting toilets ensure that homes can remain
occupied where water is at a premium or unavailable.
This is becoming a very important application for the
technology in areas all over the world where there is
only periodic availability of water.
Fuel Smart (Pellet Stoves)
Pellet
stoves offer high-tech heating. With sky rocketing oil
prices, the cost of heating homes is jumping off the charts.
What can you do? Burning corn, wheat, wood pellets or
other biomass in a pellet stove or furnace creates energy
from sustainable - renewable resources. The following
quote taken from Dell-Point/Duropa’s web site at www.pelletstove.com
reflects the Earth-friendly nature of pellet stove fuels:
“Compared
to fuel oil and natural gas which take millions of years
to form, corn and wheat are renewable and are produced
in less than 180 days. These fuels do not contribute
to climate change; they absorb the same amount of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere during growth as they emit
during combustion.”
Some
homeowners are turning to pellet stoves to provide supplemental
or, in some cases, primary heat as shown in Figure 11.
These corn, wood, wheat pellet and biomass burning stoves
are designed to keep you warm and burn the least amount
of fuel while doing so.
Figure
11. Pellet Stove. Note. Photo taken from Dell-Point
Europa product brochure.
It
was more than 30 years ago, during the 1970s, that the
world faced a significant energy crunch - courtesy of
the oil embargo. That crunch is still here and getting
worse. Energy independence is a matter of survival, today
and forever. There is no need for the world to continue
with its dependence on foreign oil and gas. Energy independence
is a critical, vital, strategic necessity for All Peoples.
The Ultimate Self-Sufficient Home
The
representation of the Ultimate Self-Sufficient Home that
follows is a compilation of graphics and pictures that
have been adapted to present my vision of a self-sufficient
home. The original components can be found at:
- House structure: sustainableDESIGNgroup
http://www.sustainabledesign.com/ index-5.html
- Garden: Village Earth: The
consortium for Sustainable Village-Based Development
http://www.villageearth.org/pages/Projects/Pine_Ridge/index.php
- Pellet Stove: Figure I. Pellet
Stove. Photo taken from Dell-Point Europa product brochure.
- Wind Turbine: http://www.skystreamenergy.com/skystream/product-info/product-photos.aspx
- SIP Building System: This diagram
was taken from a presentation prepared by HY-R Building
Systems and posted at http://www.getenergysmart.org/Files/
Presentations/HY-R%20NYSERDA%20Presentation.ppt a link
from New York State’s Energy Smart web page.
Final Thoughts
As
my project goes forward, these self-sufficient homes will
build a better future for all. We human beings are stewards
of the Earth and it is our responsibility to give this
Earth (our Mother) to future generations in the same or
better condition than we received it. We also have a
moral obligation to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
My wish is that this technology will mature while resources
and conditions are favorable to its development, if not
for single-family use then for extended families or village
use. This technology may stay on the back burner and
simmer in the minds of many creative independent thinkers
on this planet, both on and off the tribal and indigenous
lands, but I believe the technology will come to the forefront
in time and hope it will not be too late for the human
species.
References:
City of Portland. Retrieved November
15, 2006,
from http://www.portlandonline.com/
shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=127468.
Dell-Point
Europa (2006) Product Brochure.
Envirolet® catalog (p. 23).
Real
Goods. Retrieved November 10, 2006, from http://www.gaiam.com/realgoods/
default.htm; http://www.gaiam.com/retail/2/SolarElectric
Skystream.
Retrieved January 5, 2007, from http://www.skystreamenergy.com/
skystream/product-info/product-photos.aspx.
Solar
Electric Systems & Products, Incorporated Advertising
Brochure.
Solar Energy International, “Resource”
link. Retrieved December 1, 2006,
from http://www.solarenergy.org/ resources/olderkids.html#1
sustainableDESIGNgroup.
Retrieved October 1, 2006 from
http://www.sustainabledesign.
com/index-5.html
New York State, Energy Smart. Retrieved
December 4, 2006,
from http://www.getenergysmart.org/
Files/Presentations/HY-R%20NYSERDA%20Presentation.ppt
Village Earth. Retrieved 10/1/2006,
from http://www.villageearth.org/pages/
Projects/Pine_Ridge/index.php
Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University (1998). Retrieved
December 1, 2006 from Evaluation of Rooftop Rainfall
Collection-Cistern Storage Systems in Southwest Virginia
by Virginia Water Resources Research Center, from http://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/pdf/
sp3-1998.pdf
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