Eco Factor: Sustainable development to harvest rainwater and solar energy.
Studio Shift has unveiled the designs for a new 3000-seat Sports Center to be developed in Miyi County that will provide a multi-purpose venue to accommodate sporting events such as badminton, table tennis and basketball. The main Sports Center complex is divided into smaller venues that feature a 200-seat tennis court, swimming pool and several badminton and table tennis courts.
Eco Factor: Energy-saving socket strip doubles as ambient light if energy is being wasted.
We all connect appliances to a multiple socket strip, but even after using them they’re often left connected to the strip in standby mode, which wastes energy as all appliances consume a small amount of energy even during standby. Industrial designers Dong Hoon Han, Hwa Yong Shin and Dong Jin Shin have come up with a device that provides ambient light and also alerts the user about energy wastage.
Eco Factor: Scientists create water repelling surfaces which are ideal for solar panels.
Recent efforts to create self-cleaning windows and solar panels have led scientists borrow technologies from natural systems including lotus leaves. Researchers at the University of Florida have come up with a similar technology that has been inspired from another of nature’s wonders – spiders.
Eco Factor: Boat powered entirely by solar energy.
At 31m long, the world’s largest solar-powered multi-hulled vessel has been unveiled. The catamaran, dubbed PlanetSolar, is expected to produce up to 103.4KW of solar power to drive its engine which needs just 20KW to achieve a speed of about eight knots.
Eco Factor: Bacteria colony reacts with mud and seawater to generate electricity.
Scientists have for long known that bacteria can generate electricity when mixed with mud and seawater, which led to the development of microbial fuel cells. However, till date these researchers weren’t able to provide the reasons of just how bacteria create electric networks that serve as long distance communication.
Eco Factor: Energy-efficient building for LEED Platinum Certification.
Diamond + Schmitt Architects have unveiled the designs of the new $77 million Environmental Demonstration Center for Construction Trades and Building Sciences at Algonquin College’s Ottawa campus, which according to the designers will demonstrate ingenuity and design excellence in sustainability.
Eco Factor: Sustainable development to harvest solar energy.
Preston Scott Cohen has won the competition to develop the Taiyuan Museum of Art. The building, which is already under construction, features tessellated surfaces that allow the maximum penetration of daylight and natural ventilation in addition to producing some spatial conditions as the user circulates through and around the building.
Eco Factor: Sustainable office building designed to harvest renewable energy.
While most modern architecture firms are making use of the latest advancements in technology to design next-gen buildings, David Marchetti Architetto is going back into history for a sustainable office building for Leeds, UK. The building features a modern façade formed from rammed earth and employs passive design principles to reduce overall energy consumption.
Eco Factor: Sustainable tower designed to minimize energy use.
The need to conserve energy has made designers and architects envision next-gen skyscrapers that are sustainable and interact with nature. New York based architecture studio, Kokkugia, has come up with a project that explores structures based on fibrous skeletons.
Eco Factor: Low-emission vehicle to be powered by a hybrid drivetrain.
Hyundai has revealed the first frontal image of the new concept that will be shown next week in Geneva. The i-Flow concept is a D-segment sedan that is meant to go up against the Ford Mondeo in Europe. The vehicle is the company’s first diesel/electric hybrid that boasts a new 1.7-liter inline-four engine.
Eco Factor: Concept car powered by electricity.
The Honda 3R-C Concept is a futuristic vehicle developed by designers at the company’s European R&D facility in Milan and will be showcased at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The single-seat three-wheeled car features an electric drivetrain and a canopy that transforms from a cover into an enveloping windshield.
Eco Factor: Concept motorcycle runs clean on hydrogen.
Like others in the auto world, BMW has also escalated efforts to develop vehicles run clean on alternative sources of fuel that include electric batteries and hydrogen. The company is getting some help from a team of student designers at the ISD of Valenciennes, France, who have designed an exciting concept motorcycle that offers a zero-emission ride.
Eco Factor: Sustainable prefabricated house harvests solar energy and rainwater.
Designers at MisoSoupDesign have unveiled the designs of a next-gen prefabricated living unit that reacts to nature and co-exists with it. The major components of the house are divisible and transported by a typical 120” wide tractor trailer and can then be easily assembled onsite.
Eco Factor: Homes made using recycled shipping containers.
ContainerHomes is currently working with several NGOs to provide emergency shelters for displaced people in earthquake-hit Haiti. Traditionally tents have been used for the same, but shipping container homes offer a much safer and an economically sound solution.
Eco Factor: Hybrid overland truck harvests solar energy.
Designed by Hamid Raza Bekhradi, the OEX is a concept overland truck that promises a visually exciting expedition without compromising on emissions. The concept is designed for the year 2020, in collaboration with Fiat Professional Design Center and IVECO styling office, and focuses to enhance the passenger’s visibility with panoramic seats facing the sides of the road.
Eco Factor: Solar thermal plant to generate 400MW of renewable electric power.
After being forced to scale down its solar thermal plant plans significantly because of concern for a rare tortoise, there is some good news for BrightSource Energy with the U.S. government guaranteeing a $1.37 billion loan to the company for the construction of three solar thermal plants in the Mojave Desert.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission unmanned aerial vehicle proposed for security monitoring at the London Olympics.
VTOL Technologies is proposing an unmanned aerial vehicle that can take off vertically and maneuver around tops of buildings for security monitoring at the London Olympics. The single fixed-wing aircraft would be able to lift off the ground with four thrust vectoring ducted-fan units.
Eco Factor: Sustainable building harvests solar energy.
Kieran Timberlake has been announced as the winner of the Embassy of the U.S. London Design Competition for their entry that was stated to have “most fully satisfied the requirements outlined in the design competition’s mission statement. The concept holds the greatest potential for developing a truly iconic embassy and is on the leading edge of sustainable design.”
Eco Factor: Concept washing machine manually powered by a pedal mechanism.
Designed by Shang-Che Wu, the Laundering is a conceptual washing machine that doesn’t need electricity to wash and then dehydrate clothes. The concept uses pedals to drive a coaxial bi-directional rotating mechanism that generates high cleaning two-way flow to clean all dirty laundry.
Eco Factor: Vertical-axis wind turbine generates wind energy silently.
There are many individuals out there who want to lower their personal carbon footprint with the addition of a wind turbine on their rooftop. However, because of the noise associated with wind turbines, it’s not always a neighbor-friendly addition. British inventor Sweet-Escott has come up with an amazing wind turbine that is silent and hidden from view.