EcoSpheres and EcoCommunities
Sustainable Developments are currently developing ecospheres - a prototype dwelling using sustainable materials and zero energy (including embedded) consumption.
The prototype will be developed and constructed at New Greenham Park.
The prototype will not be used as a dwelling, but be used to test, trial and monitor the structure and to also showcase the design and concept of mass produced, off-site manufactured buildings.
Key features of the dwelling include:
- It will revolve, allowing preferred rooms (and solar panels) to always face the sun-light.
- There will be a conservatory, which has thermal mass walls, which heat up during the day and release that heat during the night.
- Bio-fuel room heaters will also be incorporated into the building, with the principle heating being provide by ground sourced heat pumps (with under floor heating).
- Cooling will be provided by passive ventilation.
- Rainwater will be collected from the dome surface and stored in under ground cisterns and used as drinking/washing water.
- Grey water will be filtered and reused for flushing toilets.
- Electricity will be produced via PV panels and a small wind turbine, producing 6 Kw of electricity, will be fed into the national grid, via a pay-back meter.
Sustainable Communities
The developers believe that EcoSpheres have the potential to contribute towards sustainable communities. Mainly because they are particularly suited for building on the periphery of existing rural villages, as part of the Rural Exception Policy.