Eco Factor: Zero-emission car powered by electricity.
Geely has unveiled its all-electric five-seat family car that will go on sale in Europe this spring. The vehicle was demonstrated at the COP15 climate talks and is expected to hit the US and Asia later this year or in 2011.
Eco Factor: Sustainable residential development with rooftop gardens.
China-based architecture firm MAD Architects has unveiled the designs of their housing development that is located in the coastal city of Beihai. The development combines two typologies that are common for most residential developments in China, which include high-rise towers and long, low rise blocks.
Eco Factor: Concept yacht designed to run clean on hydrogen fuel cells.
The OrganiK is the work of designer Sylvain Viau of SVDesign that has been developed to boast a strong identity, heritage of vessels from the golden age and an accommodation and layout designed for life at sea. The concept features a narrow hull which betters fuel economy and also allows for much higher cruising speeds.
Eco Factor: Energy-saving product detects devices that are not being used.
iGo has showcased a range of ecofriendly energy saving devices at the International CES, which include products that automatically detect the devices that are not being used and shuts off power drawn from the wall.
Eco Factor: Self-sufficient sloop yacht harvests solar energy for sustainability.
Cruising is definitely relaxing and entertaining if you want to get out of the busy life in the city for some peace. However, in doing so, we usually pollute the delicate marine ecosystem with greenhouse gases emitted by the engines of a conventional yacht. Industrial designer Demetrius Tanase, who earlier came up with a similar yacht, the Poseidon, is back again with another solar-powered beauty, dubbed the Marlin Yacht.
Eco Factor: Concept curtains woven with photovoltaic panels.
Normally on a sunny day an open window lets in a great amount of solar heat, which then requires cooling systems to bring interior temperatures to bearable levels. Eco-conscious industrial designer Astrid Krogh is trying to kill two birds with one stone with a concept curtain that not only blocks solar heat but also acts as a renewable energy generator.
Eco Factor: Concept cellphone runs on fuel cells powered by sugar.
With the sources of lithium depleting at a fast rate, their users including electric car and cellphone manufacturers are thinking about alternatives. While auto makers are thinking about leasing batteries instead of selling them with an EV, industrial designers are taking up the task to develop cellphones that do without these expensive batteries.
Eco Factor: Energy-efficient desktop made using green materials.
HP has showcased its latest ecofriendly desktop computer, the HP Compaq 8000f Elite Ultra-slim for business use, which is plastered with green-approved certifications from EPEAT Gold and EnergyStar and comes equipped with an 80-Plus certified power supply system.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission open source car design propelled by hydrogen fuel cells.
Riversimple has unveiled plans for an open source fuel cell can that anyone can access and build. The vehicle will be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell engine and its designs will be available on the internet. Dubbed the Hyrban, the vehicle’s development will be escalated by gathering criticism and comments by users.
Eco Factor: Concept vehicle fueled by a hybrid hydrogen engine.
George Yoo, a designer at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development in Carlsbad, California, is trying to bring the company’s historic racing vehicles into the future with an added green touch. The designer has come up with a zero-emission concept vehicle dubbed the BlitzenBenz, which can be used for testing and evaluating cutting-edge technology.
Eco Factor: Portable electronic device chargers powered by solar energy.
Energizer has made two new additions to its Energi To Go line of solar chargers with the development of the SP1000 and SP2000, which can charge portable electronic devices through AC and USB adapters. The SP1000 is a 1000mAh charger, while the SP2000 is expected to be double that.
Eco Factor: Electrical-assist concept bicycle.
The Nishiki Urban Commute Concept by industrial designer Fredrik Rudenstam is a bike for the talented rider who wants bicycles to have all those features currently available in motorcycles. The carbon fiber concept bicycle is equipped with a lithium-ion battery to ease uphill rides.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle powered by an electric engine.
Chevrolet and Reva have been working together on an all-electric small car for the Indian market, and their first effort is being displayed at the New Delhi Auto Expo in the form of an all-electric variant of Chevrolet Spark. Dubbed the e-Spark, the vehicle will be India’s first four-door electric vehicle.
Eco Factor: Energy-efficient floating home concept.
The Tafoni Floating Home by American designer Joanna Borek Clement has been designed to change people’s attitude about living on a houseboat. The minimal concept features several sustainable additions that reduce the amount of energy required.
Eco Factor: Human-powered recumbent bicycle.
Bicycles are often criticized as vehicles that are slow and can’t shade you from bad climate, but velomobiles are different, they’re three-wheeled and do protect you in a streamlined shell for more speed and protection. Byess, the developers of Go-One3, are back again with an even better vehicle dubbed the Go-One Evolution.
Eco Factor: Low-cost hearing aid runs on solar energy.
Statistics point out that over 600 million people in the world have a hearing impairment, but only 8 million use hearing aids. Reasons range from the high cost of hearing aids to non-availability of electricity to charge these devices. Howard Weinstein has created a device that can help transform the lives of deprived hearing-impaired individuals living in rural areas of the world.
Eco Factor: Concept electric bicycle harnesses solar energy.
Designed by industrial designer Alejandro Sanchez, the OneTicket Car is a one person electric bicycle with transparent solar panels installed on the front glass. The idea behind the design is to make self-propelled systems more efficient with the use of renewable energy.
Eco Factor: Multi-purpose device runs on solar energy.
Eton radios are known to be cool and ecofriendly. However, unlike previous models, the company’s latest Scorpion radio is different – it doesn’t rely on electricity from the wall socket neither does it trusts a hand crank, but it does in fact rely on the most abundant source of renewable energy: the sun.
Eco Factor: Device to convert tidal energy into renewable electricity.
SeaKinetics has developed a tethered tidal and marine current energy generator that can provide zero carbon emission renewable energy by converting tidal energy into renewable electricity. The patented device, dubbed the HydroWing, operates anchored, submerged at a variable depth and is capable of operating in depths up to 150m.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission electric vehicle powered by solar energy.
A team from the University of South Australia is preparing a solar-powered car to participate in the first zero-emission car race around the world. The race will commence in June where the competing teams will make use of renewable energy to cross 20 countries on three continents in about 80 days.