Zero Energy Communities - Now!

Votes: 0
Views: 3525

In every field and in every country, there is a desperate need for leadership. And with millions of people homeless and unproductive, housing design demands a new vision and a fresh approach.

With at least 30 million existing shipping containers that can be easily repurposed, and small-form wind and solar dropping in cost, the time to change the housing dynamic is now. In effect, it would be open-source, modular housing. Improved insulation, grey water plumbing, thermal glass, and whatever else that works best can be used to upgrade. Containers can be purchased for less than $1,000 in some cases. But how to implement such a vision?

In the US, there are millions of veterans, highly trained and all knowing something about leadership. They are a largely untapped resource. And there are somewhere around 100,000 homeless veterans, so the program could start with veterans helping veterans. Burnout? Volunteers can step-up, contribute what they can, then hand-off to the next group. And video the whole process, constantly improving the workflow.

Food? Hydroponics, hothouses, hoophouses, and locally-grown produce.

Work and training? People can learn just about anything when it's presented properly. And when they are in a safe environment, high-tech training is that much easier to implement.
Cost? Billions are being wasted at present to keep people treading water. But real solutions do exist and there is much technology to support those solutions. What is missing is effective leadership and a vision of how communities can be energized and improved right now. Implementation is key!

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Mike Brown
  • Type of entry:
    individual
  • Profession:
    Engineer/Designer
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    never
  • Mike's favorite design and analysis tools:
    Archicad, Solidworks, Autocad.
  • Mike's hobbies and activities:
    Skunkwork diving.
  • Mike is inspired by:
    Simplicity and Bucky Fuller.
  • Patent status:
    none