i'll buy two...

"the insulation fitted around the home, which makes it look like a giant mattress"

OK, it's for insolation, but man, I've got to wonder what that thing is going to look like left out in the elements for years?

I was thinking it looked like a house inside a pillow but a mattress makes more sense. The inside is really cool.

I would love one.

But.

What is the resistance to inclement weather? What is the maximum wind speed it can withstand? Is it tornado resistant? Where I live, these are common and extremely relevant home buyer statistics.

you get the same or if not better results with a straw bail stucco house much better looking and far cheaper.

looks likes if you lived next to a dump or a landfill and this is what you could scavenge up for the nicest house on the pile .. We call 'em Boeing bombs

I've always wanted to build a house with 12" thick insulated walls. Anytime I've asked a builder they always tell me that most of the heat goes through the roof. They continue to build these energy hog 2X4 constructed homes. I love to read about these super insulated and innovative houses that folk get the cajones to build. McMansions be damned, these smaller homes are so much better for this world. Thanks.

Keep on trying to cram solar energy down our throats.... tech hasn't delivered in years, still isn't delivering.

Straw-bale homes have been around since the 19th century and are already near net-zero energy. Insulation values around R60+, uses renewable/recycled waster material, earth-friendly, cheap... straw is in such abundance that farmers regularly burn it to get rid of it.

With careful planning of windows and concrete slab floors you can get a solar heat gain in the winter and natural geothermal cooling in summer. Add solar or wind power and you can be completely off the grid.

The mattress covering may last 10-15 years, depending on the material. But all the pockets and tufting are harborage points, especially on the roof. There is also the real potential of thermal bridging and loss of air barrier, and loose insulation takes up more space than necessary. And structure is needed to support the mattress. A better choice to provide some structure and better insulation would have been insulated metal panels (IMP), which are in common use for industrial and commercial buildings. Insulation values are up to R-48. While the wierdness of the exterior may provide some cachet or artistic cred, in a real-world sense it is incredibly lame.

Interesting how so many projects that are not cost efficient, don't give the necessary information to evaluated financial and capitalization rates. $300,000 for a 750 Sq. Ft. dwelling is stupidly expensive and like others are saying, how long will the thing last before you have to start replacing various components.

I hope these folks got some bang for the bucks they invested. They reached their goal of building a net-zero enegy home that most people can't afford.

I hope some useful data might be gleaned from this project and applied in a way that WILL allow the majority of this planets inhabitants, to purchase an energy efficent home.

Most people would like to warm in the winter and cool in the summer and can teach themselves to remember to turn off the light, using an inexpensive ($2.50?) wall switch. Nothing personal KINECT...

Kind of wondering about the size of the solar unit. 5-6KW? Anyways.... very good to see things going in this direction. $300,000 should easily come to about 1/2 of this price if the homes are mass produced.

Monthly electric bill=$250 x 12 =$3000 x 30 year mortgage =$90,000.

Weekly electric car battery charging via solar saves $40 a week in fuel. x 52 weeks=$2,000 a year x 30 years =$62,000.

Yes the home should definitely be in the $150,000 range. The solar addition would bring the return on the energy of the home basically free. Clean air and minimal global warming is a bonus.

@Harry Skip Robinson: You clearly don't live in Toronto like me, or any other densely packed urban area then! $300000 with - hydro bills is very affordable indeed for 750Sq. Ft.

That is really fantastic - In fact "Dream Come True". I am more than convinced now that Solar could take care of future energy needs. Hearty congratulations to the students who have been behind this project. I am certain this could set the trend for many more novel models to sprout.

I was wondering whether this could be architectured into the conventional buildings?

Yeah, I've got to wonder about the durability of the outside, but I think the most important thing about this house is that it knows where you are, and can react accordingly. For years, I've wanted this feature, but all the "smarthomes" just offered silly ways to turn lights on and off. If I can remember to turn them on and off, there is no problem with that now! A feature like this would probably pay for itself inside a year. It probably makes the nest thermostat obsolete.