Read the rest of Iotti + Pavarani’s Self-Sufficient Domus Technica Center Wins Renzo Piano Award

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Post tags: Class A building, eco design, energy efficient building, glazed tile, green design, Iotti and Pavarini, photovoltaic cells, Reggio Emilia, Renzo Piano Foundation, Solar Power, sustainable design

Read the rest of Cloud 9′s Incredible Inflatable Bubble Building Now Open in Barcelona

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Post tags: Antoni Gaudi, Cloud 9 Architects, Consortium of the Zona Franca de Barcelona, district cooling, eco design, ETFE, green design, inflatable building, Media-ICT Building, photovoltaic cells, solar filtering, solar gain, sun filtering skin, sustainable design, World Architecture News

We currently have two types of solar energy: energy generated from light, using silicon-based photovoltaic cells, and energy generated from heat, using solar concentrators and heat-conversion systems. What if we could collect both types of energy at once? Stanford researchers recently unveiled a new solar tech that can do exactly that — their PETE devices utilize a semiconducting material coated with cesium to boost efficiency levels up to 60 percent — three times that of existing systems.

Read the rest of Stanford Unveils Solar Tech That Harnesses Light and Heat

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Post tags: cesium, nick melosh, photovoltaic cells, solar concentrators, Solar Power, stanford university

Situated in an defunct arms manufacturing facility in Saint-Etienne, the recently unveiled Cité du Design is a stunning international center for design. Designed by LIN, the project completely renovated the historic complex and integrated a new facility made out of triangular scaffolding. Powered by solar energy and supplemented by an efficient heating system, the energy efficient Cité du Design is a world class design center that lives up to its name.

Read the rest of Cité du Design: Solar Powered International Design Center Unveiled

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Post tags: Cite du Design, energy efficient design, france, heat recovery, International Design Center, lattice structure, LIN, photovoltaic cells, Saint-Etienne, solar panels

Imagine 3,000 communities and 10,000 volunteers across the country in a one-day celebration of solar power. That’s why we are reminding you that the American Solar Energy Society kicks off their 14th Annual National Solar Tour TODAY in collaboration with more than 240 local groups as part of National Energy Awareness Month. Participants can take a peek at their neighbors’ homes and buildings using solar energy and other sustainable technologies, and see for themselves how to save money and the environment. See our previous post for more information.

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Post tags: "clean energy", "solar energy", alternative energy, american solar energy society, photovoltaic cells, reneweable energy, solar panels, Solar Power

This curvaceous modular home by Palo Alto architect, Joseph Bellomo, is joining the ranks of affordable, modular housing. Dubbed the House Arc, Bellomo was inspired to create the home after the success of his modular bicycle rack design, the Bike Arc — designed to provide efficient storage space for bicycles. The House Arc prototype will make its debut sometime this year on the big island of Hawaii.

Read the rest of PREFAB FRIDAY: Bicycle Rack-Inspired Modular Home

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Post tags: bicycle rack, efficient construction, Green Building, house arc, modular design, modular home, modular housing, photovoltaic cells, Prefab friday, prefab home, Sustainable Building

Scientists at the Ohio State Institute for Materials Research recently announced that they have developed a new hyper-efficient solar material that is able to capture light from every spectrum of the rainbow. Whereas most photovoltaics are limited to collecting energy from a small range of frequencies, the new material is able to absorb energy from all spectrums of visible light at once. The breakthrough development heralds a new breed of extremely efficient solar panels on the horizon.

Read the rest of New Solar Material Captures Entire Spectrum of the Rainbow

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Post tags: alternative energy, ohio state institute for materials research, photovoltaic cells, rainbow solar material, solar rainbow technology, visible light

Photovoltaic gadgets often get trapped in the monotonous façade of plain panels, which often leave something to be desired in the aesthetics department. Not so with Vivien Muller‘s sleek PhotoSynthese charger. Resembling a potted bonsai tree, the silvery solar charger rests atop an elegant tray.


Read the rest of SOLAR TREE by Vivien Muller

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Post tags: decorative solar product, photosynthese, photovoltaic cells, solar charger, solar power for home, solar tree charger, vivien muller

Researchers at MIT recently revealed a cutting-edge solar technology that promises a “tenfold increase in the amount of power converted by solar cells.” The development utilizes dye-glazed glass panels to capture and concentrate sunlight and then transfer it to an edge-aligned framework of photovoltaic cells. The resulting system uses cheap and readily available materials, is easy to manufacture, and modular systems can even be layered over existing photovoltaic systems to effectively double their energy efficiency for a minimal additional cost.

Read the rest of MIT’s Revolutionary New Concentrated Solar Array

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Post tags: "solar energy", concentrated photovoltaic energy, concentrated solar system, cost-effective solar power, dye solar system, inexpensive solar energy, massachusetts institute of technology, MIT, photovoltaic cells, solar technology

If you read Inhabitat with any frequency, you know we are always on the lookout for greener gadgets that will reduce the amount of energy and waste associated with wireless mobility. Well, we just spotted some breaking greener gadget news that are sure to get Apple fans excited! Drumroll please..

Apple just filed a patent to infuse their hand-helds and computers with a thin film of solar cells, paving the way for a new generation of gadgets with battery life boosted by the sun. The patent approaches the prospect from every angle, with schematics to stack photovoltaic cells beneath the entire surface of their portables – including the screen!

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Post tags: Apple Computers, apple solar patent, apple solar power, green electronics, green my apple, Green my mac, Greener Apple, Greener Gadgets, Inhabitat rendering of MacBook with solar power, Inhabitat rendering of photovoltaic macbook, ipod, mac solar patent, mac solar power, macbook, patent, photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic macbook, solar apple, solar iPhone, solar iPod, solar mac, solar Macbook, Solar Power, solar power book