The tiny house movement is just blowing up, and we’ve seen growing interest in our tiny house archives in recent months.  This week, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, seller of tiny houses such as the Popomo, as well as books and plans, recently announced the launch of a new book — Backyard Sheds & Tiny Houses — and several new Box Bungalow plans under 110 square feet.  The plans sell for roughly $50 and the kits can be had for about $12,000 – $15,000.  If you’re interested in ADUs, backyard cottages, and tiny homes, we have a list of the new stuff from Tumbleweed below.

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The biennial Solar Decathlon is coming up next month with teams preparing their solar-powered homes for West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C. The competition will showcase modern, energy-efficient homes from 19 teams from September 23 – October 2, 2011. We’ve taken a look at the architectural models for each home and continue our coverage this year with a look at the renderings.  There’s some great work here.  Any predictions?  Which team will take it all?

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Sunverge has released a new Solar Integration System (SIS) package containing an inverter and battery storage unit to complement the standard residential solar PV array.  Brought to the market in February 2011, this new offering will give homeowners the opportunity to attain reliable net-zero energy status and eliminate reliance on the grid.

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On average, about 18% of home energy consumption is for water heating, the second largest consumer behind space heating.  The primary technology used to do this is the tank-type water heater (both gas- and electric-powered), but solar water heating can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water. 

Solar hot water systems vary, and one system we’ve mentioned previously is a passive-pump system by Virginia-based Sunnovations.  This video explains it.

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The Exo looks like some sort of space station, but it’s actually a clever housing unit for emergency shelter situations.  A cargo truck can carry about 15 of these — packed in two pieces, the base and upper shell — and a team of four can move and set one up in under two minutes.  When assembled and connected, Exo has lighting, climate control, wall outlets, and four fold-down beds.

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