Eco Factor: Sustainable residential development with green spaces.
Studio Seilern Architects have unveiled the designs of a new mixed-use development project, dubbed the Whitehorse Street Development, which is to be constructed in London’s prestigious Mayfair district. Being a prime location, green spaces is a rarity and to add a touch of green to the entire development, the architects will be constructing a park inside the building.
Eco Factor: Sustainable houses built from straw.
Earthquakes and skyscrapers are a deadly mix and the devastating results of the mixture have often been seen. A group called PAKSBAB is finding solutions with Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building, a nonprofit working at developing durable buildings that can be built with limited resources.
We all need electricity to power the infinite set of energy-sucking appliances that we depend upon so much. However, the rise in the cost of electricity has made homeowners think about means to fuel their technology-driven lives with alternative sources of energy. Though there are a variety of renewable energy generators available on the market, there are several DIYers who use their skills to create energy generators at a fraction of the cost of market available products. Check out a list of 12 such projects that can allow you to generate free electricity at home after the break:
Eco Factor: Sustainable building harvests solar energy.
Danish Firm Henning Larsen Architects have unveiled the designs of a new concert and congress center that will be located at the sea promenade of Arrecife. Dubbed Palacio de Congresos, the new center is based around the jagged landscape of Lanzarote and its unique crystalline shape emphasizes the identity of the city.
Eco Factor: Teenager converts Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck to run on electric batteries.
At the age of 16, when most of us are just learning to drive a car, Deitrich Ludwig from Monclova, Ohio has become the youngest person on the planet to build a 2000 Chevrolet S-10 pickup electric truck, setting a new world record for the youngest person to have built an electric truck.
Eco Factor: Inexpensive battery developed for use with on-site power generators.
One of the major reasons we don’t see people opting for off-grid systems such as solar and wind generators is the high cost of batteries that are required to store all that power for low wind or sun periods. Scientists at Ceramatec have developed a new kind of deep-storage battery that when coupled with solar and wind generators can power your entire home at the rate of pennies per KWh.
Eco Factor: Solar paint to lower production costs while increasing efficiency.
NextGen Solar has announced that the company will be using the innovative solar paint technology developed by researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory to develop a material that isn’t expensive but offers an efficient way to convert solar energy into usable electricity as compared to thin-film photovoltaic materials.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission concept vehicle designed to run on solar and wind energy.
The YeZ is an all-electric concept vehicle that has been designed by the joint venture of SAIC and GM. The vehicle has been developed for use in the year 2030 and will rely on the energy generated from natural resources. The YeZ car features solar panels on its roof and small wind turbines that are located in the wheels.
The demand for eco-friendly transportation has not only brought some changes in the automobile industry but in the aviation industry as well. With us getting busier with every passing day, the only way to save the precious hours that are wasted in traffic jams on highways is to follow the aerial route. Since aviation is often criticized for polluting the atmosphere, designers are following a greener approach to make your personal air travel clean and emission-free in the near future. Here is a list of 10 such electric aircrafts that you might fly in the future:
Eco Factor: Sustainable architecture designed to run on renewable solar and wind energy.
The Eco-Sushi House by eco-conscious designer Michael Jantzen explore ways in which to create new and exciting architectural art aesthetic for commercial structures. This is done through the careful integration of alternative energy gathering and storage systems into the design. This structure incorporates two large vertical axis wind turbines and a large area clad with flexible photovoltaic cells for all of the electrical power generation requirements.
Eco Factor: Sustainable streetlights powered by solar energy.
The amount of electricity that is consumed by streetlights installed to keep highways safe after dark is staggering. To reduce burden on the grid, industrial designers have often thought of potential systems that make use of renewable solar energy. Moreover, since streetlights are installed in the open, they can easily harvest solar energy for nighttime illumination.
Eco Factor: Sustainable vehicle designed for use after a global disaster.
With global temperatures on a steep rise researchers are anticipating times when natural disasters will make humans live like nomads again. However, there are several eco-conscious souls who are planning out systems that might prevent us from going back to the Stone Age, using present technology. The Nomad is one such proposal for post-apocalyptic times that is designed to keep you safe and healthy.
Eco Factor: Self-sustainable UUV uses the energy of the ocean for practically limitless energy supply.
SOLO-TREC, or Sounding Oceanographic Lagrangian Observer – Thermal RECharging, is powered by Navy-funded thermal engine that is accomplishing a feat that no other underwater vessel has ever done. The engine uses the energy of the ocean to derive more energy than it consumes and offers a way to generate practically limitless energy.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission vehicle modified to run on an electric engine.
We all know that producing new vehicles requires a lot of precious energy. While new processes are being evolved to reduce energy consumption, retrofitting old vehicles with next-gen engines does seem pretty cool. Project Green Machine is working on a similar technique by resurrecting a rusting vehicle and giving it a clean electric engine.
With threats of global warming and climate change looming larger than ever before, designers have taken up the task to come up with proposals that won’t need any land to stand. While most architects believe that the only way out of the problem is to build structures that float on open waters, there is no dearth of plans that take cities under the surface of water as well, where they run completely on renewable energy harvested onsite. Here is a list of 10 such superstructures that might define the future of urban architecture:
Eco Factor: Zero-emission aircraft powered by electric engine.
Germany-based PC Aero has unveiled a lightweight all-electric airplane for a single passenger. Dubbed Elektra One, the aircraft was showcased at the Aero 2010 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Weighing just 120kg, the airplane is powered by a 16KW electric motor that can operate for up to three hours at 120kph.
Eco Factor: Eco-friendly camp stove generates electricity from waste heat.
According to recent statistics, over 1.6 million people are killed each year by inhaling toxic smoke from indoor cooking fires. Moreover, burning wood in an inefficient stove results in toxic fumes that waft up into the atmosphere. BioLite has unveiled a new Camp Stove that pollutes less, is highly-efficient and surprisingly, it can charge your portable electronic gadgets as well.
Eco Factor: Concept zero-emission sea scooter.
The Powered Body Board is a concept sea scooter that is designed to keep the aquatic ecosystem clean and green whenever you’re enjoying on the waves. Designed by Design Icon, the sea scooter is equipped with an electric engine that powers the onboard propellers generating the needed thrust.
Eco Factor: Energy monitor encourages users to save energy.
Intel has unveiled its new proof of concept Intelligent Home Energy Management device that instead of providing weather information lets you save energy by monitoring your home’s energy consumption. The Wi-Fi enabled device works with the local energy company to provide data as well as suggestions on how to save energy.
Eco Factor: Sustainable vertical farm harvests natural resources for energy.
Australian architect Ruwan Fernando has come up with a food-producing vertical farm that is being proposed to be built on an offshore location. The skyscraper has a number of direct advantages over a land-based farm since it has much better access to water, minerals, sunlight, wind and waves, which can be harnessed to generate renewable energy.