FIVE: Environmentally friendly building styles

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The Independent Home : Living Well With Power from the Sun, Wind, and Water (A Real Goods Independent Living Book)
by Michael Potts, John Schaeffer (Designer)

Editorial Reviews
Whether you already own a home or plan to build one, The Independent Home will show you how to transform it into an energy-efficient, comfortable, self-sustainable home of the future-- right now. Michael Potts's home has been featured on the ABC evening news as an example of the sane approach to simple living; he demonstrates how one can live well, save money, save resources, and still retain modern conveniences and comfort. The Independent Home proves that it is not necessary to live in mud-floored huts and cook brown rice over a campfire to go back to the land

The New Independent Home : People and Houses That Harvest the Sun
Editorial Reviews

The author, Michael Potts , December 18, 1999: My book helps folks take control of their energy destiny
It took me 20 years to get ready to write my book -- tinkering, visiting, figuring arcane technology out -- and then another 6 years to get the book right. Independent homesteaders offer us all lessons on using our energy better. On-the-gridders waste half the energy they buy, while we who carefully harvest every electron, teaspoon of water, and therm of heat, strive to waste as little as possible. This work reconnects us with the planet in unexpected ways. There are important lessons in my book about phantom loads, free energy sources, and small habit changes that have helped many "on-the-gridders" reduce their energy bills by 30% - 60% -- enough to pay for their energy improvements with enough left over to buy a new copy of my book (and give it to a friend) every month!

The Straw Bale House.

The Earth-Sheltered House : An Architect's Sketchbook (Real Goods Solar Living Book)
by Malcolm Wells,

Editorial Reviews
The striking common sense of the author's perspective on design and the building process is based on millennia of use of earth-sheltered homes by animals and humans, using the earth to warm in winter and cool in summer. A cartoon on the book jacket summarizes Wells's perspective. One panel is called "20th Century," and has four steps of traditional building: love nature, kill it, build building, plant grass. The second panel, called "21st Century," says: love nature, leave it alone, find ruined land, build underground, restore natural habitat. Wells's remarkable and imaginative architectural drawings, sketches, and landscaping and structural design plans are surrounded by his handwritten commentary about Earth-friendly building and design, cryptic remarks and humorous asides that make this book a pleasure to browse or read cover to cover. He offers a breathtaking assortment of some of the most creative and unusual home and building designs ever assembled in one book; site-appropriate structures for both urban and rural settings; and delightfully imaginative, dramatic, simple, and highly complex buildings for all purposes. Some are fully underground structures, some partially earth-sheltered, but all make the best use of light sources, designed to benefit from the sun and seasonal changes, and to protect or restore the natural habitat around and above them. Wells's designs seem almost fanciful, but are indeed based on practical considerations and currently usable techniques and materials, helping open up a whole new concept of building based on one of the oldest known: caves and burrows. These are "caves and burrows" of soaring imagination and creative, 21st century brilliance. --Mark A. Hetts

The Rammed Earth House (Real Goods Independent Living Book)
by David Easton, Cynthia Wright (Photographer), David Eaton

Editorial Reviews
The beauty and grace of rammed earth construction is described in fascinating detail by David Easton. The photographs of different structures, both modern and ancient, by Cynthia Wright, create a breathtaking glimpse into a building technique that is as old as human history, but exactly suitable for today's resource-conscious and environmentally friendly building needs. Trees may be getting a bit scarce these days, but there's no current shortage of dirt, the main component of rammed earth homes. From such a prosaic material, gold has been spun in these timeless, graceful, and nearly indestructible homes and buildings.

Independent Builder : Designing & Building a House Your Own Way (Real Goods Independent Living Books)
by Sam Clark

Subtitled "Designing and Building a House Your Own Way," this is the book for anyone thinking about building their own home. It is comprehensive, detailed and covers subjects I have never before seen covered in home building books, like how to make a small house seem bigger, incorporating ergonomics and accessibility, doing your own drawings and scale models, making contracts that work, and working effectively with professional designers and builders. With detailed diagrams and photographs, this is the most thorough overall guide to building your own home I have ever seen (and I've seen a lot!). The author, Sam Clark , February 25, 2000
Strengths of "The Independent Builder"...My book is a comprehensive 500 page treatment on house building, a basic manual useful to owner-builders, families working with professionals, and to builders. I think its strengths include:  Technical information, presented clearly, based on underlying principles. For example, along with tables for beam sizes, I give the concepts and formulas so you can figure sizes yourself. Other examples: heat loss, sound isolation, sun angles. I think if you understand the principles, you can design more

Complete Book of Underground Houses : How to Build a Low-Cost Home
by Robert L. Roy, Rob Roy
 

