undergroundbound - Earthships - Houses of the Future

Written by Donnie Lusion

Ever since I first heard of them about five years ago I dream of having one. Earthships are unique looking houses partly made of byproducts of the capitalistic society like tires, bottles or cans. Earthships heat and cool themselves naturally via solar or thermal dynamics, they collect their own power from the sun and the wind, they harvest their own water from rain and snow melt, they treat their own sewage locally and produce food in significant quantities.

The Earthship was designed as a structure that would exist in harmony with its environment and be freed from the constraints of modern shelters which rely on centralized utilities. An Earthship is a type of passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials. They are constructed to work autonomously by utilizing the available local resources, especially energy from the sun and wind. DC energy from photovoltaic solar panels and windturbines is stored in several types of deep-cycle batteries. A Power Organizing Module is used to take stored energy from batteries and invert it for AC use. The energy run through the Power Organizing Module can be used to run any house-hold appliance. Generally, none of the electrical energy in an Earthship is used for heating or cooling.

In a climate where heating is required the earthship is positioned facing directly towards the equator for optimum solar exposure so that the sun provides heating, ventilation, and lighting. The solar-orientated wall is angled so that it is perpendicular to light from the winter sun. This allows for maximum exposure in the winter, when heat is wanted, and lesser exposure in the summer, when heat is to be avoided. Earthships built in colder climates use insulated shading on the solar-orientated wall to reduce heat loss during the night.

The walls are generally made of earth-filled tires, utilising thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature. Another big advantage of rubber tires, besides making a wind- and puncture- resistant wall, is that they are usually free and it is even possible that you get paid to take them. The load-bearing walls of an Earthship, which are made from steel-belted tires rammed with earth, provide a dense thermal mass that will soak up solar heat during the day and radiate heat during the night, keeping the interior climate relatively comfortable all day. Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are usually thickly plastered with stucco. The roof of an Earthship is heavily insulated often with earth or adobe for added energy efficiency.

The earthships usually use their own special natural ventilation system which sucks cold air in and warm air out.
Earthships rely on a balance between the solar heat gain and the ability of the tire walls and subsoil to transport and store heat.

Earthships are designed to catch and use water from the local environment, harvested from rain or snow. A water organization module filters out bacteria and makes it suitable for drinking. The Water is pushed into a conventional pressure tank to create common household water pressure. A solar heating system provides warm water. Filtered waste-water from sinks and showers is used for flushing toilets. On-site processing of runoff water using plant beds reduces the environmental impact of the building.

The Earthship, as it exists today, began to take shape in the 1970s. Mike Reynolds, founder of Earthship Biotecture, a company that specializes in designing and building Earthships, wanted to create a home that would do three things; first, it would be sustainable, using material indigenous to the entire planet as well as recycled materials wherever possible. Second, the homes would rely on natural energy sources and be independent from the “grid”, therefore being less susceptible to natural disasters and free from the electrical and water lines that Reynolds considered unsightly and wasteful. Finally, it would be economically feasible for the average person with no specialized construction skills to be able to create. Currently, Earthships are in use in almost every state in the United States, as well as many countries in Europe.

The Greater World Community in Taos, New Mexico that consists entirely of earthships serves as an example of what the future could look like. This whole community produces their own energy, harvests their own water, contains and treats their own sewage, manufactures bio-diesel, and grows a great deal of their own food. The buildings also heat and cool themselves all the while utilizing the discarded materials of our society. This community attempts to lead a non-destructive existence that removes stress from the lives of people and the planet.