Eco Factor: Low emission gas hydrates to heat homes and perhaps generate electricity too.

Solar and wind energy are the two most researched sources of energy, which researchers expect can take the burden of our energy-dependent world once the conventional fossil fuels are extinct. Though completely green, both these sources are dependent on the climatic conditions of a place and hence are not as trustworthy as fossil fuels. With global warming already showing its effects, scientists, researchers and designers are trying to develop and perhaps figure out cleaner materials that can be used to generate energy.

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Eco Factor: Electric bikes to be charged via solar energy.

Sanyo has developed the world’s first parking lot for electric bikes where bikes would be charged with solar energy. Sanyo claims that the system is 100% self-sufficient and independent of any external power source and the best feature is that it can be built in any part of the world without much expenditure.

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Eco Factor: Energy monitoring device encourages users to save energy.

We’ve seen some energy monitoring devices and software in the past, but the main problem with all those systems is that they are fixed and we in our busy lives might never have enough time to check them out every now and then. The Efergy eLite is out there to save us from the problem, as this device monitor comes with a handheld system that works wirelessly up to a range of 200 feet.

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Eco Factor: Fuel-efficient car powered by a hybrid engine.

Toyota is all set to keep rolling on the green path their iconic Prius created for them. The company has showcased a new supercar called the MR2 that runs on an ecofriendly hybrid and fuel-efficient engine. Running on the hybrid engine, the car is able to propel itself to 60mph from a standstill in under 7 seconds and can do 60 miles on a gallon of fuel. The car has been designed to cater to customers who want a hybrid sportscar that is as fun to drive as it is green.

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Eco Factor: Rescue system powered by solar energy.

Rescue at sea is one of the most critical jobs in the world, where seconds can make a difference between life and death. For now we depend on lifeguards and their ability to swim, while we try surfing on the largest of the tides. Designer Davide Anzalone wants to improve the process with a solar-powered system he calls the “TESEO+ARIANNA,” where Arianna is the tower which hosts solar panels and charges the batteries and Teseo is an electric rescue vehicle.

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Eco Factor: Concept car powered by a gasoline/electric hybrid engine.

French car designer Mayeul Walser has made sure that green cars can keep your style intact with a concept car he calls the Saab Fashionista. Certifying its name, the car has been designed for an up-market customer, for whom style always holds more relevance than environmental conservation.

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Eco Factor: Hotel powered by solar energy.

The Power Valley Jinjiang International Hotel in northern China is preparing itself for the time when grid electricity will be a luxury of the past. The hotel is partially powered by self-generated solar electricity, which is generated from nearly 4500-square-meters of solar panels that absorb sunlight all through the day for clean illumination at night.

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Eco Factor: Rugged solar cell design for more efficiency.

The amount of solar electricity generated by solar cells depends on the amount of sunlight the cells receive, which further depends on the amount of reflected light. The more the reflection, the less the output. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new mechanism by which solar cells can be made more efficient without increasing their cost.

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Eco Factor: Furniture crafted from waste and recycled wood.

Making sure your new solar-powered house has equally green interiors, Pt. Epos Modern Indonesia, have debuted a new furniture range, which has been carefully crafted from old wood and industrial waste. Adding a geeky touch, the manufacturer has introduced LED lighting into the furniture which ensures you waste little energy in illuminating your home’s interiors. The manufacturer has developed methods to exploit production waste and off-cuts from local furniture industry and glue them together with ecofriendly resin. The designs are being showcased at the Singapore Furniture Fair 2009.

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Eco Factor: Bike mounted computer generates vital information about rider and the bike.

We’ve been regular in encouraging our readers to use bike on a daily basis, not only to keep them fit, but to keep the environment in good shape. However, research points out that only 5% of Americans commute via bicycle, just because biking is a slow and an unattractive means of traveling. Designed by FishoDeath, the Motive Bike Computer is set to change the misconceptions about biking and inspire urban commuters to go green.

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Eco Factor: Fuel-efficient concept truck by Renault.

We have to accept that electricity has not reached that place where it can completely replace fossil fuels, especially in power-intensive vehicles such as trucks. Truck manufacturers know it very well, that for greener hauling the only alternative is fuel-efficiency. Striking the nail on its head, Renault has developed a new concept truck called the Optifuel Lab, which aims to reduce pollution and increase mileage with a new design and better technology.

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Eco Factor: Pollutant sniffing robotic fish developed to monitor water pollution.

Marine life is tottering under the heavy burden of toxic waste, which as a result of rapid industrialization is being released into seas and rivers all over the world. Researchers at the University of Essex are working on a new robot, which will be equipped with chemical sensors to sniff out pollutants present in water bodies and relay them to their control centers.

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Eco Factor: Rainwater harvesting system generates wind energy using a turbine.

