You could be forgiven for having assumed that the Ecocapsule wouldn't ever be built when we first covered it. However, the zany egg-shaped off-grid abode is now available for pre-order.
The Ecocapsule's dimensions have changed slightly since we saw the prototype. It now measures 4.46 x 2.25 x 2.60 m (14 x 7.3 x 8.5 ft) and has a usable floorspace of just 6.3 sq m (67.8 sq ft). The shell is built from fiberglass, with standout off-grid tech features including two water tanks, a rainwater collection/filtration system, composting toilet, solar power, and a wind turbine.
The tiny home also sports external connections for electricity and water, plus anchor points for a trailer attachment due for release sometime in the future. Optional extras include a mini-fridge, mini-washing machine, mosquito net, and folding sunshade.
If you'd like to try and get your hands on one of the unusual tiny homes, you can place a deposit via the link below – but you'll have to be quick, because there's only a total of 50 available. The total price comes in at €79,000 (US$85,700), plus taxes and shipping.
A word of caution though: the €2,000 ($2,170) deposit is non-refundable, and a lot can happen between now and the estimated delivery date of late 2016/early 2017. Perhaps the second-generation retail release of the Ecocapsule planned for 2017 is a safer bet.
Check out the video below for more information on the Ecocapsule.
Source: Ecocapsule
This is nothing but pure, ignorant stupidity that they persist.
When will the scientists and engineer quit playing this very deceitful and false approach?
I was just looking at one of these idiot designs this morning and no it was not spinning at all while a multiblade fan was going like crazy nearby producing lots of electricity.
So whoever you are that runs this show ought to step up and publish efficiency figures of the fans when displayed. If you do not understand what I am saying, then quit pretending that you have some engineering savvy. On this very important issue you are ignorant~
Bill Dickens
Even microturbines much larger than this typically only produce about 100 total watts per day which puts it into the ballpark of only a 20 watt solar panel in a place with 5 sun hours a day and the turbine requires far more maintenance.
Grid scale turbines are actually pretty efficient, microturbines are complete junk. I wouldn't even recommend them as decoration because because endorsing them does actual harm.
For the cost, maintenance, efficiency etc. at small scale you are exponentially better off going with more solar panels than you are going with a microturbine.
For proof of this take a look at the manufacturer specs of the JLM zefr turbine which tend to be optimistic. At ~8 MPH average they make 25kWh/year. That's 68.5 watts/day or 2.9 watts per hour. That's basically worthless and not even worth the maintenance let alone the cost.
Microturbines need to die.