It's the fundamental starting point for low-energy! "passive solar design" is a good web search phrase, to learn more. Combine that with superinsulation, and ANY high-efficiency heating/cooling/lighting, and you're well ahead of the game.
This is great to show how opulence can still be energy efficient. Too many anti-greens complain about giving up comforts. The show started by explaining this home is away from what they usually showcase. A high end example for sure.
I'm all for someone building what they dream of. It's what they worked for and made it happen. No matter the size the house. I for one see this as a very productive, practical and yes green house.
I liked the energy efficient idea. What I'd like to see is a house that is small and comfortable and accommodates a family of three efficiently with a smart flowing design.
+Phresh Ideas + Designs What?! Let the man talk, he's smart, he tells all the technical details people need to know if they wanted to build this kind of house. Wife, she can make a cooking show in passive solar house, show us how to prepare and store food in such unconventional living environment. Chill sir, everybody's doing what one is best at.
I am on the same page with Casey and Natasha and congratulate them! Being an example is a powerful way to lead change - to stop building the least efficient cheapest homes which consume much more energy, whilst also using materials which are sensitive to creating mold, and using toxic materials whilst also have a shorter lifetime, higher maintenance, is to start building homes with both eyes open looking at the effect of the whole home industry. It is not difficult nor expensive to build homes which consume way less and loads the environment much less. It is great to see agents of change, people who will pay the extra money to be pioneers and lead the way towards helping change the building code itself and also the main line home construction industry to much more sustainable track. Reality is that nothing changes unless people who can afford and are committed to change exist. I am with my spouse also in the process of building an upscale eco home for very similar reasons as Casey and Natasha, the actual target is producing more energy than we consume, growing own food and having virtually zero bills for any utilities, with a very long life time for the home. - The best example of changing one whole industry to me is Tesla - it is an upscale car and thus can be called elitist. Yet, without it we would be waiting who knows for how long for a meaningful change. All existing car manufacturing industry would seriously have dragged their feet, if it was not for the enormous success of Tesla winning so much ground, with a much more sustainable vision and reality of car transportation. Lets see what and how much needs to be proven to make the building industry more sustainable, healthier and sensible.
Using a PV system to sell energy back to the grid is such a powerful idea if it could be scaled up. Houses become mini power plants that use existing grid systems. Utility companies focus on managing and distributing power rather than generating it.
This is definitely where we should be heading. If the average house generated just 15 to 20 percent more energy than it uses and sells the surplus to the grid, that would enable a massive reduction in fossil fuel consumption. This should already be the norm in sunny climates.
We needed to solve the humidity problem in our basement and were tired of using the old technology of running a dehumidifier (which costs a lot to operate and never gets rid of the toxic basement air), so we decided to buy a product called the Breeze. It has a gentle exhaust fan (115 cfm) that is rated for continuous operation, controlled by a humidistat. Instead of treating the toxic and humid basement air, it exhausts it, creating a vacuum that draws the "conditioned" air from the home's first floor into, to take its place. The results are nothing short of miraculous. The air quality in the basement has improved dramatically and we've been able to unplug the energy drawing dehumidifier. The Breeze costs pennies a week to run. No filters or drains are needed. The company sells one and two-fan models that cost from $299 to $449 and carry a 5-year warranty. I strongly recommend the appliance, especially if you’re interested in energy efficiency. It's available on the company website (breezesystemsinternational.com) or on Amazon and Ebay. Much cheaper than the $1,500 to $2,000 units sold by Wave Ventilation, Humidex or EZ Breathe. Now our dry basement also has healthy air!
There is no way, I or I assume many others could afford to do what they did, but I do thank you for making the video. I just kept smh, thinking that this is a whole lot of space for 3 people. It was beautiful and functional. Keep the great videos coming.
Hats off to this guys.. What a brilliant masterpiece of creativity... 4000units of house but run entirely on natural abundant sources...That's something we must learn than to pollute.. Exploring alternatives..You guys are awesome.!
My favorite part was the waste water heat reclaimer (hope I said that right). Never thought of all the energy was going down the drain. Water yes but heat is never thought about.
Interesting change of pace for you guys, I really enjoyed it! Alternative living doesn't always mean "going without" or doing everything absolutely perfectly. They made up their minds about what was important to them, and in the end they definitely made a positive impact.
+Jon Decker thank you so much for watching! We're glad you liked the video and agree that there's more than one way to have a positive impact in the world . We're all just doing our best :)
Nice house, like it. The amount of effort and ingenuity it takes to do this is impressive. The positive impact for the owners and the environment is significant.
Oriented to the South but wood floors. I don't see where the thermal mass is (Concrete floors/wall etc) to temper the temperature swings and store the thermal energy to be released at night. I would be interested to know if they have addressed this in a non-obvious way. I also see people commenting negatively about the size of the home and it not being eco enough. I applaud these people for doing what they have done even though I do find the amount of space to conflict with green ideology. As role models I think this kind of project is much more appealing to many than radical ideas like tiny houses. Good job guys and the space is beautiful.
Right. It should have heavy tile near the windows at least. And you're right about size. If you want a large, luxurious house and make it passively heated and cooled, you aren't polluting or anything. You're just occupying more of the lot. And it's smart, because you're putting more of your money in your house (equity) instead of in utility payments (total loss). I pay about $1000 mortgage and $500 utilities every month. $500 a month is $120k over 20 years. That's huge! I'd much rather be paying that as part of the mortgage, which builds equity and which eventually gets paid off.
