Biosphere 2.0 Is Ushering In A New Age Of Zero-Energy Tiny Homes

The newest member of the tiny house movement is Biosphere 2.0, an innovative zero-energy dwelling that produces all the energy it consumes. Constructed by ZEPHIR-Passivehaus Italy, with help from a number of Italian universities and institutions, this futuristic prefab home is incredibly easy to set up, thus offering you the freedom to live almost anywhere in the world.

Aimed to facilitate mobility and address different environmental pressures, the structure boasts a clever, passive home design, and a wide array of roof-mounted solar panels. Envisioned as a net-zero dwelling of the future, it generates as much energy as it requires. Built according to Minergie and Passivhaus energy standards, Biosphere 2.0 features a design that was originally conceived by architecture students at Italy-based Politecnico di Torino.

Measuring only 25-sqaure-meter in area, the dwelling is equipped with all the amenities and comforts of a modern home. Each unit houses a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, living space and an outdoor deck. Its body, according to the developers, is constructed using strengthened PEFC-Certified timber. A network of LEDs is used to illuminate the interiors.

As the team points out, Biosphere 2.0 is built such that it can adapt to widely varying environmental conditions. Its passive house design and highly-efficient insulation enables it to withstand temperatures of nearly -21 degrees Celsius (about -5.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter months, as well as up to 39 degrees Celsius (or 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit) during summer.

Thanks to its inventive design, the zero-energy Biosphere 2.0 does not require any sort of external heating or cooling system, and is capable of maintaining the interior temperature within the range of 21 to 25 degrees Celsius (approx. 69.8 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit) all year round. It is currently being tested as part of a year-long tour across Italy.

In the coming months, the prototype will be erected in six different places, and will be inhabited by more than 20 people. The prefab home, the developers claim, has already been installed in the picturesque town of Courmayeur, located at the foot of Mont Blanc in Italy. Following this, the zero-energy structure will set up for two months at a time in Milan, Aosta, Torino, Rimini and Lugano.

To determine the dwelling’s energy efficiency, a team of researchers, from Politecnico di Torino DAD, ZEPHIR-Passivhaus Italy, Aktivhaus, University of Valle d’Aosta and Swiss MINERGIE, will be monitoring its energy performance, based on feedback from the 24 people who would be residing in it for the next 12 months. The one-year-long tour will come to end on February 28, 2017.