Homestead Green Building: Underground and Earth Sheltered Homes

Would you like to live like a mole, or some other burrowing creature?  Awesome!  But that's not what I'm going to talk about.  I'm going to talk about a green home design that has all the benefits of being below ground, but also has lots of windows and light so you don't feel like you're hibernating all the time.  Actually, there are several variations that tend to accomplish the same thing.  The beauty, and the main differences between these techniques is little more than a matter of how much money you want to spend, and much of the work you are willing to do yourself.

People across the face of the earth have been building homes underground or earth covered pretty much since the beginning of people building homes.  From the native Pueblo people digging into hillsides, to the ancient tunnels/homes dug beneath Turkey.  This is- by far- not a new concept.  Now me.... I like caves.  I like the dark.  But I also love opening windows to let fresh air circulate (when weather permits, of course).  And I do, occasionally like letting in a little sunlight.  With an underground home, you can create it to be however dark or light as you like.  Or, if you live with another person who maybe likes it a bit different than you do, it's a very simple thing to work in both lighter and darker spaces, making everyone happy.  Now, most homes described as "underground", really are more or less not.  They can be built partially underground, they can be built above ground with a green roof, they can be built with a surrounding earth berm, as in the earthship design we looked at last week.  But they are all generally referred to as underground homes because a good portion of the insulation and thermal mass comes from the earth itself.

There are a number of methods, designs, materials that can be used.  Like I said above, it all comes down to how much money you want to spend.  I have yet to come across a method that is completely free.  But I'm sure it could be done if you are fortunate enough and willing to do a lot of bargaining for whatever you need.  But the basic principles are pretty much the same across the board.  The biggest concern, no matter the design, will be moisture.  There is a certain amount of moisture naturally within the earth.  There will inevitably be moisture in the form of humidity, rain, and in some regions, snow.  So a really good moisture barrier is essential.  That, and a good design so that when rain and/or snow does fall, it's not going to be trapped right up next to your home, eventually resulting in mold, mildew, rot, or whatever else comes along with water damage.  Once you've got that part of the design figured out, the rest is pretty straightforward and easy peasy.  Dig out where you want your home.  Place a layer of moisture barrier down to keep it from coming up through the floor.  Place your floor.  Build your home.  Put down another layer of moisture barrier outside the home.  Then, depending on your climate and design, you can add insulation, another moisture barrier, and however much earth you want on top of that.  You can use reinforced steel and concrete, like this home.  Or you can go as simple as wood, dirt, and some form of water barrier.  One of the most likely names you'll come across in your hunting will be that of Mike Oehler.  I would highly HIGHLY recommend you read his book "The $50 and Up Underground House Book".  There is such a great wealth of information in there, especially if you want to save as much money as possibly in building your home.  In between these two opposite ends of the spending spectrum, there are many other options as well.  You can even buy land with an old abandoned missile silo to build your home into.  Or take one of the concepts discussed in the "temporary home" posts from a few weeks ago, like the shipping container or one of the prefab designs, and throw it underground.

I am not going to go into any more detail.  There is, once again, way too much information out there, and other people that can explain it much better than I can.  My job is to simply point you in the right direction from which to start your search.  So I am going to end this post with the sites I've gone to to find most of my information that began my research hunt on underground and earth sheltered homes.  All in all, this is a good option for the ultimate in privacy, and for reducing heating and cooling costs.  Don't overlook this idea simply because of some images in your mind of dark and dank places.  They truly can be light and beautiful.

