Mole Men in Our Future?

Have you ever considered living underground? Well, not completely underground necessarily, but in an earth-sheltered home? I've been dreaming about the day when I could live in one of these unique houses of my very own. But before that happens, is it really worth it?

There are a number of benefits to owning an earth-sheltered home, such as reduced heating bills, environmentally friendly living, and no great loss of yard space! One company, Earth Sheltered Technology, Inc., offers a list of benefits to owning an earth-sheltered home, as well as some designs and frequently asked questions.

The main selling point of the houses for me is their efficiency of heat use. The company claims that their houses are up to 80% more efficient than standard home. This of course means that many of their homes are less efficient than this, since that is the maximum efficiency. Because of this efficiency, however, you would need a system that was only about 1/4th the power of a normal heating system. You could also then combine this with newer, energy efficient technology, such as geothermal, passive solar, and efficient light bulbs such as LED (expensive but the most efficient for now).

If you were to build the house with the windows facing south and with an over hanging roof, it will be warmed in the winter when the sun is lower in the sky and be more shaded in the summer when the sun is higher. All these little things have the potential to greatly reduce energy bills and make an earth-sheltered home even more sustainable.