Author: Jolly

Eco Factor: Solar-powered system makes plants on the streets glow green.

The Light Tree by industrial designer Omar Huerta mixes hydroponic techniques with the best and the latest in solar technology to provide a unique lighting system that also grows plants and is powered entirely by renewable energy.

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Eco Factor: Sustainable mixed-use development to be cooled using river water.

International architects SPARCH will soon add another glittering crown in Shanghai when the new Shanghai International Cruise Terminal mixed-use development will be completed. The Cruise Terminal development is being constructed in the North Bund and offers breathtaking views of Shanghai’s famous historical Bund to the South.

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Eco Factor: Newly developed concentrating mirrors to reduce cost of solar thermal power plants.

Google.org’s research on “Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal” has seen a breakthrough, as the search engine giant has announced the development of a new type of concentrating mirror for solar thermal power plants, which can cut the cost of solar thermal plants in half. Solar thermal plants rely on mirrors to focus sunlight onto a tower carrying a substance that is used to make steam.

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Eco Factor: Low-emission concept vehicle powered by a hybrid engine.

The I.DE.A Institute is returning at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, with a functional concept car that is a proposal for a 4-seat sedan with a fuel-efficient hybrid engine. The concept’s styling takes inspiration from a variety of sources including the team’s ERA concept.

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Eco Factor: Concept car designed to be powered by a hybrid engine.

Porsche has announced that the company will be showcasing its 918 Spyder concept at the Geneva Motor Show. The concept, which looks like a Carrera GT is powered by a 500hp V8 along with two electric motors that produce an additional 218hp or 160KW. According to the press release, the car can theoretically reach 62mph in just 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 198mph.

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Eco Factor: Portable hydroelectric generator to provide up to 500W of renewable power.

California-based Bourne Energy has unveiled a backpack hydroelectric generator that weighs 30 pounds and generates up to 500W of renewable power. The BPP (Backpack Power Plant) can create clean power from any stream deeper than 4 feet. The company also showcased a more-rugged version of the BPP that has been designed for military use.

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Eco Factor: World’s tallest building proposal to be powered by renewable energy.

While Dubai’s Burj Khalifa has been christened as the tallest building on the planet, architects and designers at KOBI KARP have already started working on the building that will be even taller. The designers have come up with a skyscraper, dubbed Miapolis, which has been planned for development in Miami.

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Eco Factor: Desalination plants to provide freshwater to animals in Abu Dhabi.

Water resources experts from the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi have planned to deploy 30 small-scale solar-powered desalination plants over the next 15 months to provide potable water to animals living in Abu Dhabi’s desert environment. Two of the plants are already operational and convert brackish water from underground aquifers to fresh water.

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Eco Factor: Sustainable outdoor building powered by solar energy.

Architects 3DReid have unveiled an innovative and sustainable external learning building at the BSEC School Construction conference. Dubbed the rotatED, the building has been developed in collaboration with Blue Forest, and can be turned on any of its seven sides to create an outdoor place with multiple application areas.

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Eco Factor: Universal remote powered by solar energy.

The latest advancements in storage technology have made most portable electronic devices rely on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to prevent toxic batteries from being disposed. However, there are still a few gadgets like remote control that rely heavily on disposable batteries. The Leopard is out there to better your eco-credentials with solar energy.

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission car powered by electric motors.

ZMP Inc has announced that the company will release its all-electric single seat robot car later this year. The RoboCar G is based on the EV platform developed by the Next-Gen EV Study Group at Gunma University. The car according to ZMP has been developed for research and development as a vehicle that is large enough for practical use.

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Eco Factor: Energy-efficient development harvest energy and water.

Italian design firm StudioDosi have unveiled their proposal for the 36 Calls Competition in Leeds, UK, The sustainable office building spans more about 2260 square meters with a 360 square meter public space suspended from above. The building explores innovative solutions in façade treatments making it technical and poetic at the same time.

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Eco Factor: Sustainable retail center design features use of locally sourced materials.

Studio Shift has unveiled the designs of their new retail center proposal for a riverside location in Miyi, where it capitalizes on the naturally cleansed waters of the South Lake area. The center comprises three buildings that are conceptually carved from one solid entity and reconnected through the public plaza.

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Eco Factor: Energy-saving development planned for Newark.

Brooklyn-based architecture firm Super Interesting! has won a competition to design a sustainable visitor center for Newark, New Jersey. Out of over 200 entries, Super Interesting!’s proposal “Engaging Ecology – Connecting Community” features a focus on the ties between the local environment and the surrounding community.

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Eco Factor: East Bay’s largest taxi company adds 15 new gas-electric hybrid vehicles to fleet.

Friendly Cab, the East Bay’s largest taxi transportation company has launched a new “Go Green, Ride Clean” campaign with the addition of 15 new gas-electric hybrid vehicles, which will help save about 1.3 million lbs of CO2 emissions annually.

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Eco Factor: Floating platform to harvest wind energy to generate up to 40MW of renewable power.

With nations pledging to reduce the carbon footprint to counter global warming, the need for systems that generate renewable energy has been on a rise. While most energy companies are trying to find locations for renewable energy power plants, Sweden’s Hexicon has developed a new solution for offshore wind power.

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Eco Factor: Mixed-use tower harvests solar and wind energy.

The Oasis Tower for Zabeel Park, Dubai is an answer to the rise in population and the dearth in the amount of land available for farming. Designed by Rahul Surin, the tower would provide a solution for urban farming and sustainable housing. The architect believes that the Oasis Tower will be able to provide food enough to feed 40,000 people each year.

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Eco Factor: Low-emission car to be powered by a diesel-electric hybrid engine.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it will launch its first ever diesel-electric hybrid car later this year. Dubbed the E300 BlueTec, the car will hit European showrooms by early 2011. The car will be powered by a specially tuned twin-turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine.

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Eco Factor: Active speakers for portable music players run on solar energy.

Landport Japan have unveiled new active speakers that harvest solar energy from onboard solar panels to cheer you up using nothing more than clean energy from the sun. These Solar Speakers are equipped with onboard solar panels that recharge a lithium-ion battery.

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