Eco houses for 40-50 degrees latitude north

Low energy houses which do not require additional energy for heating are almost state of the art here in Austria. But how is the situation in the icy regions of the Russian Far East, like in Vadivostok, with records being minus 68 degrees, chilling winds and a soil that is always frozen?

People in Russia usually heat their homes with millions of tons of oil, gas, coal, and firewood, but still houses get no warmer than 14 degrees. On average, every Russian uses 50 % more energy than any citizen of the EU. Saving energy is an unknown concept.

An innovative architectural design developed by the Far Eastern Federal University of Vladivostok is tackling these challenges and brings a new quality of live into the living rooms of people: the "Eco House" for everyone has an overall heat insulation made of a special material not only for the roof and walls but also, and especially, for the foundations.

So the house stays warm even in the most icy winter, and no longer sinks into the ground, which normally happens when too much heat softens the permafrost soil. With its windbreak architectural form and thanks to solar collectors and heat storage systems now a comfortable 22 degrees can be reached and the house needs only very little energy from external sources even in very cold conditions.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WotUDSl0wmQ