According to Roy, underground or "earth-sheltered" houses are unexpectedly livable. Judging by his book's attractive pictures, that's easy to believe. The house he bases his point-by-point guide on is indeed a showplace. Its homey touches are just that, though, and Roy's main concern is creating such a house, from drawing up the plans to surveying the site to the actual building. Roy's instruction is insightful and comprehensive; for example, he writes that he has poured the four-inch cement floor over the waste plumbing in all the houses he has built and has had no trouble yet, but he also suggests another strategy for those leery of not being able to get at the pipes in an emergency. Throughout, he covers construction and installation details that are extremely important for nonprofessionals brave enough to undertake building their own homes. Mike Tribby From Book News, Inc.
Instead of marring a grassy knoll or field with the construction of a conventional house, you could design and build an environmentally sound underground or earth-sheltered home. Roy, director of the Earthwood Building School, provides detailed instructions, from choosing a piece of property to excavating and building a home from top to bottom, with case studies, photos and diagrams, and further resources.

The Solar Electric House : Energy for the Environmentally-Responsive, Energy-Independent Home
by Steven J. Strong

THE most comprehensive solar electric book available, January 30, 1999 . Reviews: Steven Strong's book "The Solar Electric House" is the most comprehensive book available regarding the application of solar-generated electricity (photovoltaics). The book is well organized, well written, and easy to understand. Although this book was first printed in 1987, it is amazingly current today (1999). I have been using this book since 1987 when I build my stand-alone PV-powered home in Prescott Arizona, and referred to Mr. Strong's book on a regular basis during design and construction of the solar-electric system. I still use this book today -- as the primary textbook in two classes that I teach at Arizona State University: "Introduction to Solar Energy and Photovoltaics" and "Photovoltaic System Design".

The Passive Solar House (Real Goods Independent Living Books)
by James Kachadorian

This book offers a technique for building homes that heat and cool themselves in a wide range of different climates, using ordinary building materials available anywhere and with methods familiar to all building contractors and many do-it-yourselfers. A formerly patented design for author James Kachadorian's Solar Slab heat exchanger is now available for the use of anyone motivated by the desire to build a house that needs a backup furnace or air conditioner rarely if ever. This is a building book for the next century. Applicable to a diversity of regions, climates, budgets, and styles of architecture, Kachadorian's techniques translate the essentials of timeless solar design (siting a home in harmony with nature, using windows as solar collectors, achieving year-round comfort by balancing good insulation with healthy supplies of fresh air) into practical wisdom for today's new generation of solar builders.

The Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook : The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living ( Real Goods Solar Living Source book)
by John Schaeffer (Introduction), Douglas M. Pratt (Editor)     
Editorial Reviews
It is arguably a form of cultural insanity that industrial civilizations constantly bathed by free and clean energy from the sky (the sun and the wind) continue to depend upon dirty and limited chemical fuels that poison the people, their foods, and the land upon which they depend.

Happily, this comprehensive sourcebook provides those of you with foresight a way out of this madness; it includes products ranging from simple energy-saving devices such as compact fluorescent lights to home-scale energy-harvesting systems that utilize the sun, wind, and water to make electricity for people living "off-the-grid." Chapters focus on Independent Living, Land, Shelter, Harvesting Energy, Managing Energy Systems, Heating and Cooling, Water, Energy Conservation, the Nontoxic Home, Home and Market Gardening, Mobility and Electric Vehicles, and Livelihood and Learning. Committed to selling only products that promote environmental responsibility at an honest value, The Real Goods Trading Company is one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Many of the products listed in another of my favorite sites, the Millennium Whole Earth Catalog, can be purchased by mail from "Real Goods".Whole Earth Review
The Sourcebook remains the best introduction to energy-efficient technology for common folks.

Achieving Energy Independence - One Step at a Time
by Jeffrey R. Yago
 

A must have first text for any homeowner wanting to install a back up power system for their home or home business. Addresses new ways to prepare for power outages including Y2K, brownouts, storm outages, and rolling blackouts. Step by step guide to become independent of the utility grid. Answers all installation questions about solar photovoltaic systems, generators, battery inverters, wind turbines, and battery banks, including wiring diagrams and safety issues.

About the Author
Jeffrey Yago is a licensed professional engineer and certified energy manager, with over 25 years experience in the design of solar and backup power systems throughout the United States and Europe. He has authored two prior texts related to energy conservation and installation guidelines for heating and cooling systems, and his technical articles have appeared in national publications including HomePower Magazine, Mother Earth News, and Solar Engineering.

