Eco Factor: Concept yacht designed to be powered by solar energy.
A couple of days back we covered a pedal-powered concept boat for those who don’t mind sweating out to save a few gallons of fuel, and today we have a little more tech-favoring yacht concept that allows you to get in touch with nature without burning calories. Designed by Dennis Ingemansson, the Esthec superyacht generates solar energy to propel the yacht’s electric engine.
Eco Factor: Solar panels capable of harvesting artificial light developed by New Energy Technologies.
Installing rooftop solar panels to make a single home go off-grid is easy. However, using the same technique in skyscrapers isn’t feasible because the roof area available for PV panels isn’t much to power the entire building underneath. New Energy Technologies has come up with a solution – allow solar panels to harvest artificial light which is in abundance in offices and commercial skyscrapers.
Eco Factor: Zero-emission pedal-powered boat concept.
We all love to spend our weekends on the lake, but mostly our rides to the open water aren’t green, and it does have an impact on the delicate marine ecosystem. Industrial designers have been successful in keeping our weekend trips to the lake green with the use of modern technology, which actually won’t make it to the real world anytime soon.
Eco Factor: High-performance batteries made from algae.
Of all the materials that have been used to make batteries, algae seems the most uncommon, but scientists over at Uppsala University in Sweden have created a lightweight, flexible battery from algae that blooms globally.
Eco Factor: Students convert 1972 MGB to run on electric motors.
Electric engineering students at the University of South Carolina’s college of Engineering have brought a vintage red MGB to the modern age by replacing its gasoline engine with a modern electric engine.
Eco Factor: Lightcatcher structure to bring in natural light and ventilation to the Whatcom Museum.
Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects have designed the “Lightcatcher” at the Whatcom Museum in Seattle, which will add 42,000-square-feet of space to the museum, which will be used to house state-of-the-art galleries for art exhibitions.
Eco Factor: Unique thin-film solar panels mounted on dual-axis trackers automatically align toward the sun.
Researchers predict that every hour the sun radiates more free energy than the entire human population uses in a year. Still, with all that technology at our disposal, less than 1% of the energy used worldwide comes from solar power.
Eco Factor: Furniture made from recycled garden waste.
While garden waste is no more than trash for most people, who mostly hide it behind a bunch of plants, Craig McPherson is one designer who brings this trash to the limelight in the form of garden furniture.
Eco Factor: Solar energy harvesting device offers green charge everywhere.
With our lives being dependent on electronic gadgets more than ever before, keeping our batteries juiced up at all times isn’t easy. Industrial designers Jun-Se Kim, Min-Goo Kim and Dong-Eon Kim have a green solution to the problem. These designers have come up with a concept charging station, dubbed Solar Tree, which harnesses the energy of the sun to ensure that your electronic gear doesn’t run out of juice.
Eco Factor: Prefabricated home made from recycled materials.
Pods are the latest in prefabs and though they look simple from the outside they do require a lot of design and engineering skills that pack luxurious living into a smaller area. Designed by Broisson Architects of Mexico, the Shelter No 2 offers enough room for three, a kitchen, reading and living area and a hydroponic area as well.
