New Super Economical Houses Made from Foam!

February 6th, 2010 · Alternative Housing, News

After nearly two centuries of brick and wood houses, a new building material is finally inching its way to mainstream home construction. And it’s a material few would expect – expanded polystyrene (EPS).

Expanded Polystyrene is very similar to conventional styrofoam (XEPS) except that it retains its insulating value indefinitely. This is because it is made entirely of air – not special gases which can ‘leak out’ over time.

At first glance, you might expect that polystyrene would make a poor choice for building houses. But when backed with a supporting material such as steel or cement, it has numerous advantages.

Houses built with polystyrene panels are up to 80% more energy efficient and 20% cheaper to build than conventional homes. They are also easier to build, more quiet, less toxic, and highly resistant to earthquake damage due to a high strength to weight ratio.

More companies are trying their hands at polystyrene home construction every day. A few of them include:

This means future home owners will have an increasing number of economical, environmentally friendly materials to choose from when building their new house.

Join the StyroHome Construction group at Ning…
See how polystyrene panels have helped homelessness in Afghanistan…

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College Students Go ‘Off Grid’ and ‘Off Campus’ with Alternative Housing

January 18th, 2010 · News, Off-grid, Alternative Energy

In a unique display of creativity, three college students have built their own economical houses as alternatives to living in dorm rooms.

Brett Butler, 24, set up his own Teepee in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is 256 square feet on a wooden platform and uses a wood burning stove for heat.

Jake Weller, 19, built a geodesic dome at Juniata College in central Pennsylvania.  His dome is equipped with a kerosene heater, 12 volt solar array, and composting toilet. In total it cost him $2300.

Ann Holley, 29, and Darren Macca, 39, built a miniature house on Alfred University’s upstate New York campus. Dubbed Protohaus, its features include 127 square feet of living space, a ‘wheeled’ platform for mobility, solar panels, and a composting toilet. Total cost? $25,000.

Read More and See a Slideshow…

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Pueblo Indians Harness Solar Energy for Alternative Income

January 14th, 2010 · News, Off-grid, Alternative Energy

The Pueblo indian tribe based in New Mexico is building the United State’s first grid connected utility solar power plant on tribal land.

The Pueblo hope the project will yield approximately 1 million dollars annually for the next 25 years, a sum much needed to rebuild their antiquated water supply and treatment system.

The 3000 member tribe, which holds nature sacred, sees solar energy as a way to create an alternative, balanced, sustainable living for its members.

Read more from MSNBC…

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