Elizabeth+Sophie+Megan

Cuenca, Ecuador 2.8892º S, 79.0153º W

Why build "Zero" Impact Homes?
A zero impact home is a home that has zero impact on the environment, or very little. Instead of using a lot of electricity like a normal house, zero impact homes use lots of solar energy and water instead of the electric energy. When you build a zero impact home, you are reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere, which helps to eliminate the burning fossil fuels from this environment. Reducing fossil fuel source electricity and heating use is good for the environment so that the greenhouse effect does not occur. This is when gases absorb radiation and becomes re-radiated. This is bad for our planet because the temperature is always climbing and can start things like Global Warming, which can result in an increase of water temperatures like in the ocean, a reduction in food production, and a decrease in animal species. Overuse of water resources is not good for the environment because it can lead to less drinking water for humans and can affect animals as well. We get our water supply from groundwater and without it, we would not be living as healthily as we could since we need fresh water to survive. If we use too much water, animals that live in water like fish and some insects would not be able to live as well. It would be harder for them to live with not as much water and they could become extinct a lot easier. Runoff from our homes can also be a problem in areas with lots of rain because it causes erosion and flooding. Along with this, the flooded waters carry pollutants from parking lots, lawns, some streets, and construction sites that are connected to water sources. By knowing the path of the sun in your location, you can use it as a source of energy and partner it with solar panels to absorb energy and power your house. When the sun is at its height in the sky, it should be directly above your solar panels on your roof. By having your windows face the sun, too, you can use the sun's heat to warm your house instead of using the electricity for it.

Site Considerations
The average high temperature in Cuenca, Ecuador is 69ºF or 20ºC. The average low temperature in Cuenca, Ecuador is 49ºF or 9ºC. The yearly temperature range is between 50ºF and 70ºF. The hottest months are June-October & the coldest months are December and January.The average rainfall in Cuenca is 878 mm (34.57 inches) per year. The rainiest month is April, with a total of 109 mm (4.29 inches) of rain. The driest months in Cuenca are from June-December. In Cuenca, the path of the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. In Summer, the sun rises at 114º East and sets at 246º West. In the Winter, the sun rises at 67º East and sets at 293º West. The sun is in different places at noon in the Summer than it is during the Winter. During Summer, the sun is at its highest point at noontime which is 69.5º above the horizon. In Winter, the sun is at its highest point during noontime but it is 63.7º above the horizon. Between the two seasons of Summer and Winter, the difference in degrees is 5.8º.
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Design Features
Our home is does not look like a normal home you would see in a suburb. It is a different shape than usual ones and we use a lot of unique design features to help the environment.

For starters, it is rounded like a cylinder instead of being a typical rectangular house. In cuenca, having a rounded, and shorter house is more stable since there are lots of chances for possible natural disasters like earthquakes. Having a stable house during a natural disaster can help to keep the house up and intact instead of it falling down. Most of the mass of a dome is heald toward the base this creating a lower center of gravity greatly reducing the chances of it collapsing. Domes also distribute forces in all directions naturally distriputing energey well. Also we put less windows in our house which creates fewer weak spots in the fountation.

Another key feature is that it has solar panels on our roof. Having these on a house convert the sun light to actual electricity. Plus, having them positioned on the roof so that the sun hits at its hottest and higest point in the sky at noon, is the perfect thing to do. We use the solar panels for cooling our house during the summer and winter.

We also have a clothing line outside to dry our clothes instead of using the electricity to make a clothes dryer run. In turn, lessens the impact on the envorment.Electricity is traditionally generated by the burning of fossil fuel so by eliminating washer and dryers it leasons the amount of fossil fuel in the atmoshere.

We also painted our house white so that the sun does not get too attracted to the outside of the house and in turn, make the inside too hot and uncomfortable. With using lighter paint we can lessen our use of using electricity to cool our house which benifits the envorment by not giving off fossil fuels which effects the envoirment.

