OFF-GRID AT THE OCTOPOD
Some of the features Jason Rioux designed into his Octopod cottage:
Airtight building envelope:
The combination of sealed and welded shipping containers and high-density spray foam insulation creates a tightly sealed building envelope. Heat loss is minimized and heating requirements reduced.
Renewable heating system:
Heat is supplied by a wood stove and in-floor heating that utilizes heat from the wood stove and outside solar thermal collectors. The heated concrete floor stores and regulates heat for long periods of time.
Passive cooling:
A centre cupola roof with opening windows at a 15-foot height exhausts warm air collected in the building and draws cool fresh air from the outer container ends via natural circulation. No fans or electricity are required.
Off-grid energy:
Power utilities come from a one-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array system connected to an energy-storage battery system. Energy storage is a vital component of off-grid systems.
Gravity-fed water tank:
Two small solar panels power a pump that pumps water to a storage tank stored in the living room ceiling. Gravity brings the water to the fixtures.
Wiring and lighting:
The Octopod is wired in DC (direct current) instead of AC (alternating current) that most homes use that has inherent electricity losses. Highly energy-efficient LED lighting uses DC power to operate; as do the HVAC fans.
White membrane roof:
State-of-theart thermoplastic roof system is a “cool” roof that radiates away any heat from the sun and reduces the need for air conditioning.