Eco Factor: Low-emission hybrid car.
Toyota has announced that in 2010, its hybrid the Toyota Camry sedan will start rolling off the line in China from its Guangzhou plant. The low-emission hybrid vehicle is already being produced in Japan and the United States and recently in Australia as well.
Eco Factor: Engineered tobacco leaves to produce more biofuel.
Researchers at the Biotechnology Foundations Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have found out a way to increase biofuel production from tobacco plants by engineering two genes, which increase the oil in tobacco leaves.
Eco Factor: Old medical equipment being recycled.
Old hospital equipment including trauma trolleys, patient hoists, suction machines, hospital beds and examination couches are being transported to Zimbabwe to help save lives. The donation comes from Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool.
Eco Factor: Sustainable hotel designed to run on renewable sources of energy.
The North Slope Ski Hotel is the work of eco-minded designer and architect Michael Jantzen, which is designed to be primarily powered by solar and wind energy. The 95-room luxury hotel features eight large vertical axis wind turbines that are mounted on top of the hotel and a large flexible PV array to cover the lower south facing portion of the structure.
Eco Factor: LED lanterns powered by solar energy.
Tideland Signal has won the contract to supply sun-powered marine lanterns to mark the coral reef surrounding Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean. The solar lanterns, dubbed the SolaMAX, will help encourage fishing on the outer reef.
Eco Factor: Sustainable pavilion for Shanghai World Expo 2010.
Architects all over the world are trying to design pavilions that cater to Shanghai World Expo 2010 theme of “Better City, Better Life”. Ida and Billy have showcased the Hong Kong pavilion design that comes on the theme of “Hong Kong – A city with unlimited potential”.
Eco Factor: Low-emission tractor powered by natural gas.
Mercedes-Benz has delivered its first Econic semitrailer tractor to the ALDI SÜD group of companies. The semitrailer tractor, which will be used for food distribution operations, is equipped with NGT (Natural Gas Technology). The vehicle features a high roof and a refrigerated semitrailer.
Eco Factor: Energy saving LED light bulb.
The advent of energy saving light bulbs like LED bulbs and CFLs have put an end to the dominance of incandescent bulbs. Industrial designers are now taking on the opportunity to design even better bulbs using the latest in green technology. The LED EcoBulb by Seokjae Rhee aims to better the green credentials of LED bulbs by using a unique mechanism that illuminates only what is required.
Eco Factor: Energy-saving architecture design.
Studios Architecture has unveiled the design of a sustainable office space for Earth’ Smart. Dubbed the Earthsmart Hub, the architecture is designed as a space that aims to encapsulate the company in a sustainable fashion.
Eco Factor: MicroCSP solar thermal plant to generate 2MW of renewable electricity.
Sopogy Inc has inaugurated the world’s first MicroCSP solar thermal plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. The 2MW thermal energy project spans 3.8 acres in the hot Kona desert and makes use of 1000 Sopogy MicroCSP solar panels.
Eco Factor: Low-emission car powered by a hybrid engine.
Details of Honda’s upcoming green ride, the new CR-Z, have scant but some Japanese websites have managed to get their hands on a sales brochure, revealing the car’s design and some technical specification as well. The production car which is expected to be launched at next month’s Detroit motor show will be powered by a hybrid engine for a low-emission drive.
Eco Factor: Mixed-use energy-saving development.
Wilkinson Eyre Architects have unveiled their proposal for the redevelopment of the 20 Blackfriars Road in the city of London. The sustainable mixed-use development will combine a 23-story building containing 18,000sqm of commercial and a 42-story tower with 286 unit residential building and a new public square.
Eco Factor: Concept phone harvests kinetic energy generated by the movement of the user.
Japanese mobile communication giant NTT DoCoMo believes that by the year 2020, cellphones will be stuffed with technology not many would anticipate today. The company is planning a high-tech wearable cellphone for the year 2020 that will also boast green credentials.
Eco Factor: Teahouse made from sustainable materials.
Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori has created a sustainable teahouse in Japan that gently sways in the breeze. Dubbed the Takasugi-an (translation: a tea house too high), it sits atop two chestnut trees cut from a nearby mountain and transported to the site.
Eco Factor: Concept zero-emission car powered by electric motors.
Designed by David Polášek, the Audi Cell concept car is what you can expect to drive after a couple of decades. The green machine is powered by electric batteries that offer a decent operating range, thanks to an innovative aerodynamic design and an F1-inspired carbon fiber lightweight construction.
Eco Factor: Concept catamaran harvests wind energy for propulsion.
The Enso Wingsailed Catamaran is the work of industrial designer Zack Stephanchick, who has tried to design a low-emission 140′ boat that offers a sustainable way to cruise the open waters. The catamaran allows the occupants to be in harmony with nature, while having minimal impact on the delicate ecosystem.
Eco Factor: High voltage charger for electric cars.
Siemens Energy Sector in Denmark is working on the EDISON project that involves the development of new charging technology that will enable EV owners to recharge their green rides in as little as six minutes. The system works by raising charging power to as much as 300KW to replicate the familiar filling up at a gas station in about six minutes.
Eco Factor: Concept car designed to get powered by solar energy.
In an effort to green personal transportation, industrial designers have long imagined vehicles that are powered by electric engines running on renewable sources of energy harvested by the vehicle itself. The Deltoid, which was an entrant at the Michelin Design Challenge, is one such double energy vehicle that harvests renewable energy for a sustainable ride.
Eco Factor: Concept multi-functional office building designed to run on renewable sources of energy.
RAU Architects have unveiled the design of a sustainable mixed-use office building, dubbed the Green Office 2015, which combines a spacious interior for a healthy and comfortable working environment and ample green space for recreation.
Eco Factor: Sustainable stadium concept designed to harvest renewable energy.
Njiric + Arhitekti has designed a large stadium that tries to push the boundary of human experiences of public spaces. The sustainable stadium is housed within an artificial hill made of recycled rubber, with a blue pigment sprayed onto corrugated aluminum sheets.