I think you answered your own question. If you have a large enough house and good insulation, your house is the thermal mass. Sure you need tile or concrete for a small house, but 4000 sq feet isn’t gonna cool off quickly.
we like the sign that says attitude of gratitude, great motto, very good ideas, and like how you implement materials that make sense, God bless you abundantly
So many haters! I loved this video and the family seems super sweet and caring. I think this has a wider reach to those of us who don’t want to live in a significant small space. Which is a big thing, guys. This spreads awareness across options, which makes living in harmony with nature more appealing and accessible to *everyone*. So very inspiring! 💛
I appreciate that they actually did none of the work to construct their home as much as I appreciate their dedication to passive solar and permaculture design. They did the research, and THAT is most of the actual work.
Actually, once you've researched and designed a few homes it gets pretty easy. Trust me, building is hard work. My wife and I have built two with our own hands and no subcontractors. The latest one (I'm sitting in the living room now) is super-insulated and off-grid with triple glazed windows and blown-in cellulose in double-stud walls.
@@paulmaxwell8851 Yes. I've been building homes in Colorado for 15 years: Passive solar, Earthships, adobe with smart architecture and Permaculture Design principles. What are double stud walls? Staggering attachment to outside wall, then inside wall with the next stud?
I love hearing about these stories especially since they are from Ontario (where we live). My husband and I have studied eco friendly living, tiny homes..etc style of living for years. Everyone pretty much tells us it's impossible because Ontario building codes are very refined and strict but we are learning through other's experiences that it's not impossible.
Definitely a cool home, hopefully the future. I LOVE those pipes that the water heats and cools all in one: genius! Although that's a pretty big lawn for a green building. They could use some of the space to grow some of their food!
That house is huge. Only rich people can afford to build something like that. It would be nice to see videos of environmentally friendly homes that are cheaper.
Thanks for sharing your ideas, keep up the good work and good luck in the future. I believe passive solar should be used whenever possible, I've been doing it for 40 years. So simple and it works. Just get as much glass facing south as possible and cut out the summer sun with the overhang. That's it. All our subdivisions could do it if developers cared about anything other than money. Guess that won't be happening anytime soon. Cheers
They will save so much money on their utility bills each month. This house is probably the closest thing to a house on mars. Self-sufficient, internal air filter and almost no energy loss.
I have a passive house that i helped build,too old to do it myself anymore in germany. I will list the things that we did differently - We have 13.5 cm of solid wood as the shell of the house , This provides a bit of thermal mass to prevent quick changes in temp. Then we have 14 cm of wood fiber insulation on the outside . On top of this insulation are vertical furring strips that are vented at the bottom and top and are also used to attach the wood siding. We used triple pane tilt and turn windows that use a powder coated metal sill . this sill is attached in a groove under the window and extends out over the outside insulation and siding . It will never leak for the life of the windows. Our main heating is with a two ton soapstone wood oven that is run for two to three hours every other day or so. It takes about three days for the house to cool down but because i like it hot , i fire it more often . We live next to a large forest area so there is a constant supply of left over wood from the timber companies. Ventilation is non mechanical . We open some windows in the morning and evening to allow for fresh air. We don't worry about pollutants because the materials of the house including rugs, furniture bedding, everything , is from natural sources . The back up heating ( radiators ) and hot water is from a wood pellet oven in the basement with seven tons of storage in a separate enclosed room. We had to have this system because of local codes . If we went with an all electric system we would have to spend an additional twenty thousand for solar electrical . I wouldn't do the pellet system again if i had the choice. Too much maintenance and too much destruction of forests to supply pellets. I might change it when it gets old and tired. Anyway the house is super comfortable to live in. very quiet and warm enough in winter to run around in a t shirt and shorts. By the way, nice job on your house , it's beautiful .
I watch these kind of videos and read the comments fairly often. I was sure that I would see comments critical of the size which I have mixed feelings about. But one thing I don't get about the large size is why. What do you do with such a large house? Maybe I'm biased. I have done a lot of miscellaneous house maintenance over the years and one thing I would not want is a house with a lot of space that I wouldn't use but would still need to maintain, heat and cool.
I really enjoyed watching this. What a beautiful home, Green, and Energy Efficient = Win Win! Thanks for another great, informative video. Happy Trails!
Awsome I love this couple she looks at her husband like he's the only man on earth its pretty awsome she.my dream is to live this life style I prey I accomplish my dream.loved the vid thank u so much for sharing this beautiful couples journey
Another breath of fresh air, you guys, have brought to my day :) Watching you discovering and sharing people whose vision is enriching and empowering is truly an amazing thing to do. You make life look simple and happiness reachable. Thank you :)
To make a significant difference green building tech like this needs to be put to use in apartment buildings, made financially accessible to many people, and used in dense urban spaces. A building model where families who can afford it all build huge houses that they heat separately, likely in locations where they need to drive a lot, is not sustainable. It's a start, but I would love to see sustainable implementation on a larger scale.
I'd suggest (apartment style) condos, not apartments as the place to start. Reason: can you envision landlords spending the extra money, for what would amount to a "tenant" benefit, that they'd rarely be able to cash in on? I don't want to say all landlords are "slum lords" but, in general, a 3-bedroom, 2 bath apartment in zip code ##### will fetch a certain rent. If you spend an extra $10,000 per unit on sustainable technology, it will then fetch....the exact same amount. If a landlord will do that because "it's the right thing to do," well great! I just don't expect to see it happen often. However, with condos, the owners are the beneficiaries. From that point of view, the owner and occupant both benefit. That, I can see....
Like the idea of a passive home, but, even with all the eco tech, you could easily fit 5 or 6 families in that massive space! For just the few of them that is a ridiculous amount of space....plus more space needs more heating, lighting, cleaning etc, which all adds up to more tech being used or needed. Smaller spaces, ie, just what you NEED are much better for the planet in the long run. Good for them for the effort though, but really not the ethos we plan to try and live. Love all your other vids so far though. Always interesting! ;)
+Kuvter yeah or advocating such bad advice like completely sealing your house and mechanically controlling the air that goes in and out... that is really the wrong way to go when trying to make ecofriendly houses for the future, and all the plastic and foam in the windows, silicon sealants - terrible.
