Eco Factor: Zero-emission compact vehicle powered by lithium batteries.
Apart from hybrid Ferrari and Lotus there is enough at the Geneva Motor Show for all those who’re planning to buy a clean car for a cause. Lumeneo has presented a serial model of the Smera that is designed to zip through traffic without adding any carbon to the atmosphere. With a width of just 86cm, the vehicle is an inline two-seater that also leans around corners.
Eco Factor: Sustainable medical complex made using recycled shipping containers.
Italian firm Tam Architecture has have developed a beautiful medical complex in Soba, Sudan using discarded shipping containers lying around near the construction site. The complex provides the international staff of the cardiac center a place to stay. The sustainable development features housing units and a cafeteria as well.
Eco Factor: Material to store hydrogen at room temperature without wasting energy.
Javad Rafiee, a doctoral student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has just won a $30,000 student prize for a new super-material based on graphene that is capable of storing large amounts hydrogen at room temperature. The material is being claimed to store about twice the amount of hydrogen than the DOE’s ultimate target of 7.5 percent.
Eco Factor: Solar charger for portable electronic devices.
California-based Solar Components LLC has unveiled a new portable solar charger for electronic devices that can be charged by a USB port. Dubbed Joos Orange, the device is claimed to work in low-light conditions and can provide up to 20 times more energy than comparable solar devices.
Eco Factor: Sustainable architecture focuses on energy efficiency.
Designed by Anderson Anderson Architecture, the Harvard Yard Child Care Center provides a healthy indoor environment by making use of sustainable materials and environmentally-friendly construction methods. The air quality inside this modular school building is maintained with non-toxic construction materials, finish surfaces and paints.
Eco Factor: House made from recycled materials.
We have previously seen Buddhist monks build an entire temple using a million trashed beer bottles and here we have something similar, but on a much larger scale, six times larger that size to be precise. Tito Ingenieri, a recycling enthusiast from a city called Quilmes, has spent the last 19 years in building a house from over 6 million beer bottles.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission boat powered by electricity.
Designed and manufactured by Abra Marine, the curiously named “Sofa Boat” was showcased at the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. The all-electric boat, touted to be a “3.5m floating fun platform” features a sun canopy covering the seating area, joystick steering and a soft-foam bumper to allow easy maneuverability in crowded marinas.
Eco Factor: Sustainable architecture generates renewable energy and maximizes natural ventilation.
The Eco-Wine Pavilion by eco-minded designer and architect Michael Jantzen is a structure envisioned for use in a temperate climate at a winery and functions as a wine tasting center or provides space for special events. The pavilion is a design proposal that explores ways to integrate alternative energy gathering and storage systems into commercial architecture in a new and exciting way.
Eco Factor: Concept car powered by electric batteries.
Citroen has revealed its all-electric Survolt concept car at the Geneva International Motor Show. The company stated that its supermini concept is unconventional, aggressive, exciting and vibrant, unlike other electric vehicles that are being unveiled. The car meets the size of small cars, but is far from the conventional two-box look of a hatchback.
Eco Factor: Implantable glucose sensor powered by solar energy.
Biorasis has brought some good news for all those diabetics who are simply tired of pricking their finger multiple times each day to check sugar levels in their blood. The company has developed a state-of-the-art implantable sensor that could eliminate the use of conventional finger-prick monitors.
Eco Factor: Sweden aims to generate 50 percent energy from renewable sources by 2020.
The Enterprise and Energy Minister of Sweden has announced that the Scandinavian country will build 2000 new wind turbines over the next decade as a part of a bid to increase the production of clean energy. The country has good prospects for rapidly increasing the production of renewable energy, especially from the burning of biofuels, cogeneration plants and wind power.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission compact car to be powered by electric batteries.
Tata Motors has unveiled the much anticipated electric version of the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, at the 80th Geneva Motor Show. The car is based on the existing Tata Nano platform, which is powered by a 600cc gasoline engine. The electric version of the Nano will also seat four adults and features super polymer lithium ion batteries for power.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission concept car designed to run on electricity.
The brainchild of auto designer Huynh Ngoc Lan, the Phoenix is a car for the future that caters to the taste of the driver without polluting the environment with toxic emissions. The Phoenix – Concept features a glass cabin that provides panoramic views of the landscape to the two occupants.
Eco Factor: Sustainable development envisioned as a large-scale integrated Living Laboratory.
JTC Corporation and the Economic Development Board jointly unveiled the master plan for the 50 hectare CleanTech Park at Nanyang Avenue. This development will push the boundaries of green sustainability, serving as a large-scale integrated “living laboratory” for test bedding and demonstration of system-level clean technology solutions. Once completed, the business park will house a working population of 20,000.
Eco Factor: Concept charger harvests kinetic energy.
We’ve seen concept chargers that are designed to convert solar or wind energy into electricity to help recharge portable electronic devices. The Yoyo Mobile Phone charger concept has also been designed for the same cause, but here it harvests a completely different form of renewable energy – kinetic energy.
Eco Factor: Low-emission concept car designed to run on a hybrid engine.
Lotus has finally revealed its new Evora 414E hybrid concept car, which will be showcased at the Geneva Motor Show. The vehicle cranks out 414hp and an amazing 590 lb-ft of torque using its two electric motors for propulsion. The two motors, one for each wheel, also feature torque vectoring to improve handling.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle powered by hydrogen.
Hyundai has unveiled a hydrogen-electric version of the Tucson at the Geneva Motor Show. The vehicle, also known as the ix35, features a high-pressure tank that holds about 12.3 pounds of hydrogen, which according to the company is enough for a 400 mile range.
Eco Factor: Sustainable building conserves energy with a sunshield system.
Beijing-based design and architecture firm Elevation Workshop have proposed a sustainable building for the Rizhao Urban Planning Museum in China that is designed to conserve energy by reducing solar heat gain. The suspended main building consists of three circular shapes – hollow, carved and transparent according to the sequence of outside and inside spaces.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission electric-assist bicycle.
Sanyo has unveiled a new range of Eneloop electric hybrid bicycles that not only recharge the onboard battery when going downhill, but does the same even if you’re pedaling on level ground. The new SPL series features a unique regenerative charging “Loop Charge*3” function, which enables the battery to be charged while riding, traveling downhill and decelerating.
Eco Factor: Vehicle designed to be powered by a hybrid engine.
Ferrari has unveiled its first hybrid, the 599 HY-KERS, which according to the company is a “laboratory car” that brings Ferrari’s latest racing technology to the streets. The vehicle is based on the 599 GTV Fioriano and features a V-12 engine linked to an electric motor that provides an additional 100hp.