Passive Solar House Basics
by Peter Van Dresser

PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE BASICS, by Peter van Dresser. Anyone who has visited a solar adobe home on a cold winter day has felt the warmth and comfort of its natural radiant heat. PASSIVE SOLAR HOUSE BASICS lays out in plain language what an owner-builder and designer will need to know about siting, designing, constructing, and living in a solar adobe home. Van Dresser's text and pictures provide a beginner's course in adobe construction and passive solar heat collection, including suggestions for natural heat circulation and heat storage in thermal mass. Included are sample house plans, ideas for solar hot water heaters, and plans-to-scale for solar crop dryers. The simple means he has developed for economically harnessing the energy of the sun in an energy-efficient home are easily within the grasp of the average home owner, home builder, or solar enthusiast. In 1958 solar pioneer Peter van Dresser built his first solar heated house, one of the first in the United States. First published as HOMEGROWN SUN-DWELLINGS, PASSIVE SOLAR BASICS was the outgrowth of a solar demonstration project. Peter van Dresser is the author of LANDSCAPE FOR HUMANS, as well as numerous articles about solar energy and rural life.

Solar Heating in Cold Regions
by Jean-Francois Rozis

A technical guide, written for developing countries but no less relevant in the west, for climates where the average annual temperature is lower than 10ºC. Contains examples of typical installations and how to size them. The examples are low maintenance and also introduce income generating activities. Anyone living in PA, NY, NJ, CT, VT, MA, or any of the northwestern states would definitely enjoy the practical solutions offered for solar heating your home.168pp

Renewables Are Ready : People Creating Renewable Energy Solutions (A Real Goods Independent Living Book)
by Nancy Cole, P. J. SkerrettTells the inspirational stories of American who have made renewable energy a reality in their own communities. Renewables are Ready is the first book to document the wide range of renewable energy efforts currently underway.

All of the ideas presented in the book can be implemented in a city, town or neighborhood through individual and group initiatives. Examples include the residents of Austin, Texas, who have turned their city into a national showplace for energy conservation and the use of renewables. 256pp

THE WATER CRISIS
Julie Stauffer
Starting with the history of water and ending with a look to the future, this book considers problems caused by urban sewage, intensive farming, acid rain and heavy metals.

Sections on prevention and solutions, includes diagrams and descriptions of the latest treatment techniques and how to use them. 176pp

by Duncan McClaren (Editor), Simon Bullock (Editor), Nusrat Yousuf (Editor)TOMORROW’S WORLD
A valuable read for those interested in sustainability. One of the few books which both asks and answers the question of what exactly we need to live a sustainable lifestyle. Useful for those involved in political or community work, such as Agenda 21, or for those simply interested in what we need to do in order to survive for the future. 382pp

The Evolution of an Independent Home : The Story of a Solar Electric Pioneer
by Paul Jeffrey Fowler
Editorial Reviews
The New Sunpaper, September 1995
Reading this book is like having a good friend tell you how he did it because he hopes his experience will help you to decide to do it yourself.....More than any technical manual could, Fowler's book invites the reader to realize the ideals of building an earth friendly house while encouraging them to appreciate the many facets of what it takes to get the job done.

Rhode Island Solar Energy Association, Summer 1995
This book is for those who want to know how to build a passive solar house powered by a solar electric system. It is a working diary, interestingly written.....and easily understood.

Consumer Guide to Solar Energy : Easy and Inexpensive Applications for Solar Energy
by Scott Sklar,

Consumer Guide to Solar Energy., January 7, 2001 Review: This book was quite broad in covering many issues of solar energy. From Heating your house, pool, food, and even providing electricity. It also gave many contacts to seek further information about legal issues, financial incentives, or more information. This is a great beginners book to learn about Solar energy if you know little to nothing about it. If you are looking for detailed information on a particular aspect of solar energy, however, this is not the book. It's a good little reference book though, especially for the price.

The Fuel Savers : A Kit of Solar Ideas for Your Home, Apartment, or Business
by Bruce Anderson, (Editor)
Editorial Reviews
Paul Hawken, Author "Growing a Business"
A most practical, step-by-step guide for individuals and homeowners to one of the most important issues we face: reducing our wasteful dependence on fossil fuels.

Eric Heitz--The Energy Foundation
The Fuel Savers is truly solar made simple--a friendly guide to solar energy for homes with lots of pictures and good advise. Bruce Anderson's recommendations make sense for the pocketbook and for the environment.

Building With Earth : A Guide to Flexible - From Earthbag Construction (The Real Goods Solar Living Book)
by Paulina Wojciechowska, Bill, Athena Steen

Paperback - 176 pages illustrate edition (May 2001)
Chelsea Green Pub Co; ISBN: 1890132810 ...As with most of the books illustrated, this one is a winner. For the first time builder, to the experienced "pro"...this book will guide you through all of the necessary steps to make your next home an environmentally friendly, stunning masterpiece of efficiency and design. Feel like "living" virtually free from utility bills?