http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Underground_Housing

http://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/the-surprising-facts-about-earth-sheltered-living/

http://www.underground-homes.com/earth-sheltered-homes.htm

http://www.offgridquest.com/index.php?/homes-dwellings/building-methods/the-newest-cave-in-these-400-million-yea

http://www.offgridquest.com/homes-dwellings/home-stylings/underground-build

https://richsoil.com/wofati.jsp

http://www.burrowbureau.com/missile-silos-underground-homes.htm

http://www.undergroundhousedesigns.com/hello-world/

Homestead Green Building: Earthships

This week, we're going to start looking at green building styles.  There are several.  When you are going the route of building your own home, and doing so on a homestead that you want to be off grid, the best way to go about that is to look at green building.  The reason is simply because green building is not only better for your health, and that of the planet.   They will also help significantly with the energy system you choose to use, lowering the amount of overall energy you will consume.  New technologies and building methods have come a very long way in recent years.  But they still don't do the job nearly as well as green methods.  So let's look at some options.

I'm going to start off with an option that you may or may not have heard about: earthships.  While similar ideas have been around for a long time, and have taken on different forms, "earthships" themselves, is an idea and design created by architect Michael Reynolds.  They seem to be based on the concept of a solar pit house.  I'm starting here because I love the concept, and there are a lot of ideas that go into an earthship that can easily be implemented into other building styles.  Earthships are a bit controversial as to the overall sustainability and design.  The basic concept is simple.  There is an outer wall of recycled tires, filled and pounded with dirt, that goes around the back and sides of the building.  A water barrier is placed on the outside of the tires, and then an earth berm is backfilled against this wall.  A metal-framed dome (generally) is placed over the top of the individual rooms for the ceiling/roof.  The front of the house is a wall of glass windows, creating a greenhouse within the house itself.  A "bottle brick" wall is what connects the window wall to the tire walls.  Bottle bricks are either glass bottles that have been cut, and then two bottle bottoms are sealed together at the open edge, thus creating the "brick"; or they an be plastic bottles filled with earth.  These are then placed into a cob wall, or other similar type wall.  This makes the building of the wall itself move quicker, and at the same time, if glass, lets extra light into the space in a colorful and creative way.  There are so many variations of the design, that you can build just about anything you want.  They can be huge, two-story homes, or small and simple.  It's all up to you.

The controversial part tends to focus around two key components of the earthship.  The first is the use of recycled tires.  First off, it is very hard work to do this part of the build.  On average, it takes up to about 2 hours per tire, from what I've read.  They must be placed perfectly, filled with dirt, pounded, leveled, filled, pounded, leveled, filled, and so on.  The tires must be solid and not move at all.  It is hard labor, and easily the toughest and most time consuming part of the entire build.  But what makes it controversial is the debate over whether or not there is any off-gassing from the tires.  There are some studies and experts that say that concealing the tires will cause a build up of gases over time, creating a toxic environment.  At the same time, there are just as many studies and experts that say the tires will only off-gas when outside in the elements and exposed to heat and sunlight.  But once they are filled and surrounded with earth, that danger no longer exists.  So for me, it all comes down to one question: what are you comfortable with?  If you are comfortable with using the tires, go right ahead.  You can generally find them free or cheap from dumps and landfills, or even offer to take them off the hands of shops that would otherwise have to pay to have them hauled off.  They don't have to be in perfect condition.  You're not driving on them.  They just have to still be together enough that when filled with dirt, they can hold together as a solid wall.  If, however, you are not comfortable enough to use the tires, there are other options that can be used.  Some, we're going to look it in the coming weeks as independent building styles.  Just remember that other things must be considered with some of them.  For example, you may need an extra space behind that wall for air to flow as a mold/mildew prevention.  Or you may need a layer of insulation between the wall and the moisture barrier.  Just a few things to keep in mind.

The other controversial aspect of earthships is the window wall.  Now, I've only seen this mentioned in one place, but I think it bears mentioning.  If you are building in an area that doesn't deal with snow loads or things of that nature, you may not have to worry about this one.  However, there is some concern about snow loads laying on a slanted wall of windows.  The heavier the load, the greater the possibility of window cracking/breaking and causing damage to the interior of the home or to anyone unfortunate enough to be standing beneath them when they break.  The reason the windows are slanted in the first place is for optimal light/heat into the home (passive solar).  Personally, I believe this can be resolved with only a slight slant, if any at all, and make sure that the windows are good quality, and are installed correctly.

