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Sustainitiatives: Toronto Self Sustaining Home 12

Imagine living in a large house that has all of the luxuries that normal houses have, such as a dishwasher, laundry machines, electronics, etc. except it’s almost completely self sustaining, without relying on city water or the electricity grid.

Twelve years ago, inventor Rolf Paloheimo built a self-sufficient home in Toronto. He invented his own water filtration system that collects rainwater from the roof and filters it for drinking water and dish washing. He then re-filters the water again to be used for the shower, washing machine and toilets.

All of the “solid waste” that goes through the toilets gets composted. The house is powered by a 2,700 watt solar panel system on Paloheimo’s roof. Unfortunately the solar panels aren’t enough to support their entire power needs, so they have to borrow some energy from Toronto Hydro, but his hydro bills are less than $1000 a year.

Poloheimo wants to put wind turbines on his roof to make up for the lacking energy that the solar panels aren’t able to produce, but he doesn’t think the city or his neighbours will allow him to do that, so for now he’s sticking to his current arrangement. Read the full story here for more details.

hhphoto 
Image courtesy of www.healthyhousesystem.com

12 thoughts on “Sustainitiatives: Toronto Self Sustaining Home

  1. george Mar 4,2008 5:08 am

    what a dump!!! if i were his neighbour i would petition the city to have him scrap that eyesore and go geothermal instead!!! nasty!!!
    (ok – just kidding, cool concept. i’m not sure i’m ready to drink my own re-fitered toilet water, but hey, that’s just me. i think the europeans are a few years ahead of us on this idea.)
    – g

  2. Anonymous Mar 19,2008 3:21 am

    Mike Holmes eco-house is way nicer!
    Go check out the episode “Lien on Me”.

  3. Monique Sep 29,2008 9:38 pm

    That is great! It would be of interest I think for most of us to be self-sustaining…relying on one electrical/gas giant, makes my subject to whatever changes they do with the price, and i have to pay for it!

  4. solar panels uk Aug 23,2011 3:57 am

    Is a completely self-sustaining home really possible? It would be interesting to see. But going for renewable energy sources is a step in the right direction.

  5. Pitched Roofs Oct 13,2011 9:11 am

    I like this post.This is well informative.The Healthy House, being offgrid, had to establish its own energy system.This is an amazing.Keep sharing.I will keep share in future.

  6. Phyllis Janes Nov 8,2011 7:10 am

    Is toronto sunny enough to support solar panels?

    solar pv panels analyst

  7. solar power Jan 23,2012 7:00 am

    I hope it really works. A fully self-sustaining home would be a dream come true.

  8. Jane Doe Mar 15,2012 2:36 am

    This is great! Solar power is a relatively new energy source, it may easily become the most important energy source of the future. solar panels norfolk

  9. scotgh May 24,2012 9:25 am

    This is a nice content.I like this one.The written skill is so good.Lack
    of money has precluded major improvements.I am very impressed to this
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  10. Denialb May 24,2012 1:22 pm

    Great shared ideas.I admire it a lot.Keep sharing such smart ideas as like these in future too.Thanks a lot for sharing.Keep sharing as like in future too.

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