by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-06-17 21:12:04 UTC
Photo: Pat Corkery/NREL
The National Renewable Energy Lab has Done It!
As Lloyd and other sensible people keep pointing out, if our buildings and cities were better designed, we would need a lot less air conditioning, and in many cases none at all. That should be goal #1. But because it's doubtful that's ubiquitous A/C is going away any time soon, it can't hurt to make the technology more efficient (keeping buildings cool is using about 5% of the energy used in the US). That's exactly w... Read the full story on TreeHugger
by: TreeHugger Design, 2010-06-24 20:09:36 UTC Image credit: Good
Washers and driers are fast, easy, and convenient—but they tend to use a lot energy and water. Levi Srauss & Co., it turns out, has noticed. According to a study they commissioned, "60 percent of the climate impact comes during the consumer phase."
Now, they are asking for help to design a better way to dry clothes.... Read the full story on TreeHugger
The US Federal Trade Commission has announced a final ruling on new labels for light bulbs. The labels will break down the "lighting facts" of bulbs much like a nutrition label on food products. With CFLs, LEDs and other lighting technologies filling the shelves alongside incandescents, the labels will help consumers find what they're looking for.
The major change that these labels bring is using lumens to indicate the brightness of the bulb instead of watts, that way all bulbs will use the same terminology and consumers can compare them easily. Other statistics listed on the labels will be: yearly energy cost, the bulb's life expectancy, light appearance (on a scale of warm to cool), energy used (wattage) and, for CFLs, a warning that it contains mercury.
The clear labeling of cost and energy savings over time, could help more efficient lighting win over consumers who haven't made the switch yet.
The new labels should start showing up in the middle of next year.
There's more news on the sustainable and renewable energy front in Europe. Not only is wind power nearly on par with natural gas in Europe, but in Sweden now, biomass has passed oil as the top source for energy generation. The most recent figures indicate that biomass energy production reached 115 terrawatt hours in 2009, representing 32% of all energy consumption. At the same time, oil-based fuels were used to produce 112 TWh. Biofuel use is expected to increase, while fossil fuel use should further decline in the coming years.
Biofueled combined heat and power (CHP) plants generate heat for more than half of the multifamily dwelling units in Sweden, as well as producing electricity. Sweden has a goal to have renewable energy reach 50% of all energy consumed in the country by 2020 and to be independent from imported fossil fuel for all transportation by 2030.
Wood is the source for the vast majority of the fuel used. However, the increased use of wood for energy has led to higher prices for other products requiring logs and paper pulp.
The rise in the demand for energy and the ways it is produced has altered the natural mix of air we breathe. While the conditions on the open streets are miserable, the conditions indoors aren’t great either. Addressing the issue, designers all over the world are creating futuristic air purification systems that can help make air quality better. Have a look at some of the most innovative air purifiers after the jump.
• Aura Organic Air Filter
Designed by Ben McGinley, the Aura Organic Air Filtration system keeps indoor air quality healthy and doesn’t consume any electricity for the same. The conceptual device uses sunlight and plants to remove harmful chemicals and toxins from the air. Plants are naturally equipped to filter chemicals like volatile organic compounds, formaldehydes, benzene and carbon monoxide from the air. The device uses this property to clean indoor air and make it free from any toxins.
• FLO2
The FLO2 by industrial designer Olivia Bradateanu uses the natural processes of photosynthesis to purify indoor air. The product lets users know the quality of air they are breathing and purifies it by simply trapping the harmful particles. The portable device can be carried along or placed at a favorable place inside a house.
• O2 Air Purifier
Designed by Tian Lingrui the O2 Air Purifier requires the user to place a normal plant pot on the system’s tray, where it accelerates the process of photosynthesis and hence increases the amount of sequestered CO2 for more oxygen. In addition to cleaning up the air around, the system also keeps tabs on our green friends and lets the user know when they need water.
• Symbiosis City Air Purifier
The Symbiosis City Air Purifier by industrial designer Ken Jasinski is to be mounted on streetlight poles where it harvests solar energy to power its ultraviolet air purification system. During overcast days the system utilizes grid connectivity for power. The system captures carbon dioxide from the air and releases oxygen back into the atmosphere, hence purifying the air without making use of much energy.
• Oxygen of Green
The Oxygen of Green indoor furniture concept is designed by combining air plants with a living room table. Conceptualized by industrial designer Mingling Wang, the system produces a decent amount of oxygen, especially after dark and does that at the place where it’s most needed – the center section of the house.
