The Eco Pod is a new modular home created by the UK-based company Echo. The tiny home measures 96.8 square feet and can lend itself well to a variety of living arrangements. A standalone Eco Pod can be used as a home office, or extra guest bedroom. The design of these units also allows them to be joined together to create an off-the-grid home, which can be as big or as small as the owners require.
Each Eco Pod unit sits on adjustable legs, making it easy to place it even on uneven ground. The modular units are also well insulated, using either wood fiber or sheep’s wool. The pods also come with an interior finish and external cladding made of wood. Also, in the UK, the Eco Pods are legally defined as a caravan, meaning that the process of obtaining planning and building permits is likely much easier than it would be for a traditional home.
Off-the-grid functionality is available as an add-on extra. The pyramid shaped roof of each module is perfectly suited to be fitted with a rooftop mounted solar panel array, which provide the necessary electricity and hot water. The energy harvested from the PV units is stored in a battery array, which provides a 12V DC power supply that powers the LED lighting, and can be used to charge laptops and mobile phones, and any other 12V DC appliances. An optional inverter can also supply a 240V supply if needed. When fully charged, the batteries can provide up to 5 days of power. The Eco Pods can also be fitted with a composting toilet, as well as a log burner, a thermal store for hot water use, and a log-burning cooker.
The basic Eco Pod module costs £10,000 ($16,479). Due to the off-the-grid functionality of these modular units, these are an excellent choice for remote areas, vacation homes, or simply for someone who wants to leave as small a carbon footprint as possible.
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[source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jetson_green/~3/fuCVynm1hjM/modular-off-the-grid-home.html]
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