+Exploring Alternatives Can we get the owner's thoughts on this? Why such as huge house? How does this fit into the green lifestyle? Is it trying to show that rich people can live in luxury and still be eco-friendly? Is their Conscious Living podcast out yet so we can ask them? Thanks
I must admit I fell over when I say the size of that place for 3 people. I think it really downgrades their "eco" credentials. Imagine the energy created in the making of all those bricks and those "eco gadgets" constantly going to keep the eco dream alive.... I do think passive houses are the future though.....
This. I get so sick of seeing rich tossers getting off on how sustainable they are and how they are saving $10 dollars a month on electricity by building a million dollar house full of embedded energy. - Wooop-de-do. Congratulations, you can't do math.
I'm all for passive energy but this way I feel is money, money, money. The most practical and natural way shouldn't and doesn't cost a whole lot of money. Looking at this home makes me want to bend more towards earthship homes.
@@SamMcCallum this is about how sustainable their house is. Not how many kids they might or might not have. Two diff things. I agree 10 kids not sustainable, but that wasn't the point of my reply. Would 4-5 kids be acceptable?
I like this video a lot. I like the whole idea of Green Sustainable housing and development. That is something that I want to do and think it is great. Thanks for the video.
i know amish people who built an 8 bedroom house for only 45 grand in material , they dont have plumbing or electrical, but the structure is not worth that much money
technically it doesn't house 3, more like 10-20 people once you factor that the house will continue to be used by their sons and grandsons and so on.. yes you ll need to maintain it but that's like every other house
Very interesting video. I'm sure this house comes with an extraordinary price tag . The amount of energy and fuel spent and the cost of maintenance of such materials and equipment out-ways the "green" title and savings by far. I see no trace of nature in the building material but small amount of the particle wood in plywood. The only thing this house does is the use of sun energy and a ton of man made synthetic and high tech to harvest it.
The airtight envelope, superinsulation that avoids thermal bridges, triple paned windows, and heat recovery ventilation are the most important bit compared to a "normal" house and should absolutely be standard in all new builds imho. Everything else is just a nice-to-have (though solar arrays are also great now that battery storage is getting cheaper). I really wish more new homes got heat recovery ventilation in particular. Would have been amazing if every building had this during the pandemic and was properly ventilated, since covid-19 spreads mainly indoors by accumulating in the air of poorly ventilated rooms
I think passive solar is a fabulous addition to be more energy efficient! My only comment would be about "not using fossil fuels", people need to realize that electricity is primarily made in this country by using fossil fuel resources. We live in an area where it is mostly cloudy which prevents solar from being highly effective, especially with modern high in appliances and electronics. We also live in an area where massive amounts of wind turbines are used, but it has been proven that the amount of electricity generated by all these units are in no way a replacement for making the amounts of electricity needed. This is a great video showing some of the ways that all of us can make our planet better because conserving in anyway will always help. Just wanted to point that information out.
+Maggie Hess Well intended post but lacking in proper research. This couple are in Ontario Canada which has removed all coal burning plants from its grid. Electricity in Ontario is 1. Nuclear 2. Imported hydroelectric from dams in Quebec (also some from Niagara Falls) 3. Wind 4. Solar
+MsMsmak thanks for watching! Casey is actually the official "conscious builder" in the couple so that's why he explained a lot of the technologies in the house. We could have made an entirely separate video about Natasha's conscious living philosophies because she's incredibly knowledgeable and well-spoken. You should definitely check out their podcast :)
With those giant south-facing windows and so much space, you could install a bank of passive solar heat sinks (equivalent to barrels filled with water) that heat up during the day and release heat during the night. Stone and concrete walls and floors would do the same thing. Wood is not very good for heat storage. We knew a few things about passive solar in the 1980s that people seem to have forgotten.
Great house and use of new and old tech. Kind of a weird place to build it though. Swamp is literally 20 ft from the house. Mosquitoes have got to be horrible in season.
I like some of the things you used but I think you could have done better using solar hot water or even hot water on demand per each water room. For heating and cooling Geothermal HVAC units are 400% efficient. The heating side works even better if you were to use it as radiant floor heat and you could even use it for free hot water. I like the idea with your windows but the gas in them from what I know is only good for about 10 years but either way they're triple pane so that's great. Over all though I love it when people such as yourself build homes with the thought of energy efficiency in mind, Great job.
Had to google that "Air pohoda" ("Cozy Air"), such a strange name. Turns out it's a company not far away from where I live... Cool how the stuff travels Today around the globe.
at abt 4:20, did he really say, "we have about 4 or 5 kids..."? that's hysterical! : ) i really enjoyed this post and love what this couple is doing with their (admittedly giant) home!
Wanting cake and eating it too. We modern humans are *really* good at that. I applaud the intentions which seem rather good, but the bottomline is that this house and its use are ANYTHING but viable at a planetary scale. I just don't believe that post-construction tallies can so easily cancel out the huge eco hit of the CONSTRUCTION ITSELF. PS: Great channel, great vids. On vous aime!!
Love it, although going with a strictly grid tied solar system is a big mistake in my opinion! They should have opted for a hybrid solar system, that way if the utility company ever fails you still have power! Thanks for the video!
I had a hard time getting past all the unfinished work in that house. The outside deck even had missing sheeting and no rails. The fireplace backing in the upstairs hallway was open. With little kids running about, things like this can become a massive safety issue.
