MILENKO MILENKOVIC: SERBIAN ECOHOUSE

NTDTV; Boljevci, Serbia
2009, 1 min 22 sec

High electricity bills prompted engineer and inventor, Milenko Milenkovic to build his first eco-friendly house in the Serbian town of Boljevci. The dome-shaped house, 18.5 meters in diameter is up to 80 percent more energy efficient than a conventional house of the same size, as most of the energy for the house comes from the sun and geothermal energy. The house’s glass-covered dome was built from 110 square meters of solar panels and a special type of concrete. One third of the house is covered with earth and there are two layers of walls, allowing the air between to circulate and serve as insulation from heat and cold. The house is so well insulated that it maintains temperatures of 22 degrees Celsius in winter and 18 degrees Celsius in summer. Milenkovic’s house is not only eco-friendly but luxurious as well with a swimming pool, a jacuzzi and even an indoor garden. “This house, for it’s functioning, needs only 10 percent additional energy in comparison to ordinary houses in Serbia. The rest of the energy for the house comes from the sun and geothermal energy.” This house is just the beginning for Milenkovic. He has plans for building larger energy-efficient projects, like gymnasiums and small industrial enterprises.