Ingenious rainwater harvesting systems are nothing new to us, but we never miss a chance to share the most creative rainwater harvesting systems that can not only provide water for you and your family but also for the plants that you love so much. Julien Bergignat is one such designer who thinks that apart from collection rainwater, his system does generate electricity as well for you to charge your gadgets or perhaps even power your home.

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Eco Factor: Ultra-efficient capacitor to take place of batteries in electric cars.

A team of scientists from US and Korea have developed a new capacitor that can be used to develop ultra-efficient electric cars of the future. The capacitor developed is much more powerful that any existing batteries and if finally developed, the capacitors will not just benefit electric cars, but all portable gadgets we use in our daily lives.

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Eco Factor: Air conditioning system powered by solar energy.

The increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is not only showing its effect on the temperature of our planet, but is also having a substantial effect on the electricity bills, especially during summer months. Le Lievre, a co-founder and former CEO of Ausra, has formed a new company named Chromasun, which will roll out solar-powered air conditioning systems to reduce the load on the grids and the pockets of a normal urban dweller.

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Eco Factor: Trains powered by renewable energy.

Taking renewable energy systems to a new level, the Interstate Traveler Company LLC is envisioning an outrageous railway system from Detroit to Lansing, Michigan, which will be powered by solar energy and hydrogen. The trains will use maglev power and the project is set to cost at the rate of around $15 million per mile.

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Eco Factor: Portable greenhouse is also a lamp.

With the cost of land rising with every passing day, homes of the future will be more congested than ever. When the space for living is reduced, the space available for planting and carrying out our green lifestyles will also get small. At that time, products like Ilya Tkach’s Lighthouse are destined to rule.

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Eco Factor: Syngas generator to lower emissions and fuel consumption.

NxtGen Emission Controls has announced the availability of its Syngas Generator Evaluation Unit for lab use. The system is designed to lower fuel consumption and costs more than existing particulate filter and urea injection systems, with the help of Syngas, which is a mix of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

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Eco Factor: Zero-emission electric scooter concept.

When thinking about a clean future, zero-emission vehicles are something we’d love to see and travel in. We’ve been regular in showcasing some of the most futuristic designs and prototypes of cars and scooters that could rule the road if not today then after a few decades, but this one is different, not in the aesthetics, but because space giant NASA has given it a green thumb.

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Eco Factor: Crushed cars recycled into green dwellings.

Miranda Homes, a startup is making a big name in the field of sustainable, cost-effective housing, which they construct using an unconventional material – crushed cars. For this recycled raw material, the company depends on local scrap metal companies that crush junked cars and break them into tiny pieces using massive chippers.

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Eco Factor: Portable garden to tempt homeowners to go green.

For eco-minded homeowners who always cursed the lack of space as the only hurdle in their walk to the greens, the Eden Project won’t leave you with any more excuses. The scheme, which depends on a portable garden carrier made from Thermo-formed heavy-duty plastics with wheels at its base, should be enable people living in skyscrapers to get a taste of owning a garden.

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Eco Factor: Energy monitoring software.

To help homeowners monitor energy usage, Google has announced free software that will allow them to mitigate the effects of global warming, without paying anything extra for the effort. Google has stated that the company is in talk with interested clients in United States, Europe and Asia to make the product available to the general public as soon as possible.

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Eco Factor: Giant concept wind farm will generate clean energy for European homes.

Among tremendous efforts put into generation of sustainable energy and reduce carbon footprint, London array project suggested between Kent and Essex coasts can be a landmark in electricity generating green projects. The design was proposed by UK- based architectural company RMJM, which includes series of modular structures that stretch up to 160m long x 9m high rhythmic line of solids and voids, screening the onshore components of the wind farm. At the base of farm lies a 2.4m plinth to work as a flood alleviation barrier. Project is expected to generate 1,000MW of electricity. This much energy is quite enough to provide energy to 750,000 homes with no emission. A substation connected to the National Grid’s 400kV transmission system at Cleve Hill will receive the power and supply it to UK’s electricity network.

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Eco Factor: Bluetooth speakerphone uses solar energy for charging itself.

Receiving calls while driving without getting your eyes off the road is a nice facility of which no one would like to be devoid, and for which we have the solCHAT Bluetooth speakerphone which sticks to the windshield of the car to collect solar energy to charge itself, and let you talk hands free with. Scosche thought about it and put it into reality. Its new solar powered solCHAT Bluetooth speaker phone has just entered the market. What makes it more adorable is it’s pairing capability with your cellphone which automatically connects when you enter your car. That means you don’t have to bother about connecting every time you come out to drive.

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Eco Factor: Hand-powered chargers for mobile devices.

With our lives completely dependent on the gadgets we own there is always a threat of losing the juice on any of our electronic aids and being left wondering what to do next. Why get worried, when you have the most trustworthy, green, renewable and absolutely free source of energy in your body – hand power. Datexx has launched a device that allows you to use your hand-power to charge your electronic gear.

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