What I Wanted in my Renewable Energy House

I now knew what I wanted to do with my new little house. I decided on some basic criteria. The house had to be efficient. It had to be convenient to live in. It had to have all the normal house stuff that we Westerners take for granted, such as good cooking facilities, indoor plumbing, bathroom, shower, electricity, etc. But there was a big catch. In keeping with the spirit of Winter Lake Research Center, all utilities, including electricity, cooking, heating and other utilities, had to be from renewable sources. The only exception is telephone service.
I have been living in the main apartment with renewable energy for about a year and a half now. About fifty percent of my current energy use is renewable and a further fifteen percent is alternative, in other words, unusual but not renewable.
I decided on a mix of solar, biomass and other exotic technologies. I wanted the house to be a full demonstration house to make a point. The point is: "See, it can be done on limited means".
Here are a few pictures of the house from April 3, 2009. It is gutted out and ready to be renewed. The square footage is 175 square feet.













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