Most early earthships were quite the sight to see.  Some would even go so far as to call them ugly.  There are some that are somewhat less than aesthetically pleasing.  However, as the idea has garnered more fans, the designs have become as varied as the people that live in them,  This is a bonus, not only with earthships, but with green building in general.  They can be completely unique and personalized.

Another bonus of earthships is the design with an interior greenhouse.  If you live, or are planning to live in a climate where traditional gardens are not possible for a good portion of the year, this makes it possible.  There are some earthships built as far north as Canada which have been known to grow tropical plants within these earthships.  According to some sources, just about anything can be grown inside one.

I will say that through all of my research, the basic idea of an earthship is the route I plan to go, only with a few changes and tweaks.  I'm also planning on using some cob and earth bag techniques in the design.  And maybe a few others.  I believe this design would work well with solar, wind, hydro, or especially the plant based energy systems.  If you are interested in building one of these unique homes, or just want to learn more about them, I highly recommend the website http://earthship.com/.  You can look at floor plans, learn more about the techniques and the man who designed them, schedule a trip to go to New Mexico where they originated to stay in an earthship, learn how to build them hands-on, hire one of their teams to build your earthship for you, and so much more.

Earthships have been built all around the world.  They are relatively new in the green building line-up, and have (and still do) receive a lot of scrutiny both from traditional sources, as well as others within the green building community.  While the concept of using recycled and readily found materials to build your home is a beautiful idea, there are, I think, still some improvements to made.  That being said, I do believe earthships are a good and viable option when looking into green building.  In addition to the official website, there are tons of other sites all over the internet that can provide valuable information.  Not being from the official page, they list pros and cons, the nuts and bolts of what's involved from the perspective of some who have built them, resources, and more.  There is too much information for me to be able to cover it all, so I leave you with a list of really good places to start your research.

http://www.offgridquest.com/index.php?/homes-dwellings/teds-little-house-is-a-modern-looking-ea

http://www.bluerockstation.com/earthship

https://permies.com/t/22562/earthship/tires

http://www.ecosnippets.com/diy/how-we-built-our-earthship/

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/how-to-build-an-earthship-step-by-step-slideshow-video.html

http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/building-an-earthship-zmaz05amzsel.aspx

http://highexistence.com/10-reasons-why-earthships-are-fing-awesome/

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/QandA/earthshipQandA.htm

http://secondhandhomeproject.blogspot.com/2014/09/how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-earthship.html

http://www.survivalparadise.com/incredible-earthship-mansion/

https://www.toptenrealestatedeals.com/homes/featured/2011/the-top-ten-weird-but-wonderful-homes/10/

http://earthshipvillagecolorado.com/category/models

http://www.rockymountainsustainabilitycenter.org/in-the-news/

Homestead Water: Collection and Grey Water Systems

How are we doing so far?  In case you are new to the blog, let me catch you up.  I'm writing a series of posts specifically designed for those who want to build and live in an off the grid homestead, but have absolutely no idea where to start.  And all this from someone who was in the same boat before I started doing research.  Having lived in a "normal" home my entire life, I knew very little about running a homestead.  But I know it's what I want.    So I started doing some research, and that has led me here.  I want to share what I've learned with others in the same frame of mind, but maybe just don't know how to go about it.  So here we are.  All caught up?  Good.

Well, we've talked about temporary housing and various types of alternative energy for your homestead.  So what's next?  Water.  This week I'm talking about water- from collection to system.  And no, you don't have to be a plumber to do this.  Ok, so it might make things a bit easier, but it's not necessary, unless there are codes in your area which dictate that it's done by a professional.  I know how to unclog a drain and how to change and repair the pipes under a sink. That's about it.  But the truth is that when you are building your own home from scratch, it's a relatively simple process.  But let's start at the beginning.

