Eco Factor: Concept bicycle design uses solar power for front and rear lighting.

Designer Torkel Dohmer knows how bicycling can be made more comfortable and weatherproof, which he has shown in a bike dubbed the “ThisWay”. The ThisWay bike has been designed for regular bikers who need something to prevent them from harsh weather conditions and nighttime traffic. With a solar roof, which functions both as an energy provider and shelter from rain, the ThisWay bike has won the “Commuter Bike for the Masses” design competition.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Solar-powered clock delivers city information.

It’s always difficult to find people you want to meet, especially if you live in an overcrowded city. Designer Serdar Sismas is trying to kill two birds with a single arrow. Sisman is the inventor of Meeting Point, a conceptual place, where meeting people will no longer be a problem. The minimalist design of the place does not restrict purview so people can see each other easily.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Fuel-efficient caravan design for eco-minded campers.

No matter which part of the world you’re in, you’ll always be close to people who love to camp. The overall experience of the camp is enhanced if you have a good looking and comfortable caravan at your disposal. Being comfortable, however, comes at the price of both fuel and emissions. Campers usually take their caravans to an undisclosed location and then travel in it wherever they go during the trip. Traveling in the huge trucks requires more fuel and also stops the person from visiting places where driving a truck is not possible. German designer Christian Susana has solved both these problems with a concept caravan he calls “Colim.”

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Hot air balloons to be used as renewable energy generators.

We at EcoFriend love the sight of wind turbines and wind farms. However, there are still millions who hate these machines and want a replacement. Ian Edmonds, an environmental consultant with Solartran, has designed an innovative renewable generator, which is designed to provide electricity at the cost of a wind turbine and is more acceptable to society.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Residential complex for Palm Jabel Ali is powered by photovoltaic panels.

The Palm and Palm Jabel Ali islands in Dubai have caught the dreams of many ultra-rich individuals around the globe. KEO International Consultants is one of the design firms that is bringing these dreams into a realistic form. The architecture firm has designed a deluxe residential complex for Palm Jabel Ali, which not only brings cheers on the faces of those interested in buying a luxury apartment in this part of the world, but also caters to the needs of all eco-minded individuals.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Sun and rain harnessing building for Madrid.

Mansilla + Tunon Architects have designed a stunning architecture for Madrid, one which will bring Madrid on the Green Map of the world. The completed International Convention Center will be cylindrical and the building’s façade will be lined with solar panels, which will provide electricity for all requirements. Apart from generating solar electricity, the interiors of the building will mostly be illuminated with daylight entering the building through the concave spheres.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Recyclable Paper Wrap to end bubble wrap’s dominance.

With the amount of goods getting transported the world over increasing, the amount of protective bubble wrap is also on an incline. Undoubtedly, bubble wrap provides effective and lightweight protection for valuables, but its plastic nature makes it an ever increasing threat to the environment. Designers WonJae Lee, Sunkyu Kim and Sangjun Hahn have provided a sustainable answer to end the dominance of bubble wrap with a product the team refers to as the Paper Wrap.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Colorado-based solar farm owner doing his bit for the environment by offering free car recharges.

The future of our planet seems bright and cool whenever we see somebody doing his extra bit for the environment. Colorado-based Jim Duke, a person who spent $84,600 for a solar farm, is not only powering his cars with the energy gained from the sun, but is offering the same to all other who pass by his farm and that too without charging them a single penny for the green electricity. Jim’s solar farm is able to produce 15MW of solar electricity annually, which he uses to keep his house off grid and power electric cars.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Solar-powered snow shovel.

Last year we featured a human-powered DIY snow shovel, which required muscles of steel and guts to get out in the cold and power a machine to get rid of all the snow in your backyard. This year we have something that doesn’t require you to get out in the cold to get rid of the snow in your driveway.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Musical instruments made from found objects.

Students at the Applewild School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, have a green mindset at an age none of us would have ever thought about conserving the environment. A team of students in grades four and five at the school were in need of some musical instruments for a concert, but unlike us they didn’t buy them, but instead they created their own instruments and that too from trashed objects. The instruments were made from materials like washboards, pans, pots, PVC piping and plastic water jugs. Each instrument created was unique since no one knew how they would sound before someone tried to play them.
Read the full story

Eco Factor: Recycling cigarette butts to create artwork.

A couple of weeks ago we showcased a dress made from recycled cigarette butts. Those of you who can’t bear the smell of tobacco, especially if it’s coming from your own eco clothes, designer Tom Deininger is the person to look for. The artist makes use of old cigarette butts collected from parking lots to create stunning pieces of art that range from a furry, adorable and of course, smelly rabbits to a shell sculpture made from found butts in the original form.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Herb grower recycles heat from a cooking pot.

Cooking in the future will be completely different than what it is today. You will have a tech kitchen where tons of gadgets would aid you in your tasks. These gadgets will be ultra-efficient and will minimize the use of water by recycling water from any possible source. UK-based designer Jonathan Banton has started work on a futuristic kitchen by designing a herb grower that reuses the waste steam from whatever you are cooking to nourish those herbs.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Waterproof wind turbines designed specifically for offshore use.

French company Areva is all set to debut the technology it has been working on over the past decade. The company has developed the world’s toughest wind turbines designed specifically for offshore use. The waterproof turbines have been designed with a simple yet robust design by making the wind turbine light in weight. The ingenious design of the wind turbine will assure better performance in low wind conditions and also ensure fewer maintenance visits.

