Imagine an affordable home made from recycled materials that is also compact, secure and energy efficient. Sound too good to be true? Then consider the Canadian Ecopod. The Ecopods start their lives as shipping containers before being converted into eco-homes.
Designed to work off the grid (although they can easily be used on the grid), the corten steel shipping containers come complete with an 80 watt solar panel and 12 volt battery, interior and external rubber flooring made from recycled car tires and environmentally friendly soya insulation.
The Ecopod features double-glazed thermal paned glass doors and front windows and a hinged deck that is opened and closed by a 12-volt winch apparatus with a lifting capacity of 4000lbs.
“We first cut one twenty-foot side out of the shipping container and re-manufactured the steel wall into a deck that was then hinged back to the unit with six custom-designed offset hinges allowing the deck to lay flat and fit into its original position when closed,” explains Ecopod manufacturers.
The deck door operates as a security function as well.
“If you are leaving the Ecopod for an extended period of time, you can close the deck by flipping the electrical panel switch to supply the power to the 12 volt winch…the door closes by means of a handheld remote control,” explain the manufacturers. “It takes about a minute to close and with the back doors locked, the pod is again returned to the form and strength of the original container.”
Ecopod off the grid options include a composting toilet, solar powered refrigerator and a XM radio. The Ecopod does not include any showering or drinking water facilities or options.
The Ecopod sells for CAN$26,650.00.
Visit: www.ecopods.ca
Via: WebEcoist
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What I would like to see is a unit that not only has a side that comes down....let's call that the outside porch floor.... but at the same time has an equal flat side that comes up to be used as an awning over the area....simultaneously creating a roof over that porch floor. That would be like more housing space, almost an extra room weather permitting... and a place that could still be used for seating even if it were raining. Would that be such a difficult thing to achieve with this unit?
It is amazing even as is though.
written by Christine Vernon, Oak Park, IL , June 29, 2009