Where does your water come from?  Of course, you can connect to a city water supply.  But if you truly are wanting to go off the grid, that's probably the last thing you want to do.  So you need to find somewhere else to obtain your water.  Now, before I go any further, please- and I can't stress this enough- know what the laws are in the area where you will be building.  Believe it or not, there are a number of places where how you obtain your water is strictly limited.  There are states, counties, and cities and towns all over the U.S. where it is actually illegal to harvest rainwater.  Yes, they have their "reasons".  Personally, I think it's insane and an incredible overreach of power and control.  They simply don't make any sense in any other context.  There are also places where it is required that you are hooked up to city water and power.  Again, I think this is insane.  Common sense would dictate that it would be less of a drain on both water and power sources if individuals were not only allowed, but encouraged to run on their own power.  Another overreach?  I think so.  And if you want to be completely off grid, you might be better off finding another piece of property in an area that doesn't have these laws.  However, it can be beneficial and work in your favor, if you don't mind still having a bit of attachment to the grid.  Most power companies are required to buy back any unused power.  Therefore, you can not only create your own power without an electric bill, but you could actually make a little cash back in the process.  Sadly, there's nothing set up like that for water, so far as I know.  But once you know whether or not your area has any of these laws, make sure you also read them carefully.  They may be set up to only limit one kind of water collection.  And, yes, it may take a lawyer to determine whether or not a loophole may work in your favor, but it may just be worth the effort.  That being said, let's look at types of water collection.

The most commonly known type of water collection is rain barrels.  Sadly, this is also one of the main types of collection that is illegal in those places I referred to above.  But it is one of the easiest set-ups, as well as one of the least expensive.  Make sure that you have some type of gutter and downspout system attached to your roof.  Then it's a simple matter of placing a barrel where the water comes through the downspout, and directly into the barrel.  Beyond that, the set-up can vary.  Choose your barrel, choose your downspout (a rain chain is a beautiful variation on a typical downspout, and much more visually appealing), and then determine how you want to use the water you're collecting.  Some of those laws up above also dictate whether or not you can use collected water for interior use, or specifically for outdoor use only.  The general setup is to have a spicket of some kind attached to the bottom of the barrel from which the water can be withdrawn.  For outdoor use, a basic outdoor faucet that you can attach a garden hose to should be installed.  For interior use, the set-up is similar, but you may want to include some sort of filtering system, both inside of the barrel itself, as well as inside a secondary barrel or some other container.  For most purposes, a combination of sand and charcoal can be used as a filter.  You will also need a pump in order to get it to all of your interior faucets and whatnot.  While this is a very simple option, if you have a larger family where more water is just a matter of fact, then you may have to set up a series of barrels, or consider another method of collection, as the barrels do not hold much.

Similar to the barrel is a water bladder, or even a cistern.  The connections and basic set up are virtually identical to barrels, only these two options are larger for holding greater amounts of water.  Bladders, for example, can be as small as a handheld bladder for use when hiking, to as large as 10,000 gallon capacity.  And, of course, you will need more space in which to set these up.  The difference is whether that space is vertical or horizontal.

Next, something that is a bit of a newer idea, is that of a fog catcher system.  There are a few different variations on this idea.  See here, here and here.  This system would be one that could possibly be used in areas where other options are illegal.  It is an excellent choice in areas that don't get much rain.  Basically, a netting is set up that harvests water straight out of the air.  Think of morning dew on the grass. It shows up even when there is no rain.  That is the type of water that fog catchers harvest.  And along those same lines, is the Warka water tower.  It is a much larger structure, and is even being used in arid places such as Africa.  While Warka is a specific company, the idea is simple enough to be able to build something similar on your own.  With either of these options, you will still have to have something for the water to fall into once it has been collected and condensed.  So you may still end up using one of the containers already mentioned.

