Eco Factor: Portable solar generator provides 300W of continuous power.
The Office of Naval Research has developed the GREENS or the Ground Renewable Expeditionary ENergy System, which allows the marines to generate 300W of continuous power using sunshine. The suitcase-based system carries a stackable 1600W solar array combined with rechargeable batteries to yield up to 300W of power.
Eco Factor: Fuel cell-powered concept boat.
Designed by Simon Gorski of Entwurfreich, ZEMBO (Zero Emission Boat) is a 12m long, motorized boat concept, settled in the premium day-cruiser segment. The extreme lightweight construction of the recyclable aluminum-mono hull has excellent gliding properties and reduces the weight substantially.
Eco Factor: Technique to extract lithium from geothermal wastewater.
California-based Simbol Mining has developed a new technique that can allow geothermal power plants to produce more than just renewable electricity. The technique could be used to extract lithium from geothermal waste water, a process that until now was considered impractical.
Eco Factor: Concept car designed to be powered by a hybrid engine for low-emissions.
Hyundai has unveiled the 2010 IX-Metro concept car at Design Korea in Songdo Convensia held in Incheon City, Korea. The low-emission car runs on a hybrid engine and produces just 80gm of CO2 for each kilometer the vehicle is driven.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission boat powered entirely by electricity.
Island Queen is the brainchild of a Southern California resident Ray Young, who wanted an electric boat and didn’t want to cruise in the ones available on the market. Ray set out to build his own version and after five years he came up with a 21-foot mahogany electric boat that features bamboo interiors.
Eco Factor: Solar-powered robot built using a Coleman cooler.
Built by nature loving DIYer Steve Norris, the CoolerBot is a solar-powered telepresence robot that carries an infrared video camera and a Nikon digital SLR camera for nature photography and is powered entirely by the energy harvested by its two solar panels.
Eco Factor: Energy-saving residential complex.
SAKO Architects have challenged traditional Chinese architecture by constructing an energy-saving residential complex that is rotated by 45 degrees from the north-south axis for increased daylighting. Traditionally, residential buildings in China are oriented south and north, but the unique positioning of the BUMPS in Beijing project let is save a considerable amount of energy.
Eco Factor: Concept computer mouse runs on renewable energy.
The Sustail concept wireless mouse by industrial designer Ahmet Bektes doesn’t need a connection to the wall socket as the concept device gets powered by a wind-up mechanism. The sustainable concept mouse hides a winding key in its underbelly, which is used to rotate a crank to produce electricity.
Eco Factor: Low-emission car designed to be powered by a hybrid engine.
Folks over at the Temple of VTEC have got their hands on a 2011 Honda CR-Z brochure that reveals the specs of the hybrid coupe, which is destined to arrive with an option for both six-speed manual and CVT transmissions.
Eco Factor: Sustainable complex designed to be powered by renewable sources of energy.
The world today needs sustainable buildings that are constructed using ecofriendly materials and generate on-site energy using renewable energy systems. Eco-minded designers Chanturia Angela and Ivanyuk Yuliya have designed a project that is based on ecological ways of getting energy for a small scientific complex.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission car powered entirely by onboard batteries.
Siemens has presented the eRuf Stormsters for the Climate Change Conference currently underway in Copenhagen. The zero-emission all-electric vehicle is built by eRuf on a Porsche Cayenne chassis. The vehicle is taking the opportunity to prove to the world leaders that the current state of the industry lays on practical EVs.
Eco Factor: House designed to be powered entirely by solar energy.
Students from the University of Nottingham have designed the UK’s first zero carbon mass market home that can be powered entirely by solar energy. Dubbed the HOUSE (Home Optimizing the Use of Solar Energy), it is a full-scale zero carbon starter home that requires no form of active heating.
Eco Factor: Spongy devices detect leaks in water pipes and fix them.
The World Bank estimates that on an average about 88 billion liters of water is lost through urban pipes each day due to hairline cracks in water pipes, in both rich countries and the developing ones where every drop counts. Israel-based Curapipe is looking for an answer in “little pigs,” spongy devices that can detect leaks and fix them.
Eco Factor: Renewable energy-powered facility has a living façade.
Ryuichi Ashizawa Architects are proposing a sustainable facility for Asakusa, a renowned tourist area in Tokyo, which will feature a living façade and will generate renewable energy for all its power needs. Dubbed the Asakusa Tree, the facility will be used as a center for tourist and culture in the area.
Eco Factor: Concept shopping cart harvests kinetic energy to provide electricity.
In the future your shopping spree would be getting a whole new dimension, as it might help in generating renewable energy for the store. Industrial designers Kitae Pak and Inyong Jung are working on a concept shopping cart that can carry your purchases and generate renewable electricity by harvesting kinetic energy.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission canal boat powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The first-of-its-kind hydrogen fuel cell-powered canal boat has made its debut cruise. The zero-emission canal boat emitted only water vapor as it sailed through Amsterdam’s centuries-old canals. Dubbed the Nemo H2, the boat can carry about 87 people and runs on a system that mixes hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity and water.
Eco Factor: Solar-powered water purification system.
The World Health Organization estimates that over one billion people around the world lack access to safe drinking water, and rely on purification that involves boiling water with firewood, which increases greenhouse gas emissions.
Eco Factor: Concept cellphone powered by thermoelectric and piezoelectric devices.
In an era where smart phones are dominating the cellphone market, industrial designers are working on concepts that have a simple feature set, but make use of futuristic technology to get powered by renewable sources of energy. The Zeri Phone by industrial designer Paul Frigout is one such cellphone that gets powered by a thermoelectric and piezoelectric system.
Eco Factor: Low-emission car powered by a hybrid engine.
Land Rover has announced that the company is developing a new Range Rover Sport Hybrid that will emit just 100g/km of CO2 and will have an all-electric range of 20 miles. Five prototypes of the vehicle will be launched next year ahead of a 2012 sales launch.
Eco Factor: Submersible speed boat runs on electricity when under water.
Creative Worldwide Ltd has unveiled a submersible speedboat that makes sure that your underwater trip is sustainable. Dubbed the Scubacraft SC3, the submersible speedboat can hit a top speed of 50mph on the surface with a top speed of 3 knots when under water.