Solar is a great form of free energy. I advise anyone interested in going solar to consult with an engineer first to determine if the solar system will work for your building design and location. Consulting with an engineer first may help you save substantial time and money. I can't tell you how many times I inspect homes with solar that are cold and homeowners are upset.
biggest mistake is not air-sealing fully. without that, there's the same "air mass" to heat (ie, the great outdoors) minus the capacity to do so! But, getting the air to the desired temp takes a certain amout of energy. Keeping that air inside requires only "passive" technology....air-sealing, insulation, "air-locks" for going in & out, summer shading (keep direct sunlight out of the house), winter-welcoming of the sunlight into the house (heat a thermal mass). My approach is to ALWAYS start with the passive functionality. Best bang for the buck.
Do you have a ranking based on cost how long it takes for individual items to provide payback ? I realize cost was not the primary objective but perhaps a list like this would provide a way for others to be able to cherry pick some of the best ideas? Thanks for taking time to make the video.
Great video. The core of the tiny house movement - for me at least - is economics and low environmental impact. This seems to be totally in the spirit of Exploring Alternatives.
I want a self sufficient home, so that I don't have to pay bills for electricity or for water, but I require a LOT of electricity, because I use power tools to build little projects and play electric guitar about 2-6 hours a day depending on how busy I am. What should I be looking into?
If you take your electricity bills into your local photovoltaic retailer, they'll be able to give you a pretty good idea of what you'll need to go right off the grid. Without knowing your climate, age/size of your house, number of occupants etc, it's impossible to answer. But, you'd most likely be looking at a grid tied PV system, where you generate electricity when the sun is shining, and selling it back to the grid, and using grid energy when it isn't. If you have running water, microhydro is hands down the way to go though.
In addition to Luke's good advice, battery storage is becoming much more economically viable, particularly for a new build. If I were doing a new build Tesla's solar roof and storage would definitely get a look. Also, going down this path, you will inevitably become way more efficient in energy usage. It's surprising how easy that is. Our system of a house and 2 cottages uses less than half the energy of an average suburban home, but we've been on this path for some time. Have fun. The journey to no utility bills is a great adventure.
Thank you so much for this idea to build a NORMAL eco-house, as it should be. This is the first time I see that people don't use wood for heating and this is just great, cause all these fossil fuels create lots of killing smoke and NOT eco-friendly at all. So Thank you!
When I buy reclaimed materials I'm almost always having to compete with other buyers. I'm not saving the material from a landfill. The nicer the material the more competition. Most reclaimed wood like the flooring in this house is in higher demand than new. The idea that many people can build using these materials is as silly as people running their cars on "waste" frier grease. Much less sustainable than newly manufacturer material. Hearts being is the right place isn't as helpful as brains being in the right place. This video uses many cool sounding terms but thinking is needed too.
I like how the entire south side of the house is designed to absorb maximum solar heat during the winter and then provide shade in the summer. Do you know if these guys are, or intend to apply any of these methods to tiny houses? I'm particularly interested because I would like to one day build a tiny house that is energy efficient, off-grid and able to withstand the winters as I live in Ontario too!
A house built for more than 3. Why not build it for many more people like children and future grandchildren and future owners. Oh wait that is exactly what they did ! Awesome!
You could probably extract the bioethanol from the automobile fuel if using US fuels (I dont know if Canada dilutes their fuel). It would help your automobile getting that water based fuel out of the mix (which has about half the potential energy as the petroleum based fuel) . Could be a win/win?
This was the first time I heard someone explain the function of the overhangs at the south windows. Thank you!
It's the fundamental starting point for low-energy! "passive solar design" is a good web search phrase, to learn more. Combine that with superinsulation, and ANY high-efficiency heating/cooling/lighting, and you're well ahead of the game.
This is great to show how opulence can still be energy efficient. Too many anti-greens complain about giving up comforts. The show started by explaining this home is away from what they usually showcase. A high end example for sure.
I'm all for someone building what they dream of. It's what they worked for and made it happen. No matter the size the house. I for one see this as a very productive, practical and yes green house.
and who didnt in their childhood started building a little house for himself?
imagine if land was free... this information-sharing is already reality!
That's good that people who can afford these new technologies take advantage of them so it can become mainstream for every household one day.
I liked the energy efficient idea. What I'd like to see is a house that is small and comfortable and accommodates a family of three efficiently with a smart flowing design.
I just love the way she keeps looking at him. Super jealous.
this video is the proof that everyone can make a little gesture toward a beautiful future . Great video . Thanks
I'm glad the wife had an opportunity to talk. I was beginning to wonder if she ever would in this feature. Thanks for sharing.
+Phresh Ideas + Designs thanks for watching!
+Phresh Ideas + Designs What?! Let the man talk, he's smart, he tells all the technical details people need to know if they wanted to build this kind of house. Wife, she can make a cooking show in passive solar house, show us how to prepare and store food in such unconventional living environment. Chill sir, everybody's doing what one is best at.
Same thing came to my mind.
As for the sexist comment, come on man, you are better than that.
+Jailhouse bradley Why are we even talking about who talks more or less. It's a bigger issue on the roll.
yo niggga ill fight mother earth
I am on the same page with Casey and Natasha and congratulate them! Being an example is a powerful way to lead change - to stop building the least efficient cheapest homes which consume much more energy, whilst also using materials which are sensitive to creating mold, and using toxic materials whilst also have a shorter lifetime, higher maintenance, is to start building homes with both eyes open looking at the effect of the whole home industry. It is not difficult nor expensive to build homes which consume way less and loads the environment much less. It is great to see agents of change, people who will pay the extra money to be pioneers and lead the way towards helping change the building code itself and also the main line home construction industry to much more sustainable track. Reality is that nothing changes unless people who can afford and are committed to change exist. I am with my spouse also in the process of building an upscale eco home for very similar reasons as Casey and Natasha, the actual target is producing more energy than we consume, growing own food and having virtually zero bills for any utilities, with a very long life time for the home. - The best example of changing one whole industry to me is Tesla - it is an upscale car and thus can be called elitist. Yet, without it we would be waiting who knows for how long for a meaningful change. All existing car manufacturing industry would seriously have dragged their feet, if it was not for the enormous success of Tesla winning so much ground, with a much more sustainable vision and reality of car transportation. Lets see what and how much needs to be proven to make the building industry more sustainable, healthier and sensible.