Finally, there is the relatively obvious option of drilling a well.  If you're lucky, you may be able to find a piece of property that already has a well.  If not, be aware that this could be quite costly, especially if you have to dig fairly deep.  And, by all means, make sure you have water rights on your property.  It's hard for me to believe, but it's not always a given when obtaining property.

Once you have your water, how are you planning on using it?  For me, I like the idea of installing a grey water system.  The gist of this kind of system is that you harvest your water, but then you can reuse it.  From the point where you collect your water, it goes into sinks, showers, and possibly even your washer.  From there, it goes into any interior plants, and then to your toilets as grey water.  Then, as black water, it goes out to any outdoor plants.  The plants themselves act as a type of filtration system.  I like this concept because you still have enough water for every purpose you might think of, but it uses less than a traditional system.  It would also be easy to use in conjunction with a hydro power system.  You could even set it up with a radiant floor heating system, or even an aquaponics system.  For me, this is a no-brainer idea.  There's just too many benefits to using this type of system.  For a few places to start your research on grey water systems, here are a few good resources.
http://greywateraction.org/contentabout-greywater-reuse/

https://sustainablebuildingdesign.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/lct-greywater-systems/

http://greensmartsc.com/greywater-systems/

http://www.survivopedia.com/reusing-grey-water/

http://naturalhomes.org/permahome/gray-water-systems.htm

If this seems like a simple procedure , well, it really is.  Don't let yourself become overwhelmed.  This may actually be one of the easiest decisions you will make during this entire process.  Enjoy a little simplicity when you can.  But as always, when in doubt, consult a professional.  It's never a bad idea to have a back-up plan.

Homestead Energy: Save as Much as You Can

After the past several weeks of discussing the various types of alternative energy that you could potentially use for your homestead, one thing has been left untouched.  That is "How do you know how much energy you use or need?" That's what I want to discuss today.  Not just figuring out how much energy you currently use, but also various ideas to help cut down on that.

Beginning with the obvious, if you want to go truly "old school" for an incredibly simple lifestyle, there's no need to even worry about any of this.  Go Amish, so to speak.  Live by the sun, no electricity, everything done by hand.  If this is your aim, then by all means, all respect to you.  I couldn't go this route for a few simple reasons.  First of all, I am a night owl.  It's just the way I'm wired.  I have tried and tried in vane to change.  I just can't seem to function any other way.  As a result of that, I need light at night.  Candlelight is beautiful, and has it's place.  But I don't know how feasible that would be on a long term basis.  Beyond that, I have an online business.  I kind of need the internet for that.  That, I may be able to change over time.  But for now, it is what it is.  But even still needing to have some kind of electrical connection, there are ways to drastically cut down on the amount of power you use, and thus, potentially altering the type of energy source you will ultimately decide on.

To get a baseline of what you currently use, the best way is to simply look at your utility bill.  Now, depending on where you are and what is included on that bill, you should be able to determine how many kilowatt hours per month are being used.  You must also think about what it is that is eating up that electricity.  To put it into a little perspective, the number one eater of electricity is central heat/air.  Number two is generally the water heater, followed by the refrigerator coming in at number 3. Then, think of things like your computer, television, radio, or anything else that uses electricity.  Obviously, anything plugged into an outlet eats power.  But did you know that keeping something plugged in, even when it's turned off or otherwise not in use, still pulls power?  Power strips can and do help.  But if there's a plug in an outlet, it's pulling power.  This is called phantom power.  And while it may not seem like a lot, it can add up quite quickly and easily if you're not careful.  A single random plug may not even be noticeable.  However, the more things you have plugged in, the more it can add up, sometimes even up to $20 - $30 a month on your bill.  So while it may be a bit inconvenient, it's always a good idea to unplug everything that is not being used at any given time.

