Let's design ECO-HOME

[JPWRana]

With today's SOARING costs for:

1) gas
2) house
3) medical stuff

There needs to be way's to reduce money.

How would you design a house (architecture major's welcomed) that would save you money in the long run?

I had a few idea's, so I'll share first, since this is my thread.

1) Shingle style solar panels

2) "smart" Plastic tubing (not PVC)

3) Biodegradable home unit

anyone else?

[Admin]

Conserve the usage of water and electricity. Make sure that all faucets do not drip unnecessary water. If you really want to know more about eco-homes, you should research on the new houses being built in Las Vegas and the outerskirts of Vegas. Many of those town-houses are being built with the latest technology to conserve resources.

Can you tell us more about biodegradable homes? I have never heard of it.

[JPWRana]

good idea.

Recycling wash water and urine will help reduce water bill.

Make exercising bike generate electicity.

no no... by biodegradable, i mean that trash is just stored somewhere (outside) and in time its converted to maneuver.

[ElZopelote]

for what it is worth (if you really want to get anal about it, tiled solar panels are heavy and use a lot of cabling that would otherwise be unnecessary, a better idea may be to use the large-cell solar panels, the ones that are like 5x8, two of those used to power our washing machine a couple lights and the TV at once.
they are actually probably more cost-effective too.
we had them lain on ~25 degree angle facing east in the morning, at ~noon we would turn them and then turn them again just before it got dark wed turn them east agian. If we werent using anything we had them charge batteries that could power lights or whatever during the night.
anyways, a bit superfluous, but theres my two cents

overhead cost for all the equipment needed is going to be so high that it's not going to be worth the effort. and let's say that the equipment will actually start to pay for it self after 10-15+ years of usage. then again, maintainence and repair cost is so high that long term usage is not going to help any. for example, water filters and pump need to be constantly replaced and maintained, solar panel has relatively short life span and it requires to replaced after certain years of usage. same for hybrid cars. it's a good attempt to save the environment, but in economical sense people need to find ways to lower prices. i think we have the technology out there to make it cheaper, but corporate giants want to you to be depended on them - so that they can make money~

biodegradable? that's whole another story

[ElZopelote]

10-15 years? um... no. Is this thread to save money, (economic) or save the planet?
water filters are not the way to go. we set up one water pump that pumped our water off of the electricity drawn by the solar panels, pumped it up to a settling tank on the top of this hill behind our house, and then gravity supplied water pressure.
I lived out there for 13 years, and we never replaced them, and my parents bought them when they got married for less than 12k together (we had two) and they were married for twenty years.

our water came out of a nearby river, we had a pipe drilled with holes to filter out the big stuff, then we settled the rest in the tank before it came into our house. to my knowledge we never got sick from the water, but it would be extremely ineffective in the city, since everythign is flat, and the settling wouldnt really work if the water is 5% urine. lol


and i seriously think that PVC would probabaly be better. although it is plastic, you never have to replace it, not having done any research i dont know anyhting about smary piping, so ill be quiet now.

btw, how easy is it to get to that ag farm store on the outside of the campus? (pomona)

[JPWRana]

Originally Posted by blupixelz

overhead cost for all the equipment needed is going to be so high that it's not going to be worth the effort. and let's say that the equipment will actually start to pay for it self after 10-15+ years of usage. then again, maintainence and repair cost is so high that long term usage is not going to help any. for example, water filters and pump need to be constantly replaced and maintained, solar panel has relatively short life span and it requires to replaced after certain years of usage. same for hybrid cars. it's a good attempt to save the environment, but in economical sense people need to find ways to lower prices. i think we have the technology out there to make it cheaper, but corporate giants want to you to be depended on them - so that they can make money~

biodegradable? that's whole another story

Solar panels right now that are in their decades, AND ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE DEGRADED, they aren't running at only 10% of their original power, they have degraded maybe only 20% of their ORIGINAL out puts.

I know that for hybrid cars, the battery is supposed to last like 5-8 yrs... and then a new one costs like $5000 (based on Toyota's figure) so I really don't like that idea, but as we give time for Hybrids to mature, the quirks will be worked out.

You are right about corporate giants making us depend on that stuff. It's sad.

