Germany fed a whopping 22 gigawatts of solar power per hour into the national grid last weekend, setting a new record by meeting nearly half of the country’s weekend power demand. After the Fukushima disaster, Japan opted to shut down all of its nuclear power stations and Germany followed suit after considerable public pressure. This seems to have paved the way for greater investment in solar energy projects. The Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) in Muenster announced that Saturday’s solar energy generation met nearly 50 percent of the nation’s midday electricity needs AND was equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity!

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Post tags: "solar energy", 2020 energy goals, alternative energy, clean tech, cleantech, eco design, EU, Fukushima, germany, green design, meltdown, news, nuclear, nuclear disaster, nuclear power, protests, renewable energy, solar panels, sustainable design

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Post tags: "clean energy", "sustainable development", Blueseed, clean tech, Dan Dascalescu, eco design, energy generation, floating silicon valley, googleplex of the sea, green design, max marty, paypal, Peter Thiel, renewable energy, San Francisco, sustainable design, visa free city, waste treatment

Researchers from Towson University have come close to making science-fiction an everyday reality by “trapping” a rainbow. Most people are familiar with the idea of a cloaking device or invisibility cloaks thanks to Star Trek and Harry Potter, but a real-world experiment designed to understand how to use and manipulate light involved using an array of 25,000 “invisibility cloaks,” each smaller than a hair’s breadth, to snare a rainbow, slowing light to a near-stop.

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Post tags: array invisibility cloak, clean tech, cloaking device, eco design, green design, Harry Potter, invisibility cloak, rainbow cloaking device, science, science fiction, star trek, sustainable design, Technology, towson university, united kingdom, Vera Smolyaninova

Imagine a solar cell that comes in a jar instead of a big, clunky panel, and that could be painted on a piece of plastic. It might be closer than you think - scientists at the University of Southern California have developed a new type of solar cell made from nanocrystals that are so small that you could fit about 250 billion of them on the head of a pin. Due to their size, the nanocrystals can be made into an ink and painted or printed onto clear surfaces. The breakthrough could open the door to solar cells that can be printed onto plastic instead of glass, and then bent and shaped to fit anywhere.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "solar energy", clean tech, green technology, liquid solar cell, nanocrystals, nanotechnology, renewable energy, science, solar, Solar Cell, Solar Power, University of Southern California, USC

If you are a scientist, designer, filmmaker, or any kind of environmentally-conscious creative person who is tired of zipped-up and dull sustainability science, then Earth 2 Hub might be the solution you’ve been looking for. A groundbreaking digital media platform conceived by some of the brightest, most forward-thinking people on the planet, Earth 2 Hub encourages the discussion and implementation of cutting-edge scientific and technological innovation by engaging with the global community through social media, cloud technologies, and smart technology. No idea is too far-reaching as long as it is grounded in the highest standards. The time to envision bold solutions to our environmental woes is now, and Earth 2 Hub is leading the way with thousands of fans around the world. Hit the jump to for a peek at the Earth 2.0 Initialization video to get a better sense of what these folks are working to achieve.

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Post tags: apps, Art, clean tech, Design, digital media, Earth 2 Hub, Earth 2.0, eco design, Film, future cities, green design, innovation, London, media platform, rio 20, social media, Sustainable 2050 Conference, sustainable design, Technology, UK, WWW

Hydrogen is a fuel that has seemingly limitless potential, but scientists have only been able to produce it from fossil fuels, like natural gas. That is, until now. A doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the University of Delaware has designed a new type of reactor that produces hydrogen using nothing more than concentrated sunlight, zinc oxide, and water. And best of all, the zinc oxide used by the reactor can be reused, meaning that once the reactor is up and running, it would be self-sustaining.

Read the rest of Scientist Develops Self-Sustaining Solar Reactor That Produces Clean Hydrogen Fuel

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Post tags: "clean energy", clean tech, emissions-free, Erik Koepf, fuel cell, hydrogen, mechanical engineering, renewable energy, science, solar reactor, university of delaware

Pardon the potty talk, but wouldn’t it be great if every time you flushed the toilet you were actually generating heat for your home? That’s exactly what a Los Angeles-based startup is hoping to accomplish. OriginOil, a company that specializes in converting algae into fuel, is working on developing a pilot for an urban algae farm concept that would use wastewater to help grow algae, which is then used to generate energy, treating the wastewater in the process.

Read the rest of Urban Algae Farms Could Heat Buildings While Treating Wastewater

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Post tags: "clean energy", algae, alternative energy, clean tech, france, net-zero buildings, net-zero energy, OriginOil, Paris, renewable energy, sewage treatment, wastewater, water treatment

Genius just took a big step forward for computer peripherals by launching the world’s first wireless battery-free mouse. The mighty mouse eschews wasteful AAAs and heavier lithium-ion batteries in favor of an electric double-layer ultracapacitor that requires just a quick 3 minute charge each day. The Genius DX-Eco runs on a 2.4 Ghz connection, is rated to last for 100,000 charges, and is expected to hit store shelves soon at a price point of $39.99.

+ Genius

Via Tech2

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Post tags: battery-free wireless mouse, clean tech, clean technology, electric double-layer capacitor, genius dx-eco, green design, green technology, Greener Gadgets, supercapacitor, sustainable design, ultracapacitor, wireless mouse

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Post tags: "natural materials", adaptive reuse, alternative energy, Ábaton, Caceres, clean tech, Converted Stable, Country Estate, eco design, extremadura, green design, green renovation, Hydro-Powered, low environmental impact, Solar Power, Spain, sustainable design

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", "wind power", Best COP 17 Pavilion, clean tech, Climate Change, Climate Smart Cape Town, cop 17, durban, global warming, green design, green pavilion, Milk crates, rainwater harvesting, Recycled Materials, Solar Power, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

A unique, two-blade wind turbine that features a helicopter landing pad will soon be rising off the eastern coast of Scotland. Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing announced this week that the Scottish government has approved the construction of the innovative 6 MW wind turbine at the Fife Energy Park in Methil, which will be located about 70 feet offshore. Scotland has set an ambitious goal of sourcing 100 percent of the country’s power from renewable energy, and the two-blade design will be part of a test to develop new offshore solutions.