Read the full story

There are so many eye-catching creations that lure our souls and satiate the eye day in and day out. It’s not often we see a recycling project that meets high on creativity. But when we have a blend, then it sure is another addition to the eye-catching creations we’ve seen. Such is this DIY glass garden chandelier that’ll keep your parties outdoors burning brightly green, all the while fetching you accolades for the makeup. So gear up and clear your kitchen and garage of those glass jars and cooling racks, fetch a beaded chain and some wire, fix all this up to make this efficient lighting source. I know you haven’t even got near to making anything like you see here, so for the DIY tips click here.

Go to Source

Eco Factor: Sea scooter powered by an electric engine.

For those of you who love to ride on the waves but are too lazy to swim or surf, here is a green solution for you – a sea scooter powered by an electric engine. The X-Treme X-160 dual speed sea scooter comes with a dual battery system that can be used in swimming pools, lakes and even in an ocean. The scooter keeps floating and all a user has to do is to pull a trigger and grip its handles.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Energy-efficient catenary-free power technology for trams and lightweight rail vehicles.

Bombardier Transportation has introduced the first completely contactless and catenary-free operating tram, the Bombardier PRIMOVE. The PRIMOVE is a unique technology that not only makes trams more energy efficient, but also reduces visual pollution created by overhead transmission lines. The technology can be incorporated in a wide range of vehicles from trams to light-rail vehicles. It also allows trams to operate catenary-free over varying distances, everywhere, including underground lines. Moreover, the PRIMOVE technology works on induction, hence making sure that there is no wear and tear of components, which reduces maintenance costs.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Concept car to run on hydrogen fuel cells.

The increase in the number of cars on the road has kept designers thinking about ways to save space, especially for parking those beasts. While some designers think that “Omniwheels” can help people park their cars in cramped spaces, designers such as Matt Bradbury have a completely different mindset. Matt has developed a car known as City Concept, which runs on hydrogen fuel cells and can be parked tails up. While vertical parking is not something a normal car owner would like, taking the lightweight body and the protruding wheels of the City Concept into consideration, it doesn’t look to be a weird thought.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: LED street lighting system powered by solar energy.

Industrial designer Edan Kurzweil feels that if we want to prevent ourselves from falling over potholes in the era where electricity would be much more expensive than what it is today, then solar energy will have to be exploited as much as possible. To keep city lanes and highways illuminated in the future, Edan has come up with a solar powered lighting system known as the Night Owl.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: HVAC system assisted by solar energy.

Lennox has stepped into the solar gadget arena with the launch of the industry’s first solar assisted HVAC system. Dubbed the SunSource, the heat pump system combines a traditional heat pump with a single 3 foot by 5 foot solar panel capable of generating 190 watts of power. The panel can be mounted onto the rooftop to gather the maximum energy from the sun.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Plastic solar cells with better efficiency rating being developed at Solarmer Energy.

A team of researchers at the University of Chicago are working with Solarmer Energy to develop next-gen plastic solar cells, which are more efficient than any of their predecessors. The company claims that they would be able to develop a commercial-grade prototype by the end of the year. The prototype developed by the company measures 8 square inches and is claimed to have a lifetime of three years, working at 8 percent efficiency.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: World’s smallest fuel cell works for 30 hours.

The advent of lithium-ion battery technology worked as a foundation for a new era of portable electronics and gadgets. Now it’s time to lay another foundation stone that could serve the next-generation of gadgets and gizmos, which are small in size and large in technology. This era of nano-machines would depend on fuel-cell research which is currently in its infancy, but some chemical engineers in the US have already opened new doors with the development of the world’s smallest fuel cell.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Car powered by an electric drivetrain.

The dependence on fossil fuels has started to end with the launch of hybrid cars. However, we require machines that don’t use even a single drop of fossil fuel if we want to keep living the fast paced lives we are accustomed to in the future. AC Propulsion has developed one such car that they call the eBox, which is a 100% electricity powered car. The plug-in car can go 120 miles on a single charge, and once the batteries run out of juice, all it needs is a conventional AC power socket.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: The water craft runs on a solar/electric jet drive setup.

Designer Casey Reeve’s new concept provides a combined dynamic experience of a jet ski and a surfboard. He has named his concept the “Manta Craft.” With safety and comfort, this craft lets the user be in close contact with the water. The handles on this conceptual machine are Y shaped and easy to grip so that user can choose his direction without any complexity and confusion. What allured me most is it’s ecofriendliness. An solar-powered electric engine ensures performance with zero emissions and also keeps the user from having to refuel. The user can seat himself on a cautiously designed seating arrangement. A solar/electric jet drive setup is one more advantageous feature that includes four elements: a jet drive, the electric motor, the lithium-ion batteries and the solar panel.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Solar-powered LED lights for multiple uses.

Industrial designer Robert Lipinski, the designer of solar street lights we showcased on EcoFriend earlier, is currently installing solar lights manufactured by Italian manufacturer Luceplan on the pathways of a park in Mali. The lights known as “Sky” have been designed by Alfredo Häberli and rely on the energy of the sun to power it during nighttime. Designed for energy saving lamps, Sky is available in different version with LEDs and PV cells.

Read the full story

Eco Factor: Solar roof generates 210 MWh of electricity annually.

The company behind the dream cars of many, Ferrari, has escalated its efforts to become a green car manufacturer. The car manufacturer has installed a solar roof on its Maranello plant which with its 1075 photovoltaic panels will be able to produce 210 MWh of electricity annually. Apart from the solar roof, the energy needed for heating and cooling will be provided by a power plant generating electricity from a single fuel source. These new efforts will reduce Ferrari’s CO2 emission by about 30%.

Read the full story