• The Daan
The Daan is a small disk-sized unit powerful enough to purify a small room. You stack more units together to clean a bigger area. You can even detach one unit and take it for travel. Designed by Joseph Kim, this wonderfully crafted new air purifier will hopefully alter the view of traditional water purifiers and will encourage more makers to go for the more stylish designs which will go great with interiors of your space.
• Green Ring
The Green Ring is the brainchild of designers Park Jun Seok and Kwon Hye Rim and has been designed to keep tabs on the air you breathe and help purify it as well. Shaped like a tree trunk, the device can easily be mounted on the wall and comes with a variety of LED lights and filters. The device features a set of lights that glow from green to red according to the air quality inside your house.
• Extend
The Extend air purifier by industrial designer Sander Brouwer is a sleek and stylish air purifier that offers a simple solution that leads us from polluted city life to pure and fresh air to enable a healthy lifestyle. It helps improves air circulation and purification to keep you always in fine spirits.
• W/Air Breathing Necklace
The W/Air Breathing Necklace by designers Martina Pagura and Pedro Nakazato Andrade is a wearable accessory that filters the air and stores CO2 to produce energy, which can be reused in everyday life. The W/Air can be worn like a necklace as it filters ambient air and removes CO2 from it. The purified air is then made available for the wearer, while the CO2 is converted into electricity for use.
• GreenAir Planter
Drawing inspiration from the metamorphosis of a butterfly, designer Sherly Gunawan, a graduate in Product Design from LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore, has designed an innovative air purifier that freshens up the environment through natural vegetation. Considering the fact that that indoor air can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air, the GreenAir is an indoor air purifier that grows living plants for fresh air.
Physiotherapy for children with Cerebral Palsy can be quite challenging. No doubt they are more resilient than adults, but getting them to do their daily motions needs a zing of innovation! Feel The Beat adds a dash of freshness to the routine by using simple pneumatic air pump technology and music synchronization to become this interactive and toy-like wearable elbow device. Strap it on to your special child and do a different routine!
With adjustable angles of use, this device pulsates in tune with the music, guiding the children the correct pattern of motions. Hence, it improves their ranges of motions, which is important for their daily activities.
by: TreeHugger Science, 2010-06-17 21:12:04 UTC
Photo: Pat Corkery/NREL
The National Renewable Energy Lab has Done It!
As Lloyd and other sensible people keep pointing out, if our buildings and cities were better designed, we would need a lot less air conditioning, and in many cases none at all. That should be goal #1. But because it's doubtful that's ubiquitous A/C is going away any time soon, it can't hurt to make the technology more efficient (keeping buildings cool is using about 5% of the energy used in the US). That's exactly w... Read the full story on TreeHugger
Eco Factor: Concept skipping rope recharges batteries with renewable energy.
The E Rope by industrial designer Kyung Guk Lee is just another concept that aims to recharge portable batteries with your energy. The jump rope charger allows the user to place rechargeable batteries inside the rope grip, which then harvests the energy of motion to recharge the batteries inside.
The designer expects that a 20 minute exercise will completely recharge your battery. The system which can store a maximum of four batteries shows the charging process which is marked by colors of LED radiation lights.
Cereplast has introduced 11 new grades of Cereplast Compostables resins, according to a company press release.
The company cited increasing consumer demand for plastics solutions that are more sustainable and which rely less on petroleum, particularly in the wake of the BP oil spill.
“With price of oil rising and concerns about petroleum-based products, we can expect to see consumers and business alike drive the growth of bioplastics in a faster time frame,” said Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Frederic Scheer.
Cereplast produces bioplastic resins for use in products ranging from tableware and cutlery to toys and healthcare/hygiene products, bottles/containers, bags, packaging, gift cards, printed displays, straws, even pipes, conduits, and other applications
Among the 11 new resins, Cereplast is producing plastics designed for use in bottles and containers, liners, bags, packaging, cups, plates, containers, boxes, trays, egg cartons, pipes, conduits and other uses. According to the company, the plastics represent both a sustainable manufacturing process and are biodegradeable. The company said the new resins will reduce landfill disposal and greenhouse gas emissions.
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2010-06-28 10:53:07 UTC
When most of us think of "solar power," we think of panels of photovoltaic cells. A refrigerator introduced in 2009 by British student Emily Cummins ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2010-06-28 10:38:57 UTC
Every year Electrolux writes out a design contest this time a lot of inspiration can be drawn from the designs by the finalists
Photo: Pat Corkery/NREL
The National Renewable Energy Lab has Done It!
As Lloyd and other sensible people keep 
Image credit: Good
Washers and driers are fast, easy, and convenient—but they tend to use a lot energy and water. Levi Srauss & Co., it turns out, has noticed. According to a 
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