Methods to make them self-sustaining
Shipping container architecture is a great way to build a sustainable home, but many architects and homeowners are also going a step further, and using these building blocks to build truly off-the-grid homes. The main advantages of such homes are the ability to place them virtually anywhere, minimizing the footprint and lowering the monthly costs to virtually zero. Below are 5 examples of shipping container homes, which feature a variety of great technologies and methods to make them self-sustaining.
This shipping container home features 500 square feet of living space, which includes the deck space. To supply the necessary power to this home, it is fitted with 4 solar panels with 240 watts each, which are connected to a 3600watt 24volt TR3624 Xantrex Inverter and mounted using a Unirac mounting system. This system can produce up to 3,700 to 4,440 watt hours per day, calculated based on 5 to 6 hours of peak sunshine. The home also features a Water Saver toilet with a sink built into the tank, which make direct recycling of grey water for flushing possible. This toilet can also be connected to a Bio-digester waste system. The home also features a gravity fed batch solar water heater.
This is another great example of an off-grid shipping container home, and with this one, few would guess it is actually built from 2 repurposed containers. The home is located in Nederland, Colorado and was designed by Studio H:T. It can function completely off-the-grid thanks to a solar PV array, coupled with an optimized solar orientation, passive cooling, a green roof, pellet-stove heating, and more.