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Post tags: "wind turbine", 2-B Energy, 6 MW, clean tech, green energy, green tech, Offshore Wind Farm, renewable energy, Scottland, wind energy

London-based designer Paul Cocksedge has transformed old vinyl records into ingenious low-tech amplifiers that give your smartphone’s volume a solid boost without the need for wires or electricity. This stylish pieces are made simply by heating and molding recycled 12” records into a sound-enhancing conic shape. Recently unveiled at London Design Festival 2011, the ‘Change the Record’ will turn your smartphone’s tiny speakers into a sweet sound system you can use to share your favorite tunes with others.

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Post tags: Art, british design, clean tech, green gadgets, green products, london design festival 2011, Recycled Materials, smartphone amplifier, Zero energy

Apple CEO Tim Cook just officially unveiled the iPhone 4S – instead of the much-anticipated iPhone 5 – at today’s live keynote in Cupertino – and although the next-generation device features the same retina display and glass-backed enclosure as the iPhone 4, the multi-tasking powerhouse packs an impressive set of new features under the hood. The latest edition of the iPhone features the company’s new dual-core A5 chip (which is twice as fast at CPU tasks) and a 7x faster dual-core graphics chip, however they were able to actually increase the device’s battery life to 8 hours of talk time by using more energy-efficient components. It also features an impressive 8 megapixel f/2.8 aperture camera with 1080p HD video recording that closes the gap on point-and-shoot cameras and video recorders, reducing the need for consumers to purchase additional devices, which incur a heavy cost on the environment. Read on to learn more about how the new iPhone 4S fares in terms of its environmental footprint – from material use and production processes to features, applications, and recyclability at the end of its life-cycle.

Read the rest of Apple Unveils New iPhone 4S Instead of iPhone 5 – Is It Green?

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Post tags: 2011 iphone, apple, apple computer, apple inc., apple keynote, clean tech, green cellular phone, green design, green iphone, green phone, green products, green smart phone, green tech, Greener Gadgets, iPhone, iphone 4S, iphone 5, smartphone, sustainable cell phone, sustainable design, tim cook

MIT researchers just officially unveiled a device that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The device builds upon a breakthrough hydrogen producing technology developed in 2008, and they are calling it an “artificial leaf” because of it capacity to create chemical fuels directly from sunlight. The cell is also made from common materials like silicon, cobalt and nickel, which means that the “leaf” could potentially be mass-produced. If the technology proves itself it could create hydrogen fuel directly from the sun, which could be used for transportation, heating, and running fuel cells for electricity. Check out a video of the leaf’s bubbling action by reading on.

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Post tags: "sustainable energy", artificial leaf, artificial photosynthesis, biomimicry, clean tech, fuel from sunlight, green design, green technology, massachusetts institute of technology, MIT, photosynthesis, renewable energy, sustainable design

From smartphones and e-readers to laptops and tablet computers, today’s high-tech devices put a wealth of information and utility at our fingertips – however it can be a real challenge to keep these power-hungry gadgets charged while you’re on the go. Fortunately, solar technology has kept step with the pace of consumer tech and there’s a great set of devices out there that will keep your gadgets charged with clean, green energy anywhere the sun shines. From solar iPhone cases and energy-generating photovoltaic trees to hi-fi audio systems powered by the sun, read on for 10 solar gadgets to charge your life!

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Post tags: clean tech, green design, green gadgets, green technology, photovoltaic panels, renewable energy, solar panels, Solar Power, sustainable design, Sustainable Gadgets

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Post tags: Akousmaflore, Art, Botanical, clean tech, Gardening, Interactive Objects, london design festival 2011, musical plants

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Post tags: clean tech, eco design, eco-helicopter, electric helicopter, electric vehicles, green design, green technology, green transportation, Pascal Chretien, Solution F, sustainable design

It’s hard to get today’s kids pumped up about anything that doesn’t feature a flashing screen or a fun shape. So to shift those young eyes from the latest video game over to the merits of energy consumption, designer Elle Tweedy created the Current Chameleon, a house-shaped device that quantifies a youngster’s energy use by tracking, analyzing and making sense of the data. Using a series of wireless transmitters, the Current Chameleon charts, in real time, the power draw of each electronic device it is affixed. The energy device also features a reward system, paying out points for energy saved and keeping kids engaged.

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Post tags: clean tech, Energy Consumption, Green Appliances, green products, green technology, home energy monitoring device, Interactive Objects, Modern Kids, sustainable product design kids

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Post tags: Alex Driver, algae, biophotovoltaics, biotechnology, Cambridge University, Carlos Peralta, clean tech, eco design, green design, lily pads, London Design Festival, MoSS, photosynthesis, renewable energy, solar, sustainable design

Computer giant Apple doesn’t have the best record when it comes to being green. Known for using hazardous materials, dodging questions about sustainability, and contributing to an ever-growing pile of e-waste, the technology giant seems more at odds with nature than its iconic logo would imply. But after digging to the “core” of the matter, we were surprised to find that that Apple might be more eco-friendly than you think. Read on to see how green Apple really is.

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Post tags: apple, apple mac, clean tech, green computers, green computing, green products, green tech, green technology, how green is apple, Steve Jobs