Start-up using sea containers for sustainable off-grid housing

Start-up company Sustainer Homes has developed a completely sustainable starter house built in a shipping container. The home makes use of renewable energy and rain water storage, which means it can be placed anywhere, without having to be connected to the grid, Duurzaam Bedrijfsleven reports. The Sustainer is equipped with solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps and accumulators, which makes the home able to provide its own energy all year round. It is also equipped with filters for purifying rainwater, and plant filters for waste waters, so the house can be completely "off-grid" The container makes for a cheap and durable alternative to apartments in big cities, where high rents make independent living almost unattainable for people who are just getting started. The Sustainer can be transported as a normal shipping container and can  be placed anywhere in the Netherlands within a day. Energy company Eneco bought the first Sustainer and entered a two year partnership with Sustainer homes. Eneco will investigate whether its customers have any interest in these self sufficient starter homes.

Interieur van de Sustainer zoals gepresenteerd op Demo Day vorige week pic.twitter.com/PCxrcfEZmi

— Sustainer Homes (@sustainerhomes) July 10, 2015