Solargon Structures is a rather innovative Fort Collins, Colorado company that is really trying to make some waves in the tiny home universe.  They have three sizes of homes: a 20′ diameter that is 309 square feet, a 30′ diameter that is 695 square feet with 8′ walls and a third model that is 695 square feet with 10′ walls.  The reason that their concepts and designs are so interesting isn’t the size of their tiny homes, but how they approach building and design.

The Solargon Structures concept is designed to be quickly assembled using a yurt design and SIPs, which stands for Structural Insulated Panels.  These SIPs are essentially designed to be prebuilt wall and roof panels that can quickly be laid in place once homeowners receive their building kit.  This design gives homeowners a variety of benefits including being able to quickly erect the structure, work on the structure on their own, transport the structure into remote locations and have a small environmental footprint.  These panels are made from all natural materials as well meaning that no VOC’s are used in the construction of the panels.  No VOC’s means no formaldehyde for example. which,  This principle of course, translates into results when it comes to your indoor air quality.

These panels, the heart and sole of this building concept, have high R-values. As a result, homeowners will have reduced heating and cooling costs.  The wall panels are a very respectable R28 and the ceiling panels are R42.  But saving energy is only one the ways that these Solargon Structures tiny houses are green and environmentally friendly.  They are designed with an eye toward passive solar heating and all the materials used in their construction are from natural materials that are also renewable.

There are some other benefits to a design like Solargon Structures, which might not be instantly obvious.  Being able to build a home quickly means less overall expense, as families do not have to carry the cost of two homes simultaneously.  This is one of the tiny extra benefits that can make building a tiny home really worthwhile in a variety of significant ways.

I’ve had a couple of emails over the past few days letting me know that your RSS feeds are no longer updating for the site.  I’m currently trying to troubleshoot what the problem may be.

Please bear with me as I tinker with a few things trying to fix the issue.

If you discover you’re one of the people no longer receiving updates, I’d love to know what browser you’re using and whether or not you’re in the U.S. or not.  (Feel free to comment below.)

PowerHouse is a builder that is looking to make a real difference by building tiny homes that pull off a pretty neat little trick.  A PowerHouse home arrives on the back of a single flatbed truck, and is set up in a single day.

That’s right at the end of the day the home is in place and running off solar energy to top it all off.  PowerHouse wants to be a green builder, and to this end they have made they designs sustainable and very energy aware.  The PowerHouse concept for the PowerPod is likely to capture the imagination of many, as this unique design has the added additional benefit of instant gratification. Homeowners can start living in their home the same day it arrives.

A big trend in tiny and green homes is for the homes to be off the grid.  There is a definite move towards creating homes that are freed from the wide array of problems that are associated with being tethered to the power grid.  The first thing that will strike many about the design of PowerHouse’s PowerPod is that the entire concept seems to be built around staying off the grid.  There is a passive solar design that incorporates a solar butterfly roof and solar array. A high level of insulation has also been put into the PowerPod to make the most out of it’s solar roof panels. There are other energy sipping features built into the design as well.  The PowerPod uses SIP design and R-28 walls, insulated water tanks, radiant floor heating and high efficiency lighting.  PowerHouse believes that their mixture of technologies may enable homeowners to cut cost by up to 80%.  The notion of reducing energy consumption by 80% is a very attractive one, especially when one considers the unpredictable nature of home heating and cooling prices.

Water usage has also been taken into consideration.  There is also a rainwater collector built right into the roof as well.  Composting commodes and grey water technology are additional possibilities which all contribute to making the PowerPod a tiny home that could be completely off the grid.

PowerHouse’s PowerPod is yet another good example of a homebuilder that is attempting to provide customers an easier and energy independent option.  They are incorporating technologies and approaches that were overlooked just a few years ago, and in the process helping usher in a new era in homebuilding.  Check out the details at http://www.powerhouse-enterprises.com.

Also, a great way to increase the energy efficiency in your home immediately is to upgrade those old windows to Vinyl Replacement Windows.