From the monthly archives:

March 2008

The Best Kitchen Faucet Aerators

March 30, 2008

One of the least expensive ways to increase the efficiency of your home is to install low-flow aerators on your faucets. These devices save water, and lower utility bills as well, because less hot water is used. Because of this, low-flow aerators will generally pay for themselves in only a few months.

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65 Million Square Feet of Solar Rooftops: Powering 162,000 Homes

March 29, 2008

In an ambitious move, a Californian utility plans to create a massive, distributed “powerplant” by installing a total of 2 square miles of solar cells on the roofs of businesses. Southern California Edison plans to install 250 megawatts’ worth of solar power, generating enough electricity to power 162,000 homes.

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Zero X Motorcycle: 100% Lithium-Ion Electric, 40 Mile Range, Weighs Only 140 Pounds

March 28, 2008

The Zero X Motorcycle was designed from the ground up to be a 100% electric bike. What makes this new bike truly different is that it contains 168 individual high-power lithium ion cells and is expected to endure six years of hard riding. Zero Motorcycle’s power grid technology has the highest power density (power storage [...]

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Danish Drivers To Fill Their Tanks With Wind Power

March 27, 2008

Denmark has a problem — it’s generating too much power from the wind. Currently, Denmark gets about 20% of its total electrical power from wind. On windy days, that percentage can double. The ups and downs of wind power can strain an electricity grid. In western Denmark, the price of electricity can drop to zero [...]

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Green Towers In Malaysia Modeled After Fleet Of Ships

March 26, 2008

These unusual, onion-shaped towers are designed for Precinct 4, or the Putrajaya waterfront in Malaysia (30 kilometers south of Kuala Kumpur). The design, by Studio Nicoletti Associati, was inspired by ship sails and traditional Islamic architecture.

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German Parliment To Use 100% Renewable Power

March 25, 2008

The German Reichstag is expected to become the greenest parliament building in the world, thanks to a decision to rely solely on renewable energy. From late summer the building is due to swap to green power sources such as water, wind and solar energy, replacing the conventional power that it has largely relied upon until [...]

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New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain

March 25, 2008

Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend. As heavy winds lashed Spain on Saturday evening wind parks generated 9,862 megawatts of power which translated to 40.8 percent of total consumption. Between Friday and Sunday wind power accounted for [...]

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Innovative Tower To Feature Atrium Of Wind Turbines

March 20, 2008

The “Clean Technology Tower” is a highly efficient building which will be constructed in Chicago. The tower will have wind turbines positioned at the corners of the building, to capture wind at its highest velocity as it accelerates around the tower. At the apex, where wind speeds are at a maximum, a domed double roof [...]

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Stunning Solar Building Will Generate More Power Than It Needs

March 14, 2008

The Masdar Headquarters building will produce more power than it needs (an energy positive building). In fact, the solar roof (one of the largest in the world) will be constructed first, and it will power the construction of the rest of the building. The video link on this page has a great view of [...]

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OLEDs Printed Like Newspaper: World’s First Demonstration

March 11, 2008

OLEDs are thin, organic materials sandwiched between two electrodes, which illuminate when an electrical charge is applied. They’re so thin, that they could be applied to rooms as a type of wall paper to glow at the touch of a finger or when someone enters the room. Like LEDs they produce light very efficiently. But [...]

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A Viper Created With Recycled Keyboards

March 11, 2008

This is a viper made with keys recycled from discarded computer keyboards. It was created by the Korean painter Choi Jung Hyun.
Via: ArtInvest72

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Bloxes: Modular Cardboard Furniture

March 11, 2008

Cardboard can be incorporated in modern design pieces — check out this impressive gallery of cardboard furniture. Bloxes (shown above) are the latest option in cardboard furniture. The corrugated cardboard puzzle pieces lock together to form sturdy shapes such as chairs, walls, and play forts.

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The Most Efficient Washing Machines Of 2008

March 10, 2008

At MetaEfficient, I evaluate appliances based on a number of factors, namely: energy efficiency, effectiveness, reliability, and price. This holds true for washing machines, because all of these factors need to be considered and weighed against each other (I’d also like to include lifecycle analysis, but  there’s no information available for washers). For raw efficiency [...]

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Chinese Design Winner: High-Rise With Vertical Hydroponics

March 6, 2008

This apartment high-rise concept won a sustainable housing award recently in China. It integrates a vertical greenhouse into the high-rise. Designed by Knafo Klimor Architects, the “agro-housing” concept allows the residents to produce their own food, reducing commuting needs and providing a green neighbourhood. The greenhouse is a multi-floor structure for cultivation of crops such [...]

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Fuel Cells Being Used To Power Japanese Homes

March 4, 2008

Masanori Naruse jogs every day, collects miniature cars and feeds birds in his backyard, but he’s proudest of the way his home and 2200 others in Japan get electricity and heat water – with power generated by a hydrogen fuel cell. The technology – which draws energy from the chemical reaction when hydrogen combines with [...]

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Freshaire Choice: A Zero-VOC Paint To Be Sold At Home Depot

March 2, 2008

Wow, this is a truly non-toxic paint, and it’s going to be sold exclusively at Home Depot. It’s called Freshaire Choice, and it’s a zero VOC paint. According to the EPA, the air inside a home is, on average, two-to-five-times more polluted than the air outside. Paint is a large contributing factor to poor indoor [...]

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