House for the next century

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33480, 11 March 1974, Page 6

House for the next century

; (N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) ! CAMBRIDGE

(England).

A Cambridge research group plans to build a house this year that will be run solely by the sun, the wind, the rain, and the waste of its occupants.

The team which believes that the world faces huge new energy shortages, hopes to create a house for the future which can exist by itself, generating its own sources of power from Nature alone. The house, the team hopes, will be entirely independent of outside systems of electricity, gas, oil, water, and sewerage. “We are not trying to create a house for a dropout society or for ecology freaks, but one that will allow us to maintain our present standard of living with no more sacrifices than we will have to make when we run into future energy crises in 20 to 30 years,” says Mr Alexander Pike, head of the team. METHANE GAS

“Our houses contribute much to our suicidal waste of energy. We can use our own waste, including our excrement. to provide methane gas for cooking.

“Our baths have not improved since Minoan Crete—much of the heat runs out with the bath ' water. We feel we can recapture the heat and recycle the bath water, using both again. "We can use the sun and the wind to provide heat and light for out houses, and run our refrigerators. If we cannot generate quite enough power in our selfsufficient homes, we do not think it is going to diminish iour living standards to dispense with such items as [electric carving knives.” In Mr Pike’s group there [are engineers, biologists, chemists, and architects.

They believe that they have already worked out the essential ideas for their selfsufficient house, and expect to begin experimenting with its various systems in May. If all goes well, they expect construction to begin later this year. British Government grants are paying for the research into the to provide power; rain to [provide water requirements; excrement, food, and garden wastes to provide gas for cooking; and new designs to recapture and recycle lost heat and water. The south side of the house will combine gas with new ideas of trapping the sun’s heat. This solar energy will produce domestic hot water and warm air for space heating. When the sun is not [shining, stored solar energy ;will be recalled from a heatI storage unit under the house. WIND POWER Wind power will generate electricity for lighting, fans, pumps, auxiliary hot-water heaters, and refrigerators. j “Nobody wants to live 1 among forests of windmills,” | Mr Pike said. “We believe 'we may have an answer by using rotary vanes which can be integrated into the design of the roof of the house. Wind-generated power that is not used to power the house will be stored in batteries.” A miniature sewerage plant—a “digestor” in a concrete tank under the house—will provide methane gas for cooking. “The effluent of an

* average family can generate) ' about 11 cu. ft per person [ of methane a day,” Mr Pike j said. “This is not enough for cooking purposes. You could • keep goats in the cellar to I i produce more manure, but ’ ■ nobody wants to do that in ’.a city. J “We think, however, we . can get enough power for j cooking through using food r and garden wastes as well, j through our solar energy to t equipment that will go into the house, and help from , private industry is expected ' to pay for the construction. ; Mr Pike and his colleagues expect that they t will combine in one in- » tegrated system many print ciples that previously have f been used in isolation: solar . energy to provide heat; wind heat water for cooking and ' through the redesign of kitchen utensils and stoves.” ROOF WATER ’ Water will be collected r 1 from the roof. The sun will heat some of it for personal > washing. A wind-power sink -heater will provide hot > water, combined with high--pressure sprays for dishwashi.ing. >1 Warm, soapy water will be j .[stored under the “sewage, II farm” and provide the heat! > I that the sewage needs. When i[ cold, the soap will be filtered out. the water neutralised, >;and used again for other pur- ' I poses. ■ “We can reuse water at] [•[different levels of purity.] i-Pure drinking water is not!

needed for all functions,” Mr Pike said.

“We hope to get data from this experiment that will help us find new ways to live and use our energy resources wisely so that we can meet the year 2000 without diminution of our present life styles.”