Recent content by AndyH

The place in Detroit looks like one of the growing list of small greenhouse-type buildings. They're easier to do in many locations that are locked-down by building departments. Hopefully it leads to change. Glad to hear your property is draining better. I lived for a while in Fenton -...

FYI - there's an Earthship Academy grad nearby. I don't know the person or what other skills or experience they bring to the table. To be an official regional point of contact and use the words "Earthship" and/or "Biotecture" in their activity, they must graduate from an Earthship Academy...

The very first thing you must do is an energy audit. You cannot size your power system until you know what you power, for how long, and how often. Here are a couple of overview articles from the off-grid source, Home Power magazine. The PDF includes a worksheet and instructions...

Hi George, Yes, it's a very wet spring up there. Feel free to send some water this way - we just went to stage 3 water restrictions earlier than any year in history. I think your spring observations will be very useful as time goes on. It sounds like you'll need to at least provide...

I whole heartedly agree with your position and decisions, prius. No worries at all. I'm in a similar position in that I'm long past thinking that modern society has a real clue. ;) I want to get back to something resembling a normal life, want to permaculture the hell out of a piece of land...

Depends on the person and the house. PassivHaus practitioners in central Alaska have found that building to the PassivHaus/Passive House spec reduces energy demand by 85-90%. Most of the building's heat can be supplied by cooking, humans, and hot water use (heating the house when one takes a...

I do understand - I've been where you appear to be. It all looks hard - looks strange. Cob? Stucco? Natural plasters? Tires? WTF?! That's why I'm trying to at least clear up the obvious misconceptions -- because now I know it's all much easier than working with 2x4s or pulling romex or...

Yes - the tires and other products are selected because they are universal waste products of modern civilization - they're raw materials that are easier and less expensive to find almost anywhere on the planet than wood. Mike Reynolds makes that very clear in his writing and lectures. While...

George - the frost line and conventional footing process assumes that the ground surrounding the foundation is exposed to ambient conditions and will freeze. This doesn't apply to an Earthship. This isn't an underground house. Assuming a Global Model - the back/East/West walls do not require...

I feel your pain - I'm originally from Michigan - Flint area and way up north in the Keewenaw. Gotta love lake effect snow. ;) Not sure how old you are, but this year's polar vortex anomaly was a taste of what was normal weather in the 1970s. ;) As I said - these buildings work in that...

Ah - two more items. Roof angle/solar penetration in winter. The building angles work. Here's an early-morning photo from the place I rented in Taos: Greywater and food: There are no ugly metals or chemicals in Earthship grey water. The greywater system collects and treats water from the...

Great topic! Very happy to see Earthships getting some much deserved attention! Some random quick comments based on the first read-thru... - Tires/outgassing/degrading - Not an issue. This has been studied in the 'University of Anecdotes' - like the woman that's so sensitive to rubber and...

Congrats on the record! While we're including other EVs, don't forget White Zombie and her 10.248 / 123.79 in late 2010 with a Kokam pack. ;) http://www.nedra.com/pg_white_zombie.html edit...x88x got to the Zombie first - thanks!

Gack - I'm not dead yet! Sorry Oatnet - looks like my site's been attacked again. I'll fix the redirect. :( Part of the 'fun' of using shared hosting - someone gets into one site and can 'play' with everyone else's. I'm out of 45mm connecting brass straps (I have a small emergency...

Oww! That hurts! :D In my defense, I didn't have instructions. ;) (Pretty shaky, no? So much for assuming...) Crap. Just reversed the caps on my 21 channel V4.3.6 board. 19 good, 1 slightly swollen, one leaking like, well, a popped cap. Thanks for the catch, guys.