Eco Lego Houses

A Germany company has come up with an eco house that you put together in blocks – like Lego.

The HIB System is an eco-friendly home design that’s soundproof, insulated and energy-efficient without the use of any chemicals or toxins. The modular blocks are made from naturally cut local Black Forest pine and there’s a wide range of natural insulation materials including wood chips, clay, mussel shells and pea shingle gravel.

The idea is that buyers put the HIB-System homes together themselves. Each block weighs no more than 25kg each and once put together the house is allegedly earthquake and stormproof. All sounds pretty good, I’ve no idea how things like the plumbing or electrics work so you may need to get some professional help.

Spotted via: Springwise

Communities Fight Ecological Effects Of Climate Change

Nick from Big Green Smile has written an interesting post on how the Government is rewarding communities trying to stop climate change:

Communities battling to stop the ecological damage of climate change could receive a share of a £10 million government fund.

Twenty successful communities will receive funding from the Low Carbon Communities Challenge, which will be used to pay for energy saving measures chosen by the residents themselves, such as electric car charge points.

If measures put in place by the project are successful at cutting emissions on a local scale then they could be rolled out nationally.

Currently around one-quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions come from powering heating, lighting and electrical appliances around the home, and this number needs to fall to almost zero by 2050 if the country is to meet government energy saving targets.

The Government also wants to see around 40 per cent of energy produced by low carbon sources by 2020.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, explained that the project is a chance for communities across the county to play their part in tackling climate change.

He said: “The UK has the most ambitious emissions reduction commitments in the world and projects like this will develop the policies we need to be successful.”

Easy Energy Efficiency

Energy Circle is a site that aims to be the best place for gathering the information you need on good, cost-effective energy efficient products. They try to take some of the difficulty and complexity out of taking energy efficiency measures in your house to help you save money by being energy efficient. Plus of course, being kinder to the environment.

Solar and other renewables get a lot of press, but according to them the smartest way to green your home is by starting with energy efficiency. They show you how to do it, and with the appropriate tools/components, to do it right.

They have a YouTube channel, showing videos such as how to install The Energy Detective (we’ve talked about The Energy Detective here). TED is “a real-time home electricity monitor that is the equivalent of a digital stethoscope.”

They have three blogs that take a logical progression: the first steps you through the basics of insulation and home energy audits. The second keeps you up on the latest news and developments in home energy efficiency, like the Aube Telephone Thermostat, a tool that allows you to change your thermostat by phone. Then the third is where real people get to share their stories, expertise, tips, mishaps. Worth a look.

How To Cut Up To 40 Percent Of Your Utility Bill

Sears that it has selected Southern California for the national launch of an important new in-home service that can save homeowners up to 40% of their utility costs (according to Sears).

The Sears in-home energy audit is the latest one way homeowners can help make their home a little greener and make a dent in their utility costs as well. After a successful Orange County launch last fall, Sears has expanded its Sears Blue Climate Crew Home Energy Audit to all of L.A. County .

In contrast to the informal, do-it-yourself nature of free utility audits, the Sears audit is a comprehensive, four-step in-home diagnostic test that uses infrared cameras, giant door blowers and other state-of the-art technology to assess a home’s energy-efficiency, safety and comfort. The Sears audit is priced at $550 – a cost that is applied toward certain home improvement expenses implemented by Sears. Currently, L.A. homeowners can receive an introductory price of $275.

Participants receive a customized “roadmap” to improving their home’s energy efficiency — which can translate into reduced energy usage and up to a 40% reduction in their energy utility bills if they make the recommended improvements. You can watch how they do an audit here.

To prepare all you need to do is clean your fireplace, find your last 12 months of utility bills, spare 4 hours from your life, and of course, pay. Depending on your home, this could be a great way to save money (and energy) in the long run.

Recycled Homes Made Loofahs and Corn Husks

Keeping your finger on the pulse of developments within the green world gets harder and harder with more and more sites and information out there. One useful little email I get in my box every week is from Springwise. Generally it has nothing to do with being green, but with innovation and trends. It does however, occasionally marry the two subjects and report on green innovation.

That’s how I found out about houses made from loofahs and corn husks. This is being developed in Paraguay where there is a desperate need for housing. A ’social activist’ called Elsa Zaldivar has found a way to combine the loofah (yep, the same thing you find in the bath), corn and palm husks, and recycled plastics into lightweight panels that can be used to make houses and even furniture.

The panels can be made into varying degrees of thickness and colours and if broken can be melted down and made into new ones. Handy.

Thanks to money from the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, tests are already underway and you can find out more about it here.

What Is Seed Bombing?

Seed bombing is a form of guerilla gardening, where you can improve the look of your neighbourhood by “bombing” it with seeds. The video below features one girl’s quest to green her neighborhood’s empty lots with sunflowers and includes a “how to” guide so viewers can make their own seedbombs!

[Via: Fresh Cut]

Recycled Products In Your Home

A quick three minute video from former UK Changing Rooms presenter and eco-friendly designer Oliver Heath. Here he explores some of the benefits of recycling and the new products that can be made from recycled goods for your home. Recycle Now provides more information.

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