Cottage modification wish list 2/7/2008

I need two grates up on blocks outside the doors, to keep the dirt from tracking into the house.

A whole-house electric power monitor such as The Energy Detective.

A true indoor composting toilet. I saw one at Aprovecho which composts inside and has a chute leading to an outside hatch. I'm trying to get more info about it. This bucket toilet with outside composting is a nuisance - it's extra work and awkward because no provision was made in the bathroom for storing the bulking material. This is far from the kind of decadent sustainability we are trying to achieve. Yeah you can get used to anything, but why would you want to? It makes no sense to me to do outside composting in a climate which is frozen six months of the year.

There should be some way of using the outside cold for refrigeration. In Oregon where the winter outside temp is pretty stable just above freezing, they can make a cold box right in the wall. Here the winter outside temp could vary from -40 to +40, so that particular method might not be the best. An alternative would be some way of conducting the outside cold to the radiator coils on the fridge.

Withdrawn, but I recommend for future buildings: There should be an area just inside the door where the floor is lower and shoes can be removed. This is very helpful for keeping dirt from getting tracked around.

A platform along the south wall upstairs for bookshelves. It doesn't have to be permanently attached. The railings and ceiling fan will need to be removed.