Mother's $10-per-square-foot (or less!) Earth Sheltered House: Part III

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The power from the turbine generator charges a bank of six series-wired 2-volt batteries, each of which has a capacity of 790 amp-hours. The huge, single-cell Exide units are from the same batch that we used in conjunction with our windplant (see MOTHER NO. 69, page 180, and the update on page 151 of this issue for more about that alternative-energy system). The 3-amp continuous (albeit trickle) charge that the plant produces should be enough to keep the recycled telephone substation batteries "warm", but it's unlikely that the small amount of juice will ever overcharge the cells. Nonetheless, to allow for future expansion of the generating setup, we've wired a Solar Works Charge-A-Stat into the system. Paul Wilkins's device is acknowledged to be one of the best charge controllers going, and at $90 it provides inexpensive insurance for our battery bank.

As these words are being typed, our carpenters are putting the finishing touches on the Low-Cost Earth-Sheltered Home. Soon one of our staff members will be moving in for the remainder of the winter, to get an idea of just what it's like to live in the house. In the May/ June issue, then, we'll be able to tell you about the fine interior details of our cozy little abode (including a preview of some beautiful cabinets that we'll be telling you how to make and how-to information about our thermal shutters). In the future, we'll be able to relate the joys (or possibly the miseries) that are associated with actually living in a less-than-$10-per-squarefoot home!

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