The aluminum-clad wood house is 8.2 feet wide by 9.8 feet long by 11.5 feet high. It features two rainwater tanks attached to a boiler, a composting toilet, triple-glazed windows and insulated walls that can withstand temperatures from minus 10 degrees to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Electricity comes from three rechargeable batteries that plug into an external power source. Diogene is expected to be produced in three years and will cost about $45,000. A deluxe model with rooftop photovoltaic panels will be about $75,000. The prototype can be seen on Vitra’s campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany.

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Science tells us that every square meter of the earth’s surface, when exposed to direct sunlight, receives about 1000 watts (1 kilowatt) of energy from the sun’s light. Depending on the angle of sunlight, which changes with the time of day, and the geographical location, the power of the sun’s light will be somewhat more or less than 1 kilowatt-hour per hour for every square meter of the earth’s surface exposed to the sun. Of this solar energy, about 523 watts is in the infra-red spectrum and the ultra-violet portion accounts for about 27 watts. The remaining 440 watts is produced by the octave comprising the visible range.
The chart pictured below depicts the current state of the art for Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. PV research focuses on boosting solar cell conversion efficiencies, lowering the cost of solar cells, modules, and systems, and improving the reliability of PV components and systems. Accelerating the integration of PV technology is an essential part of global sustainability. Click on the chart reproduced here for a full size copy.

An experimental apartment building in Hamburg, Germany is harnessing the power of the sun to generate power, but not in the way you expect. Photovoltaic cells are totally yesterdays news — the BIQ building gathers power using a bioreactor façade packed full of microalgae.

Large clear panels on the front of the building are where the microalgae are growing. These microscopic organisms behave like any other plant. They absorb sunlight, process carbon dioxide, and produce oxygen. The algae flourish in a regular cycle, with the mature plants being harvested on occasion.

The process is highly efficient as it results in no additional carbon output, and algae produce more biomass by area than any other plant. Any light that is not absorbed by the algae can be captured by the façade and used to directly heat water or air when it’s chilly out. Failing either of those immediate needs, the heat can be piped down into borehole heat exchangers (an 80-meter deep hole filled with brine) for later use.

Tooling Up for Hydroponics

As regional shortages of fresh water become more prevalent, solar distillation using a single-effect basin holds promise as a method to bring low-cost, clean, and ecologically-responsible water to remote area dwellers. Compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) can be used to direct more light onto the still increasing the throughput and efficiency of these passive solar devices. A computer program has been developed that uses the properties of materials and the solar energy characteristics of the site to calculate the increase in output of water due to reflectors of different height. For reflector 2.5 times the width of the still, the output per unit area per day roughly triples with only ~10% increase in cost and moderate maintenance (weekly tilts), indicating that CPCs have a significant economic advantage in producing solar distilled water.

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URBEE is a return to fundamentals, a rethink of traditional automotive design and manufacturing. As a species endangered by our own actions, we must quickly learn to stop burning fossil fuels. Surely, the ultimate goal of Design is to serve the ‘public good’. Therefore, corporations and individual designers have a responsibility to offer products that are not only useful, but in balance with the environment.

URBEE is now crowd-funded to create the greenest car on Earth. A first prototype was completed in 2013. It became the first car to have its body 3D printed. The team recently initiated a second prototype, called URBEE 2. They are embracing Digital Manufacturing as essential to the design of an environmental car. Engineered to safely mingle with traffic, the two passenger vehicle will have its entire exterior and interior 3D printed.

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Solar tiny house designed by Michael Janzen and built by Bill Brooks.

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

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Tory Smith built this little house on wheels for newlyweds Joseph and Aravinda.

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Dee Williams decided to downsize from a 1,500 square foot home to a 84 square foot home after a trip to Guatemala. She built her current home, “The Little House,” herself for about $10,000. With a propane tank for heat and electricity coming from solar panels, Williams cost of living runs extremely low.

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SunnyBot is about the size of a large desk lamp and is equipped with an on-board mirror that continuously adjusts to reflect the sun’s rays on a chosen area. It is integrated with a dual-axis microcomputer that’s powered by a row of solar cells and comes with an optional feedback system. The device redirects 7,000 lumens (equal to a single 500 watt halogen lamp) with a range at just over 656 feet.

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Consider the Source