Another thing we have as a part of our house is rain barrels. These collect water when it rains and that can be used for washing dishes and washing clothes instead of using tap water for unnecessary purposes. Since we have a large amount of rain fall we can use our natural recources instead of removing water from places that need it more. Also our group uses hydro-elecyricity which is energey generated by water, because of our large amount of rainfall in our location we are able to use hyro- electricity which is better for the environment and gives us the same amount of electricity.

We have eco friendly lightbulbs because they use less energy than usual ones to produce the light we need when turning a light switch on. In return eliminating fossil fuels because it use the same amount of energy as a regular light bulb. Fossil fuels are bad for the environment because it releases CO2 which contributes to the global warming prosses like smog and other kinds of air polluction that are harmful to plants and animals. So by using eco friendly light bulbs you are reducing the amount of fossil fuels in the air.

Only 3% of all water in the world is fresh water which is naturally occurring with low concentrations of salt. Less than one third of 1% of this fresh water is actually available for human consumption.With an ever growing population, resulting in over-extraction of many of our fresh water sources, every drop of water that we conserve counts. So our houses uses water flow restrictors, this helps to reduce the quantity of water coming through the valves, while you get a similar water pressure. In return saving clean water.

A last feature is an outdoor shower, so you do not need the electricity of the lights in an indoor bathroom when you can shower in daylight. Our group also uses bio-fuel from plants and animal fat for electricity. Since our area is highly vegitated with many animals we are able to use bio -fuel as an alternative source of electricity.



Our last feature we put on our house was metal roofing. A metal roof has so many benifical factors we had to use metal material. Metal roofing saves in home heating and cooling energy costs, Resistance to elements in any climate Good for the environment (100%) recycable Light weight - Consumers can re-roof their home and reduce the weight on their housing structure Does not require structural reinforcement, lastly its a smart choice in earthquake-prone areas thanks to their light weight and rigidity. Another big advantage of a properly configured metal roof is tremendous resistance to high winds. In fact, there is no better material for resisting the damage of extreme weather. Thats why our group used metal roofing

Our group decided to extend our rood to creat an overhang. Because of our hot climate a overhang is necessary for shade and keeping the heat from the sun out during the day.Overhangs also allow people to not worry about rain coming inside there homes. Overhangs allow for cooling which benifits the enviorment by not generating fossil fuels and it also gives a place for rain to fall and be stored in rain barrels which will be used for watering grass, cleaning clothes, soak pots and pans, irrigation and to flush toilets, which will all help conserve drinkable water. It is also better for the environment if the rain water soaks directly into the ground instead paved driveways and storm drains so by using rain water ro water plants and go into the ground it is less likey to pickup polution.

inside our home

These are pictures of our zero impact home model, stationed in Cuenca, Ecuador but currently in a science classroom!



Biome ( Plants that exist)

Club mosses are found in our climate they germinate on good soil,the spores can be used as "vegetable sulphur" which is dusted on diaper rashes, bed sores and other skin eruptions. When the earlier club mosses inhabited compressed and carbonized to make the coal we now use for electrical generation and occasionally heating. Without ancient club mosses we possibly would not have the cheap resources to produce the electrical energy we use today. Palm trees can also be found in our climate. There are many uses for palm trees for starters You can use palm-oil for cosmetics and soap Palm trees also grow coconuts and dates that we eat. They also produce shade which is much needed with our very hot and sunny climate espically in the summer seasons.You can also use there leaves for weaving furniture and decorations. You can fine horse tail plants in our climate Horse tails are used as an herb for teas and treating wounds and helps to get a healthier skin tone. Lastly you will find fern grown mainly on the forest floor. They are mostly used for shading purposes and there beauty.Ferns also adapt very easily to a change in climate and natural disasters which is very common in Ecuador.They thrive mostly in wet hot climates which is Ecuador's climate.

Climagraph for Ecuador, because we could not get our exact location because they did not have it we used the area closest to us.