Using a PV system to sell energy back to the grid is such a powerful idea if it could be scaled up. Houses become mini power plants that use existing grid systems. Utility companies focus on managing and distributing power rather than generating it.
Question is, was hoping they had elaborated a bit more, is about the electricity needs during the winter months.
This is definitely where we should be heading. If the average house generated just 15 to 20 percent more energy than it uses and sells the surplus to the grid, that would enable a massive reduction in fossil fuel consumption. This should already be the norm in sunny climates.
Wow so many negatives. I think what they are doing is great.
We needed to solve the humidity problem in our basement and were tired of using the old technology of running a dehumidifier (which costs a lot to operate and never gets rid of the toxic basement air), so we decided to buy a product called the Breeze. It has a gentle exhaust fan (115 cfm) that is rated for continuous operation, controlled by a humidistat. Instead of treating the toxic and humid basement air, it exhausts it, creating a vacuum that draws the "conditioned" air from the home's first floor into, to take its place. The results are nothing short of miraculous. The air quality in the basement has improved dramatically and we've been able to unplug the energy drawing dehumidifier. The Breeze costs pennies a week to run. No filters or drains are needed. The company sells one and two-fan models that cost from $299 to $449 and carry a 5-year warranty. I strongly recommend the appliance, especially if you’re interested in energy efficiency. It's available on the company website (breezesystemsinternational.com) or on Amazon and Ebay. Much cheaper than the $1,500 to $2,000 units sold by Wave Ventilation, Humidex or EZ Breathe. Now our dry basement also has healthy air!
There is no way, I or I assume many others could afford to do what they did, but I do thank you for making the video. I just kept smh, thinking that this is a whole lot of space for 3 people. It was beautiful and functional. Keep the great videos coming.
Hats off to this guys.. What a brilliant masterpiece of creativity... 4000units of house but run entirely on natural abundant sources...That's something we must learn than to pollute..
Exploring alternatives..You guys are awesome.!
My favorite part was the waste water heat reclaimer (hope I said that right). Never thought of all the energy was going down the drain. Water yes but heat is never thought about.
Interesting change of pace for you guys, I really enjoyed it! Alternative living doesn't always mean "going without" or doing everything absolutely perfectly. They made up their minds about what was important to them, and in the end they definitely made a positive impact.
+Jon Decker thank you so much for watching! We're glad you liked the video and agree that there's more than one way to have a positive impact in the world . We're all just doing our best :)
Nice house, like it. The amount of effort and ingenuity it takes to do this is impressive. The positive impact for the owners and the environment is significant.
+Lucus Kane thanks for watching :)
Oriented to the South but wood floors. I don't see where the thermal mass is (Concrete floors/wall etc) to temper the temperature swings and store the thermal energy to be released at night. I would be interested to know if they have addressed this in a non-obvious way.
I also see people commenting negatively about the size of the home and it not being eco enough. I applaud these people for doing what they have done even though I do find the amount of space to conflict with green ideology. As role models I think this kind of project is much more appealing to many than radical ideas like tiny houses. Good job guys and the space is beautiful.
Right. It should have heavy tile near the windows at least. And you're right about size. If you want a large, luxurious house and make it passively heated and cooled, you aren't polluting or anything. You're just occupying more of the lot.
And it's smart, because you're putting more of your money in your house (equity) instead of in utility payments (total loss). I pay about $1000 mortgage and $500 utilities every month. $500 a month is $120k over 20 years. That's huge! I'd much rather be paying that as part of the mortgage, which builds equity and which eventually gets paid off.
I think you answered your own question. If you have a large enough house and good insulation, your house is the thermal mass. Sure you need tile or concrete for a small house, but 4000 sq feet isn’t gonna cool off quickly.
we like the sign that says attitude of gratitude, great motto, very good ideas, and like how you implement materials that make sense, God bless you abundantly
Thanks for sharing... It is a jaw dropping huge home, but seeing the use of more efficient technology in homes is always interesting !!!
So many haters! I loved this video and the family seems super sweet and caring. I think this has a wider reach to those of us who don’t want to live in a significant small space. Which is a big thing, guys. This spreads awareness across options, which makes living in harmony with nature more appealing and accessible to *everyone*. So very inspiring! 💛
I appreciate that they actually did none of the work to construct their home as much as I appreciate their dedication to passive solar and permaculture design. They did the research, and THAT is most of the actual work.
Actually, once you've researched and designed a few homes it gets pretty easy. Trust me, building is hard work. My wife and I have built two with our own hands and no subcontractors. The latest one (I'm sitting in the living room now) is super-insulated and off-grid with triple glazed windows and blown-in cellulose in double-stud walls.
@@paulmaxwell8851 Yes. I've been building homes in Colorado for 15 years: Passive solar, Earthships, adobe with smart architecture and Permaculture Design principles. What are double stud walls? Staggering attachment to outside wall, then inside wall with the next stud?
I love hearing about these stories especially since they are from Ontario (where we live). My husband and I have studied eco friendly living, tiny homes..etc style of living for years. Everyone pretty much tells us it's impossible because Ontario building codes are very refined and strict but we are learning through other's experiences that it's not impossible.
Definitely a cool home, hopefully the future. I LOVE those pipes that the water heats and cools all in one: genius! Although that's a pretty big lawn for a green building. They could use some of the space to grow some of their food!
Well done !!! Great concept for a green house, and I'm glad they said they're trying to lead by example, but aren't perfect. Real thinking.
I really need to build a house like this! I'm so impressed!
