Eco Factor: Zero-emission all-electric vehicle fueled by solar energy.
Yokohama Tire Canada is funding the Sunstang car program at the University of Western Ontario. The program, which is being developed by a team of engineering students, will be exploring a new approach in the development of solar-powered vehicles. The students are developing a solar-powered three-wheeled vehicle that can be mass produced.
Eco Factor: Fuel saving engine technology boosts efficiency.
While all major automakers are developing new cars that run on alternative sources of fuel, a startup company Transonic Combustion is working to better the efficiency of gasoline-powered vehicles with a new engine technology. The company is claiming to have developed an ultra-efficient fuel injection system that would cost as much as high-end fuel injection systems currently on the market but will deliver an efficiency of 64mpg.
Eco Factor: Sustainable development maximizes use of natural elements.
Italian architecture and engineering firm, Studiodosi, has released this new zero CO2 emission institutional office building, and placed itself among well-known international sustainability related architectural firms. In March 2009 Provincia di Parma (Parma, north of Italy) issued a two-phase architectural competition for its new headquarters building. The dwelling had to be zero CO2 emission and built with sustainable attitudes and strong prescriptions about materials, comfort and air treatments. Out of the 77 submissions StudioDosi was placed second.
Eco Factor: Sustainable retirement community for Catholic priests.
HWKN have completed the design phase of their upcoming project, Aging in Africa, which will move towards construction in the beginning of next year. The development will be the first age-valued community on the African continent. The design will provide comfortable living space for the elderly.
Eco Factor: Concept pedal-powered trike for two.
Designed by industrial designer Cikaric Dragan, the Twin Trike is a concept tricycle that can seat two individuals. The concept has been designed for those who love to share their green efforts with their family or friends. All the controls of the tricycle are operated by the front rider, while the tricycle features two transmissions to ease the commute.
Eco Factor: Concept car to be powered by an all-electric engine.
Tesla has been working hard to develop next-generation clean cars that are powered by alternative fuels, primarily electricity. However, most of these concepts are either too pricey or don’t seem to attract a much younger audience. The Tesla Eye is different – it has been designed for generation Y, with the promise of a zero-emission drive.
Eco Factor: Sustainable tower designed to generate more renewable energy that it consumes.
The 10MW Tower is the brainchild of designers at Studied Impact, which has been designed to generate 10X more energy than it needs. The tower is equipped with a 5MW wind turbine that sits on top of the building harnessing the wind, a 3MW concentrating solar system and an additional 2MW is to be generated with a solar updraft system.
Eco Factor: Sustainable architecture designed to have minimal impact on the environment.
Designed by Coolie Calihan and Charles Johnson, the Cidade Suspensa (Suspended City in Brazilian Portuguese), aims to refine urban architecture and bring it in harmony with nature and the environment. The site of this proposal is located on the dense urban waterfront of Rio de Janeiro and is to be completed in time for the 2016 Olympics.
Eco Factor: Sustainable skyscraper to be made using natural materials.
The shortage of water and land has resulted in political unrest in Sudan for decades. However, the recent discovery of the world’s tenth largest underground lake in the region by scientists from Boston University can end the conflict if the lake is managed correctly. Designers at Polish firm H3AR Architect and Design have proposed a multipurpose Watertower skyscraper that can allow access to underground water through the application of water pumps.
Eco Factor: Life preserver keeps the user warm using solar energy.
A Taiwanese student has developed a high-tech life preserver that looks like an ordinary plastic life preserver but has been designed to be charged using solar energy to keep its user warm even in freezing water. Dubbed LIFEON, the life preserver features a chlorophyll solar cell that is automatically charged within 10 seconds after coming in contact with water.
Eco Factor: Thermocell to generate electricity from waste heat.
Apart from developing technology to harvest abundant solar and wind energy, there are a few researchers who are concentrating on waste materials, such as heat, which can be tapped to generate renewable electricity. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have come up with a concept that could generate electricity from waste heat coming out of exhaust pipes.
Eco Factor: Intelligent device changes color to save water.
The Waterpebble by product designer Paul Priestman is a revolutionary device that can encourage individuals to reduce their shower time to conserve water. The intelligent device measures the amount of water going down the plug hole when you shower and memorizes it.
Eco Factor: Gribble turns abundant wood into biofuel.
Researchers at the University of York in Britain have identified the potential of the wood-eating gribble to cheaply convert abundant wood and straw fiber into biofuel. For centuries the gribble has been known to eat holes in ships, docks and piers, but the unique capability of the bug to digest raw wood holds the promise of enzymes that can turn wood into sugars, which can then be converted into ethanol.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission transport system based on OLEV technology.
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have unveiled a proof-of-concept OLEV train for public transportation in Seoul’s Grand Park in Gwacheon City. The vehicle is powered by a non-contact magnetic charging method that sources electricity from power cables buried underground.
Eco Factor: Sustainable developed city to be made using recycled materials.
Designed by Deric Fourie, Dan Bernos, Michael Menuet and Pablo del Amo, the Tower City in Marseilles envisions the city of Marseilles as a stacked skyscraper that sits on water. The design calls for a city to be built on water, rather than spreading out with the rise in population.
Eco Factor: Electric bicycle to reduce the number of cars on the streets.
Due to increasing urbanization, our cities are getting bigger and have to carry much more people. As a result of this, the living space will run short, same as the traffic area in the near future. The infrastructure can’t be changed, so there have to be some new ways for the mobility of the people. Beside the public transport options like buses and trains, there is a rise in demand for individual transportation, where bicycles could be the answer.
Eco Factor: Renewable energy-harvesting furniture.
The brainchild of Indonesian industrial designer Rizki Tarisa, the GO! is a lounge, a workstation and an exercise bike that also generates renewable electricity to power your gadgets, when you pedal the bike to burn all extra fat on your body. The multifunctional furniture has also been made from sustainable materials such as recycled and biodegradable plastics.
Eco Factor: Roofing made from recycled discs.
The recent advancements in technology have also brought a rise in the problem of e-waste, which is a growing threat in both the developed and the developing world. Instructables member Jayefuu is trying to reduce the clutter of CDs and DVDs in his house by recycling them to design a shimmering roof.
Eco Factor: Sustainable skyscraper to purify contaminated water of Ciliwung River in Jakarta.
Jakarta was originally designed as a water city where 13 rivers crossed the city, which were utilized as a source of livelihood by the citizens. However, today the Ciliwung River has become a disaster for the citizens as a surge of water flooded the city, and the number of slums along the riverbanks adds a new problem, namely the pollution of the watershed’s surroundings.
Eco Factor: Portable gadget chargers running on solar energy.
Ambientec has unveiled two new solar-powered battery chargers at the PV Expo 2010 that include the SolarFold and the SolarFan. The SolarFold opens up like a Japanese folding screen and the SolarFan opens up like a fan. The devices are designed to be easy to carry and can charge all portable mobile devices that can be charged via USB cables.