Lego Invests $500 Million in German Offshore Wind Farm
It’s no surprise we are big LEGO fans here at Inhabitat – the iconic building blocks can be used to create everything from cameras and furniture to apartments and massive cathedrals. Now the
Electricity
Extraterrestrial Microbes Could Double the Output Of Bacteria Batteries
Bacteria and microbes have long been discussed as potential renewable power sources, like microbial fuel cells using bacteria to convert organic compounds directly into electricity by a process known as
China’s Coal-Powered Grid Negates the Green Benefits of Electric Vehicles
If any other country in the world was to announce plans to get 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015, it would be a massive environmental victory — except in China. Despite the Chinese
MIT’s Tiny Kinetic Generator Produces 100 Times More Power from Small Vibrations
The labs at MIT are shaking things up – literally – as they just unveiled a tiny device that harvests energy from everyday, low-frequency vibrations. The breakthrough gizmo generates 100 times
Solar Machine Mimics Plants to Transform CO2 Into Fuel
Plants have long harnessed sunlight to create ‘food’ for themselves, and now a joint American and Swiss team have created a device that can duplicate the process! The team recently unveiled
Adobe Installs A Dozen Bloom Boxes
Adobe, the company behind Flash Player and Adobe Reader, has always been a supporter of renewable energy – remember when they installed a wind farm at their headquarters in San Jose? Well now
World’s First Grid Scale Flywheel Energy Plant Opening Soon!
While it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as alternative energy sources like solar or wind power, flywheel storage technology is definitely worth looking into. A kinetic energy-based technology
Researchers Develop Potato Powered Batteries
Potatoes are good for more than just filling up your stomach on the quick; they’re also potential sources of electricity, according to Yissum Research Development Company Ltd. The company, which is
Algae-Powered Latro Lamp Transforms CO2 Into Light
Designer Mike Thompson has created an incredible living lamp that is powered by algae! Spotted over at Designboom, the Latro Lamp derives energy from an algae chamber that requires just sunlight, CO2, and
Dutch Propose Using Dikes to Generate Power
Though the Dutch are known for their windmills, they may be looking to underwater turbines for energy in the near future. In 1953 a massive flood decimated a large part of The Netherlands, killing 1,800
Stanford Scientists Harvest Electricity From Algae Photosynthesis
Scientists at Stanford have just discovered the greenest source of energy yet — harvesting electricity directly from plants! They’ve successfully collected energy from photosynthetic processes
Tiny Solar Pebble Can Replace Kerosene Lamps in Rural Africa
In the poorest regions of the world, exposure to kerosene kills one person every 20 seconds. That’s why we’re really impressed with the folks over at Plus Minus Solar who’ve designed
Researchers Shine Light on Gold Nanoparticles to Produce Electricity
Not only are these gold nanoparticles gorgeous to look at – they may one day act as microscopic powerhouses for molecular machines. Researchers at the Nano/Bio Interface Center at the University of
Britain Unveils Plans for 1,300 Square Miles of Wind Turbines
Take 100 billion pounds, a plan to create 60,000 jobs, and the urgent need to end an addition to fossil fuels, and what do you get? The first steps in Britain’s plan to develop its offshore wind
Airnergy Charges Your Gadgets With Wi-Fi Signals
This year’s Consumer Electronics Show is over, but there are still a number of nifty devices trickling into our inboxes. One of our favorites is the RCA Airnergy, a USB-connected device that
$130 Duron Solar System Powers Rural Indian Homes
If you only made between $400 and $4,000 a year in income and didn’t have easy access to electricity, what would you do? For many rural Indians, the answer is the Duron, a $130 solar home power
Manhole of the Future is Powered by Rainwater
Instead of acting as one of the most bland parts of city landscapes, what if manholes served a purpose? That’s what designers Cheolyeon Jo and Youngsun Lee propose with their “Eco Sign“,
Blood-Powered Lamp Makes You Bleed for Your Light
We often just assume that energy to power our TVs, computers, cell phones, and other electronics will always be readily available. But the earth’s resources are scarce – a reality that
‘Oyster’ System is a New Way to Harness the Power of Waves
Recently Edinburgh-based company Aquamarine Power unveiled plans to install a new type of wave power system in place in the seabed off the Orkney Islands coast. Dubbed the Oyster, the system utilizes an
TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: Personal Electric Aircraft Takes Flight
Personal flying vehicles may be a bit on the esoteric end of the transportation field, but they are still fun nonetheless. Earlier this year, two single-seat lightweight aircraft made their maiden flights
Energy 101: Where Does Our Power Come From?
Today we’re excited to announce the launch of our new Energy 101 series, in which we’ll be exploring the future-forward technologies that stand to upgrade our grids, reduce our energy
POWERCUBE: Rock-Solid Solar Generator To-Go
Portable green power sources are steadily gaining momentum as alternative energy tech gears up to help shoulder the strain of our overloaded energy grids. This recently released generator, dubbed the
POOPTRICITY: Want Electricity? Flush Your Turbine Toilet!
What if every time that you flushed your toilet you could generate just a little bit of power? That is the idea behind the Benkatine Turbine by Leviathan Energy, which aims to get power from any pipe that
Harvest Fuel from the Air with GREEN FREEDOM
Most of us are worried about increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the air – and if you aren’t yet concerned about this, you should be. However, now there is a reason for hope: researchers
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: Rain Power
Trying to find alternative sources of energy has proven to be an extraordinary feat, allowing us to use everything from sun to the motion of the ocean. But there is still one plentiful source of renewable
Thousands of Wind Farms to Power England
Still think wind power isn’t mainstream? Think again. The United Kingdom’s Energy Secretary John Hutton unveiled a set of proposals to encourage the uptake of offshore wind turbines in
Underwater Ocean Turbines Will Generate Renewable Energy
One the greatest untapped energy resources in the world is the motion of the ocean. And while floating wind turbines and wave-powered generators are being explored throughout the world, there still
NANOSOLAR: Thin, Flexible Solar-cell Coating
To truly compete with coal, solar power needs to be at least as cheap or cheaper, something that is quite difficult to achieve today. Solar panels are big, clunky, heavy, require special installation,
-
Read Inhabitat
-
Search Categories
-
Recent Posts
-
Recent Comments
-
Browse by Keyword
get the free Inhabitat newsletter
more popular stories >
more popular stories >
more popular stories >