That house is huge. Only rich people can afford to build something like that. It would be nice to see videos of environmentally friendly homes that are cheaper.
Thanks for sharing your ideas, keep up the good work and good luck in the future. I believe passive solar should be used whenever possible, I've been doing it for 40 years. So simple and it works. Just get as much glass facing south as possible and cut out the summer sun with the overhang. That's it. All our subdivisions could do it if developers cared about anything other than money. Guess that won't be happening anytime soon. Cheers
They will save so much money on their utility bills each month.
This house is probably the closest thing to a house on mars. Self-sufficient, internal air filter and almost no energy loss.
Y'all are doing right! Learned about passive solar house in 1980's, so good to see your excellent example video! Keep it up!
I'm an advocate of building smart. Good to see people putting ideas into action.
Showing it in class today. Teaching renewable energy and how to minimize human impact to my 6th graders. Thanks
+Jessica Hernandez Morales That's great, hope it helps :)
Super smart to use Krypton gas in the vacuum seal on the windows. Keep that Superman ruffian out.
Our house was built very simple, but the passive design works wonderfully! We love not having to pay for any heating fuel.
you have so many interesting guests and informative topics...keep up the great videos dont let the main stream steal you away from us
I have a passive house that i helped build,too old to do it myself anymore in germany. I will list the things that we did differently -
We have 13.5 cm of solid wood as the shell of the house , This provides a bit of thermal mass to prevent quick changes in temp.
Then we have 14 cm of wood fiber insulation on the outside . On top of this insulation are vertical furring strips that are vented at the bottom and top and are also used to attach the wood siding.
We used triple pane tilt and turn windows that use a powder coated metal sill . this sill is attached in a groove under the window and extends out over the outside insulation and siding . It will never leak for the life of the windows.
Our main heating is with a two ton soapstone wood oven that is run for two to three hours every other day or so. It takes about three days for the house to cool down but because i like it hot , i fire it more often . We live next to a large forest area so there is a constant supply of left over wood from the timber companies.
Ventilation is non mechanical . We open some windows in the morning and evening to allow for fresh air. We don't worry about pollutants because the materials of the house including rugs, furniture bedding, everything , is from natural sources .
The back up heating ( radiators ) and hot water is from a wood pellet oven in the basement with seven tons of storage in a separate enclosed room. We had to have this system because of local codes . If we went with an all electric system we would have to spend an additional twenty thousand for solar electrical . I wouldn't do the pellet system again if i had the choice. Too much maintenance and too much destruction of forests to supply pellets. I might change it when it gets old and tired.
Anyway the house is super comfortable to live in. very quiet and warm enough in winter to run around in a t shirt and shorts.
By the way, nice job on your house , it's beautiful .
I watch these kind of videos and read the comments fairly often. I was sure that I would see comments critical of the size which I have mixed feelings about. But one thing I don't get about the large size is why. What do you do with such a large house? Maybe I'm biased. I have done a lot of miscellaneous house maintenance over the years and one thing I would not want is a house with a lot of space that I wouldn't use but would still need to maintain, heat and cool.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m thinking differently about our housing trajectory now.
Cool house. I love alternative ideas like this. We need more outside thinkers.
unimaginable amount of resources used to make all the insulation wool used in this house for three people...
I really enjoyed watching this.
What a beautiful home, Green, and Energy Efficient = Win Win!
Thanks for another great, informative video.
Happy Trails!
+Allen Hare thanks so much for watching! We're glad you enjoyed it :)
Awsome I love this couple she looks at her husband like he's the only man on earth its pretty awsome she.my dream is to live this life style I prey I accomplish my dream.loved the vid thank u so much for sharing this beautiful couples journey
Another breath of fresh air, you guys, have brought to my day :) Watching you discovering and sharing people whose vision is enriching and empowering is truly an amazing thing to do. You make life look simple and happiness reachable. Thank you :)
+Mila M. thank you for your super positive feedback! We're so glad you're enjoying our videos and appreciate your support! Happy holidays :)
To make a significant difference green building tech like this needs to be put to use in apartment buildings, made financially accessible to many people, and used in dense urban spaces. A building model where families who can afford it all build huge houses that they heat separately, likely in locations where they need to drive a lot, is not sustainable. It's a start, but I would love to see sustainable implementation on a larger scale.
I'd suggest (apartment style) condos, not apartments as the place to start. Reason: can you envision landlords spending the extra money, for what would amount to a "tenant" benefit, that they'd rarely be able to cash in on? I don't want to say all landlords are "slum lords" but, in general, a 3-bedroom, 2 bath apartment in zip code ##### will fetch a certain rent. If you spend an extra $10,000 per unit on sustainable technology, it will then fetch....the exact same amount. If a landlord will do that because "it's the right thing to do," well great! I just don't expect to see it happen often. However, with condos, the owners are the beneficiaries. From that point of view, the owner and occupant both benefit. That, I can see....
Like the idea of a passive home, but, even with all the eco tech, you could easily fit 5 or 6 families in that massive space! For just the few of them that is a ridiculous amount of space....plus more space needs more heating, lighting, cleaning etc, which all adds up to more tech being used or needed. Smaller spaces, ie, just what you NEED are much better for the planet in the long run. Good for them for the effort though, but really not the ethos we plan to try and live. Love all your other vids so far though. Always interesting! ;)
+MouseOnFilm I'd like to hear how they think a 4,000 square foot house for a family of 3 is "leading by example".
+Kuvter indeed, that is what i thought, a giant factory-size living room with over 12 foot ceilings, how was that energy conserving again?
+Kuvter yeah or advocating such bad advice like completely sealing your house and mechanically controlling the air that goes in and out... that is really the wrong way to go when trying to make ecofriendly houses for the future, and all the plastic and foam in the windows, silicon sealants - terrible.