Of course, we all know about energy saving appliances.  Those are definitely a great option to help cut down on your energy usage.  You still might want to unplug those when not in use to limit that phantom power.  But there are options beyond those, as well.  I'm going to cover a few of those here.  Other ideas that can be used in cutting energy uses will be discussed later on when I start discussing the various options for the building of your home, itself.  So let's look at some of these other options out there for saving energy.

If you want some modern conveniences but don't mind a bit of work, try  something like a bicycle powered washing machine.  The loads tend to be smaller than a standard machine.  But that can be customized.  There is a version or two that you can get your hands on for a price.  But why not build your own?  Take a container of whatever size you decide, and hook it up in place of the rear wheel on a standing exercise bike, or as an addition behind the rear of a regular bicycle.  Either way, every time you pedal, you turn the drum.  Add a bit of water and soap, and you have a washing machine.  Drain the soapy water, fill with clean water, pedal again, and rinse.  Easy breezy, right?  There a tons of tutorials building different versions of these things.  Then air dry.  If you really want to up the ante, use this option in conjunction with the pedal powered electricity.  Or, if you would rather not pedal your clothes clean, there is this option of this tiny trash can looking gadget.    Then there are these options.  Get creative here.  It's really the same basic concept, only a different way of moving the water.  Any of these, while using muscle power instead of electricity, land somewhere in the middle between the old fashioned scrub bucket, and the modern machines most of us are used to.  And, even when used alongside air or line drying, no electricity is required.

There is this wonderful idea for washing dishes.  In all honesty, doing the dishes is one of my least favorite things to do.  Paper plates isn't exactly ideal for a number of reasons, so I really like this idea.  Dishwashers, to me are a waste.  They waste so much water, it seems almost ridiculous to have one.  At the same time, it's not always workable to do the dishes by hand, especially if you are cooking for more than one or two people.  That's where this gem comes in handy.  Basically a hand-cranked dishwasher, it's light, it's easy, it's fast.  Cut down on the amount of water used, while using no electricity.  I can see that if you have something really stuck on, this may or may not work, and a little soaking might be needed.  Otherwise, I really love this idea.

Cooking.  I love to cook.  But even an energy saving oven has it's issues.  It's a complete waste if you are cooking for only a couple of people.  For myself and my son, a simple toaster oven does the work nicely.  While not ideal for everyone, I personally like the idea of a wood burning stove.  You may not have much control over the heat, but personally, I like the resulting flavors much better.  Depending on the design, they can have a number of compartments for cooking different things at the same time, some have a separate bread warming area, and there's even the possibility (like with the pedal power) of using it while also creating electricity for your home.  Now while a good wood burning stove may set you back a bit in cost,  you can get a lot of the same benefits from building your own cob oven.  Generally seen outdoors, they can also be use indoors with adequate ventilation.  A solar oven is a very good option, although it may take a little bit longer.  Buy one if you like, or build it yourself.  They're not difficult to make.  Or, so long as you're not wanting to cook anything huge, the GoSun is excellent.  And again, no electricity whatsoever.

Referring back to the top three energy suckers, let's look at number 3- the refrigerator.  Energy saving appliances included, they still suck energy.  Every time the door opens, the light comes on, cold air rushes out, and warm air rushes in.  And then the motor has to kick in to rebalance the temperatures.  No matter what else is going on, that's the basic set-up of he common refrigerator.  But what if you could have a refrigerator, even larger than the one that is currently in your home, but ran literally with no electricity?  Sounds to good to be true, doesn't it?  Well how about this?  It's more or less a modern take on a root cellar.  It's large, and it keeps your food at the ideal temperature.  The only caveat is that it must be placed underground.  If you were to add this to an existing home, it would require either a bit of (potentially expensive) remodeling, or a trip outside any time you want something to eat.  However, if you are building your homestead from scratch, you can easily integrate it into the design of the home.  The same basic idea, but on a much smaller scale, is this container that can easily be built by just about anyone.  Or you can support the entrepreneur who created this.  And not one of them requires a bit of electricity.

