Eco Factor: Mixed-use building designed to harvest solar and wind energy for power.
Michael Jantzen’s latest creation is a multi-use building that explores and promotes the use of existing agricultural building components in order to provide an alternative, energy-efficient and sustainable way in which to enclose space. Dubbed the Eco Shell Multi-Use Building System, the building is based on the use of recycled steel and renewable energy.
Eco Factor: Sustainably lit sports complex proposed for 2014 Winter Olympics.
Asadov Architectural Studio, Project-KS and Grado Project Company have proposed an alternative design concept to the State Corporation, Olympstroy for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games sports complex to be constructed in Sochi, Russia.
Eco Factor: Concept folding bicycle.
Designed by Eric Stoddard of SpeedStudio Design, the Zoomla is a folding bike that is designed to be a better alternative for those looking for quick, portable, around-town transportation. The bicycle features a TorqSteer mechanism that eliminates the conventional steering tube for better looks and performance.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission car powered by electricity.
Italian electric vehicle manufacturer, Tazzari, has launched a new vehicle at the Bologna Motor Show. Dubbed the ZERO, the all-electric car has a range of 88 miles and can hit a top speed of 56mph. The car’s onboard batteries can be recharged in 10 hours via a 220V wall socket.
Eco Factor: Seawater-cooled buildings will reduce air conditioning electricity usage by up to 75%.
In an effort to relieve stress on Honolulu’s grid and reduce the use of ozone-depleting refrigerants, Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning LLC is undertaking a $240 million project that estimates to reduce air conditioning energy use by up to 75%.
Eco Factor: Concept car designed to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells and electric batteries.
Designed by Matt Bradbury, the Rural Concept tries to improve the performance of zero-emission electric cars by integrating a hybrid system that runs on electricity and hydrogen fuel cells. The result is a clean vehicle that is feasible for a long drive at high speeds.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission all-electric truck harvests solar energy.
Sanyo has announced that the company will showcase its Solar Electric Vehicle at the upcoming Eco Products 2009 International Exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight, to be held this week. The solar electric truck features Sanyo’s own solar panels and Li-ion batteries that enable the truck to travel 130km on a single charge.
Eco Factor: Solar array to generate 193,000KWh of renewable energy annually.
Home field for the Hanshin Tigers baseball team, the Hanshin Koshien Stadium, is trying to green the sporting arena with the installation of a solar array on the roof above its infield stands. The solar installation will make the Hanshin Koshien Stadium the first to introduce a solar power system.
Eco Factor: Chandelier made from recycled materials.
With billions of plastic water bottles finding their way to the landfills each year, environmentalists are trying hard to persuade people to change their opinion about tap water. However, the alarming rate at which plastic water bottles are being trashed has tempted some designers to bring trash back into your house in some functional form.
Eco Factor: Construction ship to be used to build offshore wind farms.
RWE Innogy has awarded Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd (DSME) a contract to build a special construction ship that will be used in the construction of offshore wind farms. Valued around $148 million, the first ship should be completed in 2011.
Eco Factor: Tidal energy generator to provide a continuous supply of renewable energy.
Neptune Renewable Energy (NREL) has announced the development of a breakthrough tidal power generator, which will undergo sea trial at Hull early next year. Dubbed the Proteus, the £1 million, 150-ton generator is being claimed to be 30% more efficient than conventional hydro dam designs and can provide a continuous supply of renewable energy.
Eco Factor: Concept car fueled by an electric engine for zero-emissions.
MIT Media Lab’s Smart Cities Group has developed and prototyped a compact city car dubbed the CityCar. The vehicle can be parked in much less space than a Smart Car and gets an equivalent of up to 200mpg, running on an all-electric engine.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission electric bus debuts in New York.
The latest addition to New York’s formidable bus fleet is an ultra-quiet zero-emission turbine hybrid knows as the DesignLine. The bus is being touted to be as quiet as a tomb, and is fueled by a spinning turbine that recharges an onboard Li-ion battery pack.
Eco Factor: Concept night lamp generates solar energy.
While most eco-conscious homeowners are now trying to help the planet by going off-grid and installing a solar power station right on their rooftops, industrial designers are working on products that might suit the requirements of others who have just begun greening their home.
Eco Factor: Sustainable building powered by solar energy.
Denmark has finally got its first public CO2-neutral building. Dubbed the Green Lighthouse, the building is actually a lighthouse in more than one sense. The project was developed by the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the University of Copenhagen, the city of Copenhagen and VELUX and VELFAC.
Eco Factor: Traveling 3775km on a solar-powered trike.
Year 8 to Year 12 students from Ballarat’s Damascus College are attempting to ride their way into the record books by riding a distance of 3775 km in about two weeks’ time on a solar-powered three-wheeled bike. The expedition, called the RodeRAGE, aims to spread the word about climate change.
Eco Factor: Naturally insulated night shelters generate solar energy.
With over 100,000 homeless people in Delhi, the government sets up night shelters each winter. However, the plans for this winter are different. This year’s shelters will include aesthetically-designed bamboo houses that will not only insulate the occupants but also generate solar energy for nighttime illumination.
Eco Factor: Citrus waste recycled into biogas and ethanol.
Researchers in different parts of the world recycle organic waste into alternative fuel that can power our lives in a better way. However, unlike other forms of organic waste, composing citrus waste isn’t possible, as it contains an antibacterial substance which slows its breakdown.
Eco Factor: Energy-efficient homes to be built by Velux Group.
Velux Group has unveiled the Model Home 2020 project to develop sustainable housing for people living in European countries. The group is planning to build six full-scale, experimental houses across five European countries.
Eco Factor: New approach to produce more sustainable and cost-competitive biofuel.
The conventional process used to produce biofuel from algae destroys algae to extract their oil. Researchers at DOE’s Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University, in partnership with Catilin, Inc. have developed a new technology that makes use of nanoparticles to absorb free fatty acids from living microalgae.