Recently Inhabitat wrote about the Glowing Plant Project, which uses the science of bioluminescence to light up a room using plants. The Kickstarter campaign, created by the team of bio-engineers behind
Google X, the tech giant's top secret experimental branch, recently announced that it will take over Makani Power, a startup that develops wind turbines that fly through the air like a kite, rather than
Lumos Solar just unveiled their newest product: a modular and customizable photovoltaic structure called the SolarScape. Perfect for patio covers, pool awnings, carports, walkways, bus stops and
Photo via Shutterstock A new study by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration finds that two underground sites in the Pacific Northwest
Work on the world's largest hydropower plant is expected to start in October, 2015 following commitments from the World Bank and other development agencies to finance its construction. South Africa has
The heat emitted from waste incinerators, refineries, and data processors could soon become much more useful, thanks to a discovery by the startup OsmoBlue. The Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
A group of Rice University mechanical engineering students recently created a pair of energy-generating shoes that are able to create and store electricity with every step. The team's kinetic
Photo via Shutterstock A team of Norwegian research scientists has unveiled a concept that could store energy on the seabed. Conceived by Subhydro AS, the underwater pumped hydroelectric power plant
Two supermarkets are making lemonade out of lemons the green way—by converting their spoiled food into energy. Grocery chains Ralphs and Food 4 Less (both part of the Kroger Co.) have joined forces
When architect Ed Mazria announced that buildings account for nearly 50% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, the building industry was taken aback. After a long career in passive solar architecture, he
Every once in a while an idea comes along that is so unlike anything before that it defies reference. Take Belatchew Lab Architecture’s Strawscraper, a skyscraper covered in hair that can harness the
Today is National Bike to Work Day, and all across America, people are ditching their cars and trucks for a cleaner, healthier journey via bicycle. Our friends at Voltaic Systems joined in the fun to
In the developing world, mortality rates for expectant mothers total over 300,000 deaths each year. The WE CARE Solar Suitcase is a brilliant new device that aims to reduce this figure by providing
Beijing-based Decode Urbanism Office has designed a conceptual skyscraper with a façade composed of thousands of small wind turbines that would be able to produce enough energy to power the entire
An incredible new printer at the University of Melbourne has allowed researchers to print solar cells up to the size of an A3 sheet of paper. Developed in collaboration between the Victorian Organic Solar
Photo via Shutterstock Japan has hemmed and hawed about closing its nuclear reactors after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. At first there was talk of closing down all reactors, but the motion was whittled
A team from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have broken their own record after flying their hydrogen fuel cell powered-Ion Tiger UAV for an astonishing 48 hours and 1 minute last month. The UAV,
Alternative energy company Urban Green Energy (UGE) has announced the launch of its new vertical axis wind turbine, the VisionAIR. The turbine was the result of over a year of dedicated testing at
Offshore wind farms and tidal energy facilities harness the power of the wind and the ocean - but why should we have separate turbines for each task? Offshore technology company Mitsui is developing a
US-based wind energy company SheerWind just unveiled the INVELOX - a tunnel-based wind turbine that can produce up to 600% more power than traditional wind turbines. The company states that after
Hyundai isn’t joking when it claims it wants to fight global warming. The car manufacturer just announced that it plans to install what will be South Korea’s largest solar photovoltaic system on the
The Window Socket is an idea so fabulously simple, it's slightly amazing that we haven't seen one before. Designed by Kyuho Song & Boa Oh, the charger sticks to a window and draws solar power to an
Yale researchers recently discovered a way to boost the efficiency of solar cells by a whopping 38 percent by coating them with a fluorescent dye. Polymer solar cells are popular for their low cost, low
Photo via Shutterstock When it comes to capturing solar energy, plants are first in their class. Able to function at nearly 100 percent quantum efficiency, they can produce an equal number of electrons
Renewable energy is gaining major momentum in Spain. In April, the country set a new record with renewable energy accounting for 54 percent of the electricity generated in Spain. April’s figure just
As Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster demonstrated, no nuclear plant is ever completely safe. In January 2012, the San Onofre nuclear generating station (SONGS) in Southern California was closed due to
Urban Green Energy Inc has installed 120 solar and wind-powered streetlights in PingQuan, situated in the Hebei province of China. Instead of opting for costly traditional lights that would have needed to
JF-Kit is part pop-up gym, part self-sufficient off-grid home. The interior features a line of ‘domestic fitness furniture’ that enables residents to produce energy by pedaling a bike, doing sit
The disco Energy Floors can be made to any size, as each modular tile has its own generator that collects and stores energy as dancers step on it. Whether an entire nightclub floor or just a few tiles,
Where there's smoke there's heat, and Point Source Power has figured out a way to harness that heat to charge your cell phone. The company's new VOTO charger converts the heat generated from a fire to