+MouseOnFilm That was my very first thought when I saw the house! I am glad I am not the only
one thinking this way!
+Exploring Alternatives Can we get the owner's thoughts on this? Why such as huge house? How does this fit into the green lifestyle? Is it trying to show that rich people can live in luxury and still be eco-friendly? Is their Conscious Living podcast out yet so we can ask them? Thanks
I must admit I fell over when I say the size of that place for 3 people. I think it really downgrades their "eco" credentials. Imagine the energy created in the making of all those bricks and those "eco gadgets" constantly going to keep the eco dream alive.... I do think passive houses are the future though.....
This. I get so sick of seeing rich tossers getting off on how sustainable they are and how they are saving $10 dollars a month on electricity by building a million dollar house full of embedded energy. - Wooop-de-do. Congratulations, you can't do math.
I'm all for passive energy but this way I feel is money, money, money. The most practical and natural way shouldn't and doesn't cost a whole lot of money. Looking at this home makes me want to bend more towards earthship homes.
Think of all those jobs created downstream because these rich "a-hole" spent so much money. Damn them!
@@Ali-pb6jb Most likely, look at the way the wife looks at her husband. Haha
@@SamMcCallum this is about how sustainable their house is. Not how many kids they might or might not have. Two diff things. I agree 10 kids not sustainable, but that wasn't the point of my reply. Would 4-5 kids be acceptable?
Great job! Science meets better, more conscious, living.
one of the raddest things about this lifestyle is the connection between the couples and families living this way :)
I like this video a lot. I like the whole idea of Green Sustainable housing and development. That is something that I want to do and think it is great. Thanks for the video.
2,000 square feet of resources used to house 3 people. It may not cost much to run it but used a lot to build it.
i know amish people who built an 8 bedroom house for only 45 grand in material , they dont have plumbing or electrical, but the structure is not worth that much money
4,000 sqf *
bbruce995 - but it's built communally. Hence cutting cost.
The energy use for the life of the house usually is multiple times the energy to built it. The same is true for cars by the way.
technically it doesn't house 3, more like 10-20 people once you factor that the house will continue to be used by their sons and grandsons and so on.. yes you ll need to maintain it but that's like every other house
Loved the integration of ideas to save money and fuel. 😎
I'm so glad you guys got to shoot with Casey and Nat. Glad it all worked out!
+Shelby and Simon thanks for introducing them to us! We had a great time meeting up with them - wish you guys had been there to join us!
Looks like they only interviewed one person...
Very interesting video. I'm sure this house comes with an extraordinary price tag . The amount of energy and fuel spent and the cost of maintenance of such materials and equipment out-ways the "green" title and savings by far. I see no trace of nature in the building material but small amount of the particle wood in plywood. The only thing this house does is the use of sun energy and a ton of man made synthetic and high tech to harvest it.
I love the copper coil to recover shower water
I enjoyed this a great deal. Looking forward to more!
+LaDonna Rhoads thanks for watching :)
The airtight envelope, superinsulation that avoids thermal bridges, triple paned windows, and heat recovery ventilation are the most important bit compared to a "normal" house and should absolutely be standard in all new builds imho. Everything else is just a nice-to-have (though solar arrays are also great now that battery storage is getting cheaper).
I really wish more new homes got heat recovery ventilation in particular. Would have been amazing if every building had this during the pandemic and was properly ventilated, since covid-19 spreads mainly indoors by accumulating in the air of poorly ventilated rooms
thank you for this video.. now I know what to do since its getting hotter in here.. great job..
Really inspiring, want to see more of these!
It's great. My concern is that every time I see these homes online they never seem to be near trees or in a wooded area.
Love this, needs large scale implementation, hope to see it come about,.
I think passive solar is a fabulous addition to be more energy efficient!
My only comment would be about "not using fossil fuels", people need to realize that electricity is primarily made in this country by using fossil fuel resources. We live in an area where it is mostly cloudy which prevents solar from being highly effective, especially with modern high in appliances and electronics. We also live in an area where massive amounts of wind turbines are used, but it has been proven that the amount of electricity generated by all these units are in no way a replacement for making the amounts of electricity needed. This is a great video showing some of the ways that all of us can make our planet better because conserving in anyway will always help. Just wanted to point that information out.
+Maggie Hess Well intended post but lacking in proper research. This couple are in Ontario Canada which has removed all coal burning plants from its grid. Electricity in Ontario is 1. Nuclear 2. Imported hydroelectric from dams in Quebec (also some from Niagara Falls) 3. Wind 4. Solar
The only money saving I saw was the solar on grid. Great job folks! Go solar
Would have been nice to hear Natasha talk about her input on the process.
+MsMsmak thanks for watching! Casey is actually the official "conscious builder" in the couple so that's why he explained a lot of the technologies in the house. We could have made an entirely separate video about Natasha's conscious living philosophies because she's incredibly knowledgeable and well-spoken. You should definitely check out their podcast :)
+Exploring Alternatives Thanks for the answer. I'll check them out.
Maybe she didnt have much input in the technical side of things.
With those giant south-facing windows and so much space, you could install a bank of passive solar heat sinks (equivalent to barrels filled with water) that heat up during the day and release heat during the night. Stone and concrete walls and floors would do the same thing. Wood is not very good for heat storage. We knew a few things about passive solar in the 1980s that people seem to have forgotten.
this is so cool i'd love to see an update
Great house and use of new and old tech. Kind of a weird place to build it though. Swamp is literally 20 ft from the house. Mosquitoes have got to be horrible in season.
Dang, these two really love each other. Noice.
I would love to be able to do a cheaper version of this someday. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for another great video, your channel is my favorite, keep up the fantastic work you two!
Amazing house design, shame there aren't that many of these...
Thanks for the video!
very inspiring...you guys are doing a fantastic job at brining alternative living to us...thanks!!!!
