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Post tags: "solar energy", Cape Town, eco design, green design, music, music bins, Recycled Materials, social design, solar panels, South Africa, sunplugged, sustainable design, Video, warren baynes, wheelie bins

London designer Omer Sagiv created this solar-powered concept car that looks like it’s straight out of the latest sci-fi movie. The concept car is referred to as the SPV (Solar Power Vehicle) and Sagiv states that it’s made of aluminum with flexible thin modules fixed to it and that the shaft in the center of the SPV functions as an in-built cooling system. The aerodynamic shape of the concept allows it to collect energy in any sunny environment. Even better, the concept can also use the extra energy that it collects from its solar panels to power its owner’s house!

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Post tags: automotive, automotive design, electric car, electric vehicle, ev, green transportation, news, Omer Sagiv, solar car, solar panels, Solar Power, Solar Power Vehicle, toyota prius

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Post tags: "green wall", "living wall", 1967 World Fair Expo, adaptive reuse, Buckminster Fuller, eco design, Ecoological Solar House, ecotechnologies, Environmental Museum, geodesic sphere, green design, green roof, Montreal Biosphere, O.N.E. Fashion exhibition, solar house, solar panels, sustainable design, water filtration system, wind turbines

HOK’s San Francisco office received a jury recognition award for their net-zero “Battery Park” design, which features a remarkable algae facade designed by Charles Lee. A combination of load reduction, waste heat recovery, and waste-to-energy strategies combined with an array of solar panels ensures that this densely populated mixed-use building can generate all of its own energy, while the building-integrated algae further slashes the program’s carbon footprint.

Read the rest of HOK’s Net Zero “Battery Park” for San Francisco Has an Algae Facade

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Post tags: "solar energy", algae, algae facade, battery park, biomimicry, BIOS Design Collective, Charles Lee, eco design, green design, HOK, net-zero energy, San Francisco, sea sponges, solar panels, sustainable design, waste heat recovery, waste to energy, wind energy

Read the rest of US’s Largest Net Zero School Welcomes Students in Irving, Texas

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Post tags: "wind power", Corgan Associates, Corgan Associates architects, energy efficient schools, Fabral Metal Wall and Roof Systems, green architecture, irving isd, johnson middle school, lady bird johnson middle school, largest net zero school, LEED gold, net zero middle school, net zero school, net zero school texas, renewable energy, solar panels, Solar Power, wind turbines

Pvilion has been very busy lately developing flexible energy-harnessing materials for a number of uses including solar powered pavilions and architectural applications. Their latest innovation is a brilliantly designed solar charging station for battery powered cars in Pflugerville, Texas, just outside of Austin. The 1/8 inch panel is flexed onto stainless steel sheets that create a stylish twisting form. The unique twirling design of the panels allows them to provide electricity to the power grid even without a car being present, making the Pflugerville charging station the first of its kind. This is great news for the tiny suburb, as it is beginning to make waves in the green world with its Renewable Energy Industrial Park and other citywide eco-friendly ventures.


Read the rest of Pvilion Unveils an All New Kind of Battery Powered Car Charging Station in Texas

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Post tags: "solar energy", battery cars, battery powered cars, pflugerville, PV panels, pvilion, pvilion charging station, pvilion solar panels, renewable energy, solar car charging, solar cars, solar charging station, solar panels, solar rays, texas

A new solar-powered Sun-Catcher lighting installation recently popped up in Clearwater, FL, where it brightens the night using energy from the sun. Part of the city’s Sculpture360 program, the 15-foot-tall Sun-Catcher was made by Deedee Morrison’s studio. It’s built from recycled aluminum and striking yellow lucite panels. An integrated solar panel captures the sun’s energy during daylight hours and lights up the sculpture — and downtown Clearwater — at night.

+ Deedee Morrison Sculpture

+ Sculpture 360

Via AtisSun

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: clearwater, Deedee Morrison Sculpture, florida, green design, green lighting, green pavilion, green urban design, solar panels, Solar Power, solar powered sculpture, solar sculpture, solar street light, sun-catcher, sustainable design

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Post tags: aconcagua, andes mountains, Argentina, eco-tourism, eco-travel, geodesic dome house, green camping, green lighting, green technology, mule, prefab architecture, renewable energy, solar panels, water issues

After 40 years, BP just announced plans to drop its solar power division. The giant oil company has declared their commitment to spending $8 billion on renewable power by 2015, but it will now fill that quota with only onshore wind and biofuel. With the recent news of Google’s enormous investment to bring solar power into 3,000 homes and even Warren Buffet’s purchase of a $2 billion solar power farm just weeks ago, BP’s decision seems to be poorly timed, if not extremely short-sighted.

