Off-grid / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...off-grid systems and site selection Creative off-grid energy generation and energy saving tips Off-grid generation and storage of heat District energy - community heating solutions Envelope first - building the most resilient and efficient home Earthships in cold climates - do they work? In brief: the eco-community act...

Home energy generation, which option is best? How the electrical grid is fed near you will be a huge factor in determining the carbon footprint of your home, with or without your own renewable power generation such as having solar panels on your roof. If you live near a windfarm, that's where most of your power comes f...

...off-grid home that was able to operate on significantly less energy, something like this could actually start to make a difference. Looked at in detail, the reality however, is that the bike is designed for very small houses in rural India, and the actual usage is limited to a few very low-powered lightbulbs, possibly ...

Why build a frost protected shallow foundation using prefabricated foam forms? Building a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is a well-proven alternative to building deeper, more costly foundations in cold regions with seasonal ground freezing and the potential for frost heave. Traditional foundations for cold c...

In 1996, this off-grid house designed by architect Martin Liefhebber was one of two concept homes selected by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as part of their Healthy Housing Design Competition. What was to be built was a three-bedroom semi-detached home on a small lot in downtown Toronto, And beyond...

...off-grid homes is a critical first step. Now you know about the benefits of green home rating systems. Find more pages about sustainable construction below and in the Ecohome Green Building Guide pages. Learn the differences between home rating systems and choose the right one for you  Ecohome builds Canada's f...

We are seeing more frequent and more severe weather events as our climate changes, and all evidence points to that trend continuing. Here we have a list of ways to prepare yourself in the event of grid failure or absence of municipal services. Storing emergency food and water City water systems will remain pressurized ...

Future-proofing homes Our society seems to have a collective (but misplaced) trust in its commercial building industry to provide us with homes that meet realistic standard of resilience. They do to an extent, but a very minor extent. Assuming the climate putters along with relative normalcy, your home will keep you wa...

...off-grid cabins where fuel storage is limited, efficient rocket stove designs allow you to heat a space comfortably using only small-diameter branches and scrap wood. Now you know more about solar thermal collectors. Find more pages about sustainable construction below and in the Ecohome Green Building Guide pages....

What to consider before buying a home solar power system Update your appliances and get your demand down as low as possible. Convert any appliances that you are intending to convert (such as installing heat pumps to replace those that use fossil fuels).  Replace any incandescent bulbs with LEDs. Now you are ready to ...

How to heat and live in a tiny house in a cold climate? Are tiny houses a good investment? That depends on how you want to live and how well they are built. Small homes are more affordable and eco-friendly that large homes, but are tiny homes on wheels for sale locally green? Read here to find out if tiny houses are go...