Eco Factor: Sustainable building maximizes daylight and natural ventilation.
Designers over at FCB Studios are proposing a sustainable building which will provide green space for the first joint-use library in the UK by serving both the University of Worcester and the general public. Dubbed the Worcester Library, the building is to built at a cost of £50 million, and is expected to be completed by July 2011.
Eco Factor: Gadgets made from sustainable materials get powered by renewable energy.
Lexon has announced a new range of renewable energy-powered small appliances at Maison & Objet. The appliances are made using sustainable materials that include corn bio-plastic and bamboo trim. Designed by Elium Studio, the devices are elegant and feature the artisan touch of bamboo.
Eco Factor: Low-emission car to be powered by a hybrid engine.
After years of speculation, Ferrari has finally announced that it will unveil a hybrid variant of the Ferrari 599 at the Geneva Motor Show. The car is expected to utilize an all-wheel drive hybrid propulsion system for which the company filed patents in June 2009.
Eco Factor: Concept car powered by a hybrid engine.
Auto manufacturers around the world are now focusing on next-generation green vehicles that are either powered solely by electricity or adopt a hybrid approach to curb emissions. Designer Slavche Tanevski is proposing a hybrid for Lamborghini’s first green ride scheduled for 2016.
Eco Factor: Concept zero-emission helicopter powered by electricity.
The brainchild of industrial designer Cikaric Dragan, the Air Alien Green Helicopter is a concept that offers a silent and zero-emission flight. The helicopter is equipped with two gigantic tanks of hydrogen and oxygen that combine to generate electricity to power the machine and emit water.
Eco Factor: Sustainable lighting systems powered by solar energy.
Florida-based solar lighting company Sol Inc. has pledged to provide $300,000 in solar lights to disaster-struck Haiti, and the first phase of the pledge has already been completed. Apart from delivering solar-powered lighting systems, the company is also providing a ground team to make sure that the lights are perfectly delivered and installed.
Eco Factor: Machine to turn wastepaper into toilet paper.
We’ve always encouraged our readers to save paper and recycle it to prevent more trees from being chopped dwon. If you’re not one of those DIYers who can convert paper into stunning pieces of art, a Japanese company called Oriental has come up with a machine dubbed the White Goat, which converts normal wastepaper into rolls of toilet paper.
Eco Factor: Vessel optimized to harness the power of wind to reduce fossil fuel use.
Designed by Dijkstra and Partners, Greenpeace’s flagship, Rainbow Warrior III, will be getting masts, booms, rigging, winches, deck equipment, furling systems, hydraulics and sails from Rondal. The vessel is due to be launched during Greenpeace’s 40th anniversary year in 2011.
Eco Factor: Sustainable cellphone powered by onboard solar panels.
Just a year after Sharp launched its solar-powered cellphone in Japan, the company is now taking it to China. The company has announced that its solar cellphone will be available on the Chinese market from February, and it will be the first solar-powered mobile phone by Sharp for the overseas market.
Eco Factor: Concept car powered by piezoelectric devices.
We’ve seen auto designers come up with unique solutions to end the dependence on polluting and scarce fossil fuels. While most of these designers rely on renewable energy being produced with onboard solar panels or even wind turbines in an extreme case, industrial designer Jung-Hoon Kim is trying out something extremely unique – piezoelectricity.
Eco Factor: Residential development plan to make use of renewable energy sources.
Las Vegas has been synonymous with striking developments and hotels that at all points challenge conventional architecture. Work Architecture Company is now proposing a green residential community that will make the best use of natural elements.
Eco Factor: Punggol to be converted into a renewable energy powered eco-town.
Singapore’s Housing and Development Board have planned to develop Punggol as the first eco-town to help it achieve its goal to grow in a green way. Punggol will serve as a testbed for new ideas and green technologies.
Eco Factor: Concept car powered by electric motors.
The Maserati Tramontane is an all-electric supercar that has been designed to provide luxury in a sustainable package. The vehicle has been designed by Ondrej Jirec as an electric powered cruiser suited for scenic, winding roads.
Eco Factor: Concept watch powered by renewable energy.
During winters it sometimes gets hard to take your hands out of your coat to simply check the time on your wrist watch or in most cases on your cellphone. The Clip Watch by industrial designer Mac Funamizu saves you of the trouble by featuring a simple clip-on that attaches the watch to your coat or your bag to tell you the time on a need-to-know-basis.
Eco Factor: Tower made using recycled materials and junk.
Terreform 1 have designed a large scale monument that will be made using garbage produced by New York City in one hour on a typical day. Dubbed the Rapid Re(f)use, the “One Hour Tower” will also feature the famous New York statue in a negative silhouette.
Eco Factor: Piezoelectric devices to convert motion into electricity for pacemakers and cellphones.
Researchers at the Princeton University have developed unique power-generating rubber films that can harness natural body movements such as breathing and walking to provide electricity to charge various portable electronic and electrical devices.
Eco Factor: Portable home made using sustainable materials.
If you weren’t considerably impressed by the features of Archipod, here is another chance for you to possess a portable home or office space that can easily be moved to any location. Dubbed The Don Vardo, this portable house is build by Oregon-based Portland Alternative Dwellings.
Eco Factor: Genetically engineered bacteria produces biofuel from sugars.
According to reports more than 7.6 billion liters of biofuels were consumed worldwide last year and the demand continues to soar. However, this rise in demand has caused the prices of some staple foods to soar as farmland is being turned over to fuel crops.
Eco Factor: Concept car powered by electric batteries.
Columbia has unveiled its new low-speed electric vehicle, the Crossline, at the Washington Auto Show. The concept car, which has been designed in association with Aixiam Mega, is expected to roll out by the end of the year at a MSRP of under $20,000.
Eco Factor: Solar project to generate up to 500MW of renewable electric power.
The United States Air Force has entered into a partnership with Fotowatio Renewable Ventures of San Francisco to lease 3288 acres of land at the Edwards Air Force Base in the Antelope Valley to construct a solar project that will be generating up to 500MW of green electric power.