Now, what about that water heater- energy sucker number 2?  By now, we probably all know about mass-produced solar water heaters.  They've been on the market for several years now, but can still cost a pretty little penny.  But there is always the option of building one yourself.  There are so many ideas and instructions out there for various ideas when it comes to DIY water heaters.  You can do pretty much anything from adding solar panels to a traditional water heater, wrapping copper coils filled with water around a heating element, such as the exhaust pipe from a wood stove, running the water pipes/tubes under a pile of compost,  or any number of designs similar to this.  These ideas can be used for everything from heating water for our shower, to running through a radiant heated flooring system.  The size of your tank(s) and pipes/tubes all depends on how much hot water you need.  But then, you could always forego any of that, and either just use cold water (burr!!) or heat it up over a fire, bucket by bucket, just as they did in the days of old.  No?  I don't blame you.  I wouldn't want to follow through with either of those options, either.  But any of the other options mentioned above can get the job done, some, fairly quickly, and again- not requiring a bit of electricity.  For other options, look here, here, here, or here.

Now for the gigantic elephant in the room.  That number one energy sucker.  We all want to be comfortable.  It helps us sleep better, work better, think better, and just overall function better.  Too hot or too cold, and you just don't feel like doing anything.  But even here, there are ways to drastically cut your energy consumption.  The best place to start, I think, is utilizing passive solar energy.  This may not always be an option, but if you get to choose your property, and the location of the house on that property, then you can make it so that passive solar is an option.  Now what this does, is that it utilizes the position of the sun to aid in heating/cooling your home.  Orient the home so that there is a large bank of windows directed towards the equator for greater exposure to the sun.  Meaning that if you live in the northern hemisphere, you'll want a southern facing view.  Or if you're in the southern hemisphere, you want that view facing north.  The key is that you also want a good overhang on those windows, and here's why.  In the summer, the sun rides higher across the sky.  The closer to noon, and the more heat coming down, the less it will come into your home if there is an overhang or some other form of shade over those windows.  By the same token, in the winter, the sun rides lower in the sky.  Those windows being aimed towards the equator will increase the duration of the sunlight that comes in, both keeping artificial lighting to a minimum, as well as using the heat of the sun to warm your home.  Along those lines, have you seen this house that actually rotates around to follow the sun?  Pretty cool, although maybe a bit more maintenance in order to keep everything running and moving smoothly.  If you live in warmer climates, there are number of ways to keep cool, from fans, airflow design, diy air conditioners of just about any size, to even this simple idea of cooling off your air.  Or how about a 3D printed "cool brick"?  On the other side of the spectrum is keeping warm in cooler climates.  This could be something as easy as sitting in front of a nice warm fire, to heating the air throughout your home with one of these homemade air heaters, using radiant floor heating, or even the idea of a building material that not only absorbs and retains heat as the sun shines on it, or as fire warms it, and then it slowly releases that heat out into the home over time.  Cob and adobe are both excellent natural examples of these types of materials.  Rocket mass heaters/stoves are also a very good option.  Or there are these glass tiles.  Now while glass tiles have been around for years, this system is designed specifically to capture heat, and move it throughout the home.

As you can clearly see, there are many many many options out there for ways and methods of cutting down on your energy needs.  And what I've mentioned here is merely scratching the surface.  There is even this contraption that uses gravity to power a light bulb.  I know I've said it many times before, and I'm very certain that I'll say it many times again in the future, but the only limit is your imagination.  This just flies across the board.  If you can dream or envision it, then you can make it a reality.  Yes, you will need some sort of electricity if you want to have internet, television, or anything like that.  But in almost every other way, even when it comes to the most energy consuming products on the market, you can actually cut your usage down to almost nothing.  And in cutting down your energy consumption, you cut your expenses in whatever alternative energy system you decide to implement.