+Jean-Luc Charron wow, thank you so much :) Happy holidays!
Wow, thanks. Looking at ethanol fire places now. lol
I loved it, we want more!
I like some of the things you used but I think you could have done better using solar hot water or even hot water on demand per each water room. For heating and cooling Geothermal HVAC units are 400% efficient. The heating side works even better if you were to use it as radiant floor heat and you could even use it for free hot water. I like the idea with your windows but the gas in them from what I know is only good for about 10 years but either way they're triple pane so that's great.
Over all though I love it when people such as yourself build homes with the thought of energy efficiency in mind, Great job.
These guys are ballin'
Had to google that "Air pohoda" ("Cozy Air"), such a strange name. Turns out it's a company not far away from where I live... Cool how the stuff travels Today around the globe.
at abt 4:20, did he really say, "we have about 4 or 5 kids..."? that's hysterical! : )
i really enjoyed this post and love what this couple is doing with their (admittedly giant) home!
This is very interesting. Great equipment. I wonder what would one have to change for it to work in equatorial region ? Maybe reverse all the concept.
Wanting cake and eating it too. We modern humans are *really* good at that. I applaud the intentions which seem rather good, but the bottomline is that this house and its use are ANYTHING but viable at a planetary scale. I just don't believe that post-construction tallies can so easily cancel out the huge eco hit of the CONSTRUCTION ITSELF.
PS: Great channel, great vids. On vous aime!!
Most energy use for cars and houses happens during their lifetime, not during production. That is true for almost any car or house.
great video
+Audrey Dangle Thanks Audrey :)
Love it, although going with a strictly grid tied solar system is a big mistake in my opinion! They should have opted for a hybrid solar system, that way if the utility company ever fails you still have power! Thanks for the video!
concur
I had a hard time getting past all the unfinished work in that house. The outside deck even had missing sheeting and no rails. The fireplace backing in the upstairs hallway was open. With little kids running about, things like this can become a massive safety issue.
Thats quite a beautiful idea.
Would be nice to see one shot of the house totally. How does it look like from the outside? (in total)
Solar is a great form of free energy. I advise anyone interested in going solar to consult with an engineer first to determine if the solar system will work for your building design and location. Consulting with an engineer first may help you save substantial time and money. I can't tell you how many times I inspect homes with solar that are cold and homeowners are upset.
biggest mistake is not air-sealing fully. without that, there's the same "air mass" to heat (ie, the great outdoors) minus the capacity to do so! But, getting the air to the desired temp takes a certain amout of energy. Keeping that air inside requires only "passive" technology....air-sealing, insulation, "air-locks" for going in & out, summer shading (keep direct sunlight out of the house), winter-welcoming of the sunlight into the house (heat a thermal mass). My approach is to ALWAYS start with the passive functionality. Best bang for the buck.
Hemp fiber is also the best building material too.
Do you have a ranking based on cost how long it takes for individual items to provide payback ? I realize cost was not the primary objective but perhaps a list like this would provide a way for others to be able to cherry pick some of the best ideas? Thanks for taking time to make the video.
great idea!
Great video. The core of the tiny house movement - for me at least - is economics and low environmental impact. This seems to be totally in the spirit of Exploring Alternatives.
I want a self sufficient home, so that I don't have to pay bills for electricity or for water, but I require a LOT of electricity, because I use power tools to build little projects and play electric guitar about 2-6 hours a day depending on how busy I am. What should I be looking into?
If you take your electricity bills into your local photovoltaic retailer, they'll be able to give you a pretty good idea of what you'll need to go right off the grid.
Without knowing your climate, age/size of your house, number of occupants etc, it's impossible to answer.
But, you'd most likely be looking at a grid tied PV system, where you generate electricity when the sun is shining, and selling it back to the grid, and using grid energy when it isn't.
If you have running water, microhydro is hands down the way to go though.
In addition to Luke's good advice, battery storage is becoming much more economically viable, particularly for a new build. If I were doing a new build Tesla's solar roof and storage would definitely get a look.
Also, going down this path, you will inevitably become way more efficient in energy usage. It's surprising how easy that is. Our system of a house and 2 cottages uses less than half the energy of an average suburban home, but we've been on this path for some time.
Have fun. The journey to no utility bills is a great adventure.
This is the dream, get the luxury house while cautious of the environment.
Well this helped me doing research with an energy assignment, Thank you! :D
Thank you so much for this idea to build a NORMAL eco-house, as it should be. This is the first time I see that people don't use wood for heating and this is just great, cause all these fossil fuels create lots of killing smoke and NOT eco-friendly at all. So Thank you!
When I buy reclaimed materials I'm almost always having to compete with other buyers. I'm not saving the material from a landfill. The nicer the material the more competition. Most reclaimed wood like the flooring in this house is in higher demand than new. The idea that many people can build using these materials is as silly as people running their cars on "waste" frier grease. Much less sustainable than newly manufacturer material.
Hearts being is the right place isn't as helpful as brains being in the right place. This video uses many cool sounding terms but thinking is needed too.
Thank you, so inspiring! :)
I like how the entire south side of the house is designed to absorb maximum solar heat during the winter and then provide shade in the summer. Do you know if these guys are, or intend to apply any of these methods to tiny houses? I'm particularly interested because I would like to one day build a tiny house that is energy efficient, off-grid and able to withstand the winters as I live in Ontario too!
loved the video great work
A house built for more than 3. Why not build it for many more people like children and future grandchildren and future owners. Oh wait that is exactly what they did ! Awesome!
You could probably extract the bioethanol from the automobile fuel if using US fuels (I dont know if Canada dilutes their fuel). It would help your automobile getting that water based fuel out of the mix (which has about half the potential energy as the petroleum based fuel) . Could be a win/win?
Why no solar hot water on unused roof? As a preheater?