The idea of active houses is that they are able to produce the energy needed for electricity and heating in the houses. The excess energy produced can then be sold to the public power line.

This active house uses two different energy sources, solar and wind, which are converted into electrical energy. The Solar power plant converts the sun´s radiation into electricity. A parabolic reflector focuses sun rays into one single hot spot and the heat makes water boil, water vapor works a turbine that generates electricity. The Wind power plant is an improved version of an earlier solution and is made out of two parts, the rotors and a generator.

The energy transformation process can be monitored from a website and the website is on display in Teknikens Hus: http://l-nos1035n.neteq.ltu.se/ Visitors can also visit the active house outside Teknikens Hus.