[JPWRana]

Originally Posted by ElZopelote

10-15 years? um... no. Is this thread to save money, (economic) or save the planet?
water filters are not the way to go. we set up one water pump that pumped our water off of the electricity drawn by the solar panels, pumped it up to a settling tank on the top of this hill behind our house, and then gravity supplied water pressure.
I lived out there for 13 years, and we never replaced them, and my parents bought them when they got married for less than 12k together (we had two) and they were married for twenty years.

our water came out of a nearby river, we had a pipe drilled with holes to filter out the big stuff, then we settled the rest in the tank before it came into our house. to my knowledge we never got sick from the water, but it would be extremely ineffective in the city, since everythign is flat, and the settling wouldnt really work if the water is 5% urine. lol


and i seriously think that PVC would probabaly be better. although it is plastic, you never have to replace it, not having done any research i dont know anyhting about smary piping, so ill be quiet now.

btw, how easy is it to get to that ag farm store on the outside of the campus? (pomona)

I have heard of new piping technology called "smart pipes" where they are those clear see-through bendable hoses, where they have something like "memory recall" where if u change something on it and then place it back, it remembers its original shape. If u guys like, i'll try 2 find that kind of stuff online.

I also remember reading in a Popular Science article about a fridge that doesn't require freon to keep cool. It uses coils and other stuff... meaning ultimately only electricity will be the cost (which still is anyways), but @ $50k, I think i'll wait a little while, cuz the cost to benefit ratio would still not be in my favor.

[JPWRana]

Originally Posted by ElZopelote

for what it is worth (if you really want to get anal about it, tiled solar panels are heavy and use a lot of cabling that would otherwise be unnecessary, a better idea may be to use the large-cell solar panels, the ones that are like 5x8, two of those used to power our washing machine a couple lights and the TV at once.
they are actually probably more cost-effective too.
we had them lain on ~25 degree angle facing east in the morning, at ~noon we would turn them and then turn them again just before it got dark wed turn them east agian. If we werent using anything we had them charge batteries that could power lights or whatever during the night.
anyways, a bit superfluous, but theres my two cents

yeah, your right (i guess, they never talk about the cabling in the solar shingles adds), but it makes a roof look MUCH MORE NATURAL TO A REAL HOME, rather than some Jetson's or Futurama house.

Now, if you make them turn, that means that it has mechanical components, and if thats the case, now you need to introduce maintenance, because all moving parts are prone to wear, tear, and breakdowns.

[david90]

Originally Posted by JPWRana

good idea.

Recycling wash water and urine will help reduce water bill.

Make exercising bike generate electicity.

no no... by biodegradable, i mean that trash is just stored somewhere (outside) and in time its converted to maneuver.

recycling urine is nasty. Unless ur in space or something where resources are limited, there should be no reason why u should recycle urine. Even if the urine comes out clean, its still nasty.

Is there technology to recycle poo into hot fudge?

[david90]

Originally Posted by JPWRana

With today's SOARING costs for:

1) gas
2) house
3) medical stuff

There needs to be way's to reduce money.

How would you design a house (architecture major's welcomed) that would save you money in the long run?

I had a few idea's, so I'll share first, since this is my thread.

1) Shingle style solar panels

2) "smart" Plastic tubing (not PVC)

3) Biodegradable home unit

anyone else?

what do u mean be biodegraable home unit? U want a house that riots away while ur on vacation?

[JPWRana]

Originally Posted by david90

recycling urine is nasty. Unless ur in space or something where resources are limited, there should be no reason why u should recycle urine. Even if the urine comes out clean, its still nasty.

Is there technology to recycle poo into hot fudge?

It's people like you david that are so negative about technology.

If this were to be tried, YOU WILL NOT BE DRINKING URINE... I PROMISE U THAT. You will be drinking fresh clean water... NOT URINE.

and btw, IT WILL HAPPEN IN LA eventually (los angeles, not Louisiana). In my ethics class (EGR 403) we had the head of LADWP come and teach us, and he said this will happen in less than 10 yrs, especially since IT'S ALREADY SET UP.

[JPWRana]

Originally Posted by david90

what do u mean be biodegraable home unit? U want a house that riots away while ur on vacation?

David, please be smart and read all the posts... because I can tell you definately missed post #3.

[Eric]

Sounds like you are having us doing your homework.

[JPWRana]

Originally Posted by Eric

Sounds like you are having us doing your homework.

This is my last quarter at calpoly. I am taking:

MFE 476: Advanced Manufacturing Processes
IE 429: Simulation
IE 419: Reliability
MFE 226: Dimensioning and tolerancing

these courses have to do with environment, architecture, electricity, etc.

My courses deal with manufacturing. They are not related.

Also, its been 2 weeks since my 1st post. If it was hw, it would have been turned in by now.

The purpose of this thread is to see what other ppl know or their experience in what would be the best regarding the theme i brought up in the thread.

If this were homework help, it would be posted under "Classwork and Homework" ... not "General Discussions"