Serious Straw Bale : A Home Construction Guide for All Climates (Real Goods Solar Living Book.)
by Paul Lacinski, Michel Bergeron
 

This book provides the metaphorical nuts and bolts of straw bale construction for homes and other buildings. Unlike many other straw bale construction books on the market, this one looks at building design issues from the perspective of the straw bale builders and considers the particular needs of the medium. Several different techniques are discussed, focusing much information on the needs of those building in wet and/or cold environments. Many illustrations, some color, and several project profiles demonstrate the theories discussed. Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR

Buildings of Earth and Straw : Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw Bale Architecture
by Bruce King, Ann Edminster, (Editor)

Build It With Bales : A Step-By-Step Guide to Straw-Bale Construction, Version Two
by S. O. MacDonald, Matts Myhrman
THE BEST HOW-TO GUIDE AROUND, March 12, 2000 Reviewer: Scott Christiansen from Hong Kong, PRC

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to know the basics of straw-bale construction. I have worked with the authors in introducing straw-bale construction techniques in a community-development context in Mongolia and China, and I can say from first-hand experience that the authors know what they are talking about (some designs from our Mongolia work ended up in the book). In China, where my organization is working to promote sustainable housing design, I use the book to explain to government officials and others just what straw-bale construction is all about. Because the illustrations are so clear, the book is very useful in this context. I have passed out some 20 copies in China so far, and have had requests for far more Build It With Bales bridges the inspiring beauty of The Straw Bale House and the technical authority of Bruce King's Buildings of Earth and Straw (see below). This is the indispensable how-to book that takes a designer/builder through the entire process, step-by-step. The book is divided into two logical parts: Part One: Before You Build: · Starting with bales · Three basic approaches · Developing a plan; and Part Two: Building At Last! · The Load bearing Option · The Non-load bearing Option · Surfacing the Walls.
Liberally illustrated with clear, easy-to-interpret diagrams, this book walks you through the building process sequentially, from discerning the differences between hay and straw to applying finishing touches on the wall surfaces. This is an essential manual for any contractor or owner/builder specializing in bale construction. 144 pp
 

Straw Bale Building
by Chris Magwood, Pater MacK, Elisabeth Ohi (Illustrator), Peter Mack

Straw bale buildings speak to a part of us that insists that we should be able to build our own homes with our own hands. We look at pictures of a bale wall being raised and immediately think: I could do that! Straw bale houses are easy to build, inexpensive, super energy efficient, environmentally friendly, attractive, and - most of all - can be designed to match the builder's personal space needs, aesthetics, and budget. It's no wonder that straw bale houses are growing in popularity. Most straw bale books do a great job enticing us with beautiful photographs and "selling" the idea of straw-bale building - but they don't adequately address the most critical issues faced by bale house builders. In Straw Bale Building, professional bale builders Peter Mack and Chris Magwood lead the potential builder through the entire process of building a bale structure, tackling all the practical issues; from how to find and choose bales; developing sound building plans; costs; roofing; electrical, plumbing, and heating systems; building code compliance and working with building inspectors; and special concerns for builders in northern climates. For those who do not see their lives and their values reflected in "standard" homes, Straw Bale Building offers a wide variety of aesthetic and building options, from multi-storey luxury to elegant simplicity. Over 100 professionally illustrated drawings, plus b&w photos and building plans provide an abundance of creative and practical ideas for novice and experienced builders alike. Down-to earth and complete, Straw Bale Building makes the remarkable benefits of straw bale building available to anyone bitten by the straw bale "bug."  Peter Mack and Chris Magwood are professional bale house builders. Together they have constructed 15 straw bale houses and structures. They teach a popular, on-going straw bale building workshop in Ontario, Canada.

The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy-Efficient, Environmental Homes
by Daniel D. Chiras
 

This sourcebook examines the options for building a house that is economical, energy-efficient, nontoxic, kind to the environment, and pleasurable to inhabit. Explores the pros and cons of 14 natural building methods, including straw bale, rammed earth, cob, cordwood, adobe, earth bags, paper Crete, earth ships, and others, all well- illustrated in b&w. Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR The author, Dan Chiras , July 7, 2000
The Natural House describes 14 natural building techniques.
When people ask me what, The Natural House is about, I say "It's about creating sustainable shelter. That is, it's about creating a dream home that is healthy, kind to Mother Earth, nourishing to the soul, and easy on the pocket book-not an environmental and economic nightmare." The Natural House: A Complete Guide to Healthy, Energy-efficient, Environmental Homes is really three books nestled comfortably within the covers of one.

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