Read the rest of BP Drops Its Solar Power Division After 40 Years

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Post tags: "solar energy", BP, bp company, bp news, BP oil, bp solar, bp solar division, bp solar division news, bp solar news, news, renewable energy, renewable energy news, solar news, solar panel news, solar panels

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Post tags: eco design, georgia, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, green design, historic landmark, historic preservation, LEED farmhouse, LEED Gold house, Lord Aeck Sargent, radiant floor, rainwater harvesting, solar panels, sustainable design

Estonian auto company Dartz Kombat is known for making the Prombron — basically a bulletproof Hummer on steriods – however they recently announced plans to go ‘green’ by launching a bulletproof all-electric roadster called the Jo-Mojo. Set to debut in Monaco at the Top Marques show in April, the vehicle will feature a solar roof and muscular chassis. Check out a video slideshow of of the Jo-Mojo and its chameleon paint job — it actually changes colors — after the jump.

Read the rest of Bulletproof Solar-Powered Jo-Mojo Electric Roadster to Hit the Streets Next Year

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Post tags: armored car, armored car maker, armored roadster, armored vehicle, dartz, dartz kombat, electric car, electric roadster, ev, green transportation, james bond car, luxury cars, mob, mobster, no emissions vehicle, prombron, solar panels, solar panels car, unusual cars, weird cars

California’s Montrose Duplex began as a simple garage, housing the client’s electric vehicle and charger. Wanting to turn the structure into a green residence, they turned to WTARCH to make the transformation. With zoning restrictions in check, the firm topped the existing building with a loft space to create an open and airy residence.

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Post tags: eco design, electric vehicle garage, garage redesign, green design, infill, Montrose Duplex, solar panels, sustainable design, Sustainable Materials, WTARCH

Read the rest of EcoVillage at Ithaca Offers Sustainable Living in a Community Setting

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Post tags: "solar energy", "sustainable architecture", alternative living, co-housing, common house, Community Supported Agriculture, compost toilet, CSA, EcoVillage at Ithaca, energy efficient, Finger Lakes region, green architecture, green housing, green living, Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming, inhabitat, intentional community, Joan Bokaer, Liz Walker, New York New York State, passive solar, PV panels, shared housing, solar panels, sustainable housing, sustainable living, upstate New York, work teams

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Post tags: architectural salvage, Butler Armsden Architects, eco design, green design, LEED custom home, LEED-H Platinum, solar panels, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, Tiburon Home, water reclamation

Read the rest of Sanyo’s Shimmering Kasai Green Energy Park is Quite Possibly the Most Solar-Paneled-Out Compound in the World

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Post tags: "solar energy", 200 Solar Panel-Clad Kasai Green Energy Park, eco design, electric vehicle charging, green design, green energy, green technology, kasai, kasai green energy park, lithium ion battery, panasonic, PHOTOS: Inhabitat Explores Sanyo's 5, sanyo, sanyo solar panels, solar bicycle park, solar car park, solar panels, Solar Power, solar street lamp, solar table, sustainable design

Here at Inhabitat we’re suckers for the Solar Decathlon — the biennial design/build competition in which university design teams from all around the globe battle it out on the National Mall in Washington DC to see who can design and build the best solar-powered home. This year’s Solar Decathlon was a nail-biter of a competition, but it was the University of Maryland team which ultimately triumphed over all the other teams with an elegant, water-conservation focused home called WaterShed. We were fascinated by this beautiful winning home, and sat down with project design lead and student designer David Gavin to find out more about how the house came together. David is a second year Masters of Architecture student at the University of Maryland and he’s dreamed of being a Solar Decathlon contender since before he started school. Read on for our insider interview with Gavin as he explains the design of the award-winning home, and how his team utilized Building Information Modeling to streamline the design and construction processes.

This interview is brought to you by Autodesk – Removing the barriers to better business.

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: University of Maryland Wins Big at the 2011 Solar Decathlon

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Post tags: 2011 solar decathlon, 2d/3d cad, 3D representation, 3d studio max, 3DS, Architecture, autdocad, autodesk, BIM, building information modeling, Building Modeling, CAD, computer aided design, constructed wetlands, david gavin, green design, green roof, greywater filtration, local materials, rainwater catchment, solar panels, solar photovoltaics, Solar Power, solar power competition, solar power design, solar power homes, solar pv, Sustainable Building, team maryland solar decathlon, team maryland watershed house, University of Maryland, Using BIM For Green Building, virtual design and construction, water usage, Watershed, watershed home, WaterShed Solar Decathlon House

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "wind power", Art, Containosaurus, dutch design, Eindhoven, green materials, green resources, green technology, lowlands music festival, Recycled Materials, recycled shipping containers, refunc, solar panels, Solar Power

Read the rest of Mountainside Sunbrella House Keeps Cool With an Underground Well

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Post tags: eco design, Exposed Timber, green design, Ikeda Yukie Architects, Japan, Ome, passive cooling, solar panels, Sunbrella House, sustainable design

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Post tags: Architecture, eco building, eco design, france, Green Building, green design, jds, JDS Architects, lille, multi-function building, Recycled Materials, solar panels, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, youth center, youth community center

Read the rest of Russia’s First Active House is 7 Times More Efficient Than the Average Home

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Post tags: active house, alternative energy, BIPV, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, Crown Prince of Denmark, eco design, green design, Moscow, passive design, Polygon, polygon lab, Russian, skylights, solar panels, sustainable design, velux