SLOVAKIA-ECOCAPSULE Slovak architects design self-sustaining Ecocapsule

Record ID: 143451

  • Title: SLOVAKIA-ECOCAPSULE Slovak architects design self-sustaining Ecocapsule
  • Date: 18th August 2015
  • Summary: ZALESIE, SLOVAKIA (AUGUST 10, 2015) (REUTERS) ECOCAPSULE STANDING IN MEADOW ECOCAPSULE INVENTORS TOMAS ZACEK AND MATEJ POSPISIL WALKING THROUGH MEADOW VARIOUS OF POSPISIL OPENING DOOR ZACEK ENTERING ECOCAPSULE ZACEK AT COMPUTER INSIDE ECOCAPSULE COMPUTER SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (Slovak) ECOCAPSULE CO-INVENTOR, TOMAS ZACEK, SAYING: "The philosophy of this object is very simple - independent living in nature, something like the pioneers in America who used to go far away and live "off the grid". This is free living without any permanent connection." VARIOUS OF ECOCAPSULE (SOUNDBITE) (Slovak) ECOCAPSULE CO-INVENTOR, TOMAS ZACEK, SAYING: "The main advantage of this type of living is freedom. You can live wherever you want, you don't have to pay bills for living and you can stay amid nature. This capsule runs entirely on electric energy. Above us is a wind turbine, on the roof there are solar panels. These are the two electric energy sources which are fully sufficient for a whole year of the capsule's operation." ECOCAPSULE WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (Slovak) ECOCAPSULE CO-INVENTOR, TOMAS ZACEK, SAYING (PLEASE NOTE ANGLE OF SHOT CHANGES PART WAY THROUGH SOUNDBITE): "This is a living room with a folding bed. Here you can spread it out and lay the mattresses on. Here under the bed inside the floor are the batteries which are the energetic heart of the whole object." LIGHT BEING SWITCHED ON CEILING LIGHT SUN SHINING ON WIND TURBINE CHARGING THE BATTERIES SOLAR PANELS ON CAPSULE ROOF POSPISIL OPENING PART OF CAPSULE'S HOUSING ELECTRICITY GENERATOR VARIOUS OF ELECTRIC SWITCHERS AND DEVICES INSIDE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECOCAPSULE CO-INVENTOR, MATEJ POSPISIL, SAYING: (PRESENTING SOLAR PANEL) "We used classic 12.5 x 12.5cm solar panels. One panel gives about half of a volt, we have 288 of them placed on the roof which, connected in a serial-parallel way, gives about 600 watts. This output together with about 740 watts from the wind propeller ensures self-sufficiency of the Ecocapsule energy system." SKY/WIND TURBINE
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Slovakia
  • Country: Slovakia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1Y1T47QQ34YF5XTE9AIORGWMM
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A team of Slovak architects have developed a completely self-sustaining home for two, dubbed the "Ecocapsule", which can be moved and placed in nearly any environment around the world, they say.
    The egg-shaped unit was designed to take up minimal space without sacrificing storage room, aiming to offer travelers the chance to head off just about anywhere on the earth while enjoying the luxury of a hotel room.
    "The philosophy of this object is very simple - independent living in nature, something like the pioneers in America who used to go far away and live "off the grid". This is free living without any permanent connection," one of the Ecocapsule co-inventors, Tomas Zacek, said.
    The Ecocapsule is equipped with a dual-power energy system, bypassing periods of low energy production with a massive battery capacity allowing it to store surplus energy for later usage.
    "The main advantage of this type of living is freedom. You can live wherever you want, you don't have to pay bills for living and you can stay amid nature. This capsule runs entirely on electric energy. Above us is a wind turbine, on the roof there are solar panels. These are the two electric energy sources which are fully sufficient for a whole year of the capsule's operation," Zacek explained.
    The rounded design of the unit minimizes energy losses while maximizing collection of rain water and morning dew. Membrane water filters installed in the sides are devised to remove 99.999 per cent of bacteria and render any natural water source suitable for drinking.
    Hollow walls filled with high-performance thermal insulation should protect inhabitants from harsh environments, coy inside their heated pod.
    "We used classic 12.5 x 12.5cm solar panels. One panel gives about half of a volt, we have 288 of them placed on the roof which, connected in a serial-parallel way, gives about 600 watts. This output together with about 740 watts from the wind propeller ensures self-sufficiency of the Ecocapsule energy system," another co-inventor, Matej Pospisil, said of the Ecocapsule's energy system.
    Sustainability is not the only selling point of the capsule - fitting into a standard shipping container, it can also be transported globally with low shipping fees.
    For those who like the project but want to bring their cars along for the ride, the unit can be extended via additional undercarriage to become a fully-functioning caravan.
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