Category Archives: Alternative Energy
A simple modification of an everyday contraption could indeed result in a lot more and Korean
innovator Ryan Jongwoo Choi’s ES Pipe Waterwheel proves just that. In essence, this concept
uses the flow of water through pipes do generate hydroelectricity on a small scale and turns the
conventional water faucet into an energy generator of sorts! The concept can be attached to just
about any standard water piping apparatus and uses miniature turbines to generate the electricity.
The energy generated is then stored in removable light bulbs fitted onto the ES Pipe Waterwheel
which in turn can be removed and used as portable light sources!
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Stumbling across an ATM machine in a far-off holiday resort isn’t always that easy and more often than not we’re left searching for a place to withdraw money while on vacation. Behold the Tiki Hut ATM, a kiosk that can very well operate without a grid connection and yet manages to keep its surroundings intact, without the usual concrete-jungle look. Built mainly from bamboo, the Tiki Hut ATM in Bali uses solar energy to operate its equipment, making it an eco-friendly way to banking transactions away from home. Perfect for a tropical holiday resort, the Tiki Hut ATM helps conserve the beauty of its surroundings with its design and eco-friendliness.
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There are concepts and then there are concepts that simply leave us awestruck and wondering why no one had thought of it yet. Take Marjan van Aubel’s ‘The Energy Collection’ for example. This stupendous range of glassware function both as utensils to sip water from and as energy generators! Inspired by the photosynthetic abilities of plants, these colored glasses are capable of absorbing solar energy and using this to generate electricity which in turn can power up and charge a smartphone! Using a photosynthesis technology by Michael Graetzel that includes a porous Titanium dioxide layer soaked with photosensitive dye, these glasses each sport a different color for different light wavelengths and ‘The Energy Collection’ is indeed a concept that inspires and enlightens!
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Japan has begun leaning on cleaner sources of energy and as per a recent move, Japanese power companies will now require to source energy only from renewable sources, which in turn has given impetus to the industry as several new players have begun sprouting up for a fortune in green energy. Kyoto has recently welcomed a new solar centre while Nippon Crucible Co Ltd is busy drawing plans for a PV power generation facility Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. And that’s not all. Mori Trust Holdings Inc and The Japan Wool Textile Co Ltd have also begun installing photovoltaic arrays at golf courses and have jumped aboard the solar-energy brigade. And to top it all, coal mine operator and construction material vendor Mitsui Matsushima Co Ltd is now planning to install 2MW panels, giving Japan a push towards its green-energy goals.
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Plants have always been a source of inspiration for modern day designers, given the fact that these complex organisms crafted by nature sport more latent technology than we usually understand. Design house OneArtistStudio’s Blum lamp draws heavily from potted plants and is more than just a table-lamp shaped like one. This lamp requires solar energy to power up and all you need to do is set it on your window sill during the day where it sucks in solar juice to power up by night. Using bright LED lights good enough to illuminate your desktop with a pleasant glow, the Blum lamp is an eco-friendly way to lighten up the darker hours.
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Remember how flexible lithium-batteries grabbed our fancy before? Well, we’ve now stumbled across something more to dream about. Developed by the students of the Rice University, this spray-on lithium-ion battery can be applied just about anywhere and could very well be used to power small devices. All you need to do is spray the different layers of the battery one on top of the other on a flat surface and hook on an energy source to the same and voila! You’ve got yourself a tiny battery with enough juice to power up smaller devices!
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We’ve always wished for a desk that powers itself and designer Eddi Tornberg seems to have read our thoughts aloud with this concept workstation called the Unplugged. In essence a mild-looking desk that in reality generates energy using a piezoelectric carpet, a microbial fuel cell (in this case a flowering plant) and a chair that uses the principals of the Seebeck effect, the Unplugged table is self-sustainable and a model that could pave the way for similarly green furniture. For now, don’t expect the Unplugged table to power your laptop. It does however generate enough juice to power on a small light and with the development of technology; a concept like this could very well do a lot more!
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Electricity isn’t always at hand. Usually while out in the outdoors, out electrical needs are left unaddressed due to lack of trust-worthy portable electricity backup systems. Well, the next time you plan to hit the world outside away from the comfort of your home and grid connections, here’s an addition to your luggage that could prove fruitful. Called the SOS in a Box, this simple yet practical system developed by Sun Flare Systems is in essence a portable solar power generator capable of generating a good 800-2,500 Watts of household electricity. This one works particularly well during times of disaster, outdoors and at home too and is indeed a long-awaited answer to our electricity woes!
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Outdoor gyms are known to promote better lifestyles of those living in the area, encouraging adults and children alike to workout, play and exercise. The TGO Green Energy Gym Technology we came across recently integrates an outdoor gym and an electricity generator into a fabulous way to generate electricity while exercising! The energy generated is in turn used to light up this fabulous gym, a great addition to just about any neighborhood. Sporting a Energy Cross Trainer, Energy Hand Bikes, Energy Fitness Bikes, Energy Recumbent Bikes and a People Power Display Wall that measures the energy generated by the exercising folk, the TGO Green Energy Gym Technology is indeed a great way to socialize, exercise and generate green juice!
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