$17 million for a self-sustainable super yacht may seem like a steal to some people. But, as many yachts have proven in the past, it’s all about the features on board that make the price make more sense. For the Ocean Empire, being called the first-ever zero carbon life support vessel isn’t good enough. No, the designers wanted to make sure that there’s plenty of eco-friendly elements, along with plenty of room for people to live their day-to-day lives on board.
The Ocean Empire has 4,305 square feet of solar panels installed on its frame. There are large areas of the ship that have been labeled “fishing accommodations.” And, a pair of hydroponic farms. The solar panels are capable of capture somewhere near 70 kW of power, while the 861 square-foot skysail is able to grab another 200 kW of power on its own.
However, that’s not all. The designers also included a Motion Damping Regeneration system, which will make sure that the super yacht doesn’t capsize in rough waters. The system is also capable of pulling down another 50 kW of power in its own right. If you find yourself on the Ocean Empire at some point in the future, it looks like you won’t ever have to worry about running out of power, as there’s plenty of different ways the ship will attain it, and then provide it.
Integrating eco-friendly features into our every day things may be one of the best ways to actually implement the technology, along with the way of life, especially for those who haven’t embraced the movement. For something like the Hydroleaf Shelter, it’s a great and easy way to provide clean, drinkable water for those who might be waiting for a bus, or other forms of public transportation. Or simply just need a drink.
Designer Mostafa Bonakdar has designed a new way to collect, purify, and dispense water, and has made it into one of the most accessible ways possible. The design is a simple one: the stand collects and purifies rain water, and transforms it into drinkable water for those sitting under the shade, or anyone passing by. It does this thanks to the solar panels at the top of the shelter, which absorb the sun’s rays during non-cloudy days to power the unit.
Bonakdar says that the Hydroleaf Shelter will be able to hold up to 60 liters of water at any one time, and if anyone wants to test the water inside, they will simply need a vertical piece of glass that would be placed at the top of the storage tank. And, because it wouldn’t be a safe rest stop for anyone walking around at night without lights, the solar energy collected through the day will also be used to power lights, that turn on automatically at night.
So it’s true, we’re living in an age where people would shamelessly line up for certain electronics and luxurious fashion items. Why? Just because they can, and for that reason, some swanky outlets — namely Christian Dior, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Versace — have attempted to exploit our gadget lust by offering self-branded phones at extortionate prices. In the eyes of every-day consumers, there’s really not much appeal in these soulless devices except for the logo and some extra bling, but apparently these two factors alone are enough to make some aficionados drool a river.
On the other hand, Puma — a less luxurious but naturally more accessible fashion brand — has decided to do more than just slapping an OS skin onto its aptly-named Puma Phone. Priced at a comparably affordable £300 ($469), this Sagem-made featurephone packs a few unusual features such as a solar panel, a sports tracker, and even a virtual cougar named Dylan. Read on to find out if we could sense the Puma spirit in this device.
From New York artist Josh Hadar, this three-wheeled bike measures in at 8.4 feet in length, and features a carbon steel frame. While tricycles may not be the most attractive ways to move around your city, it would be hard for anyone to ignore this monster tricycle going down the street.
The eco-friendly tricycle features a Mars Electric motor, which provides it with 6.4 horsepower. Hadar says that the tricycle can make it up to 30 miles. The front wheel is measured at 20-inches, while the pair of rear wheels take the cake at 26-inches. But, just having an electric engine wasn’t enough for the designer, so he also included six solar panels onto the motorized vehicle, which should help on keeping you charged while you’re out and about.
The promise of solar energy sounds great until you get down to the real world application and realize that you need a huge number of solar panels to be able to generate a reasonable amount of energy for a typical home or business. Solar power installations are becoming more common with the US government though as they look to save money on power and help the environment.
The latest government facility to get solar power is going to be Luke Air Force base in Arizona. A company called SunPower has announced that it will be building the largest solar power system on US government property at the base. The project will create 550 local jobs during construction according to the company.
The solar installation will be placed on 101 acres of underutilized land and will be large enough to generate 50% of the annual energy requirements for the entire base. The project is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2011. The system will generate enough power for 3,750 homes and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emission by 19,000 metric tons each year.
It looks like we’re getting one step closer to having that future we’ve all imagined. You know, that future we all envisioned when we first played Sim City 2000. Or when we saw Blade Runner for the first time. We may not have flying, or even levitating, cars right now, but at least we’re moving in the right direction. And thanks to prototypes like the Solar Powered Road, we can start to think that it may not be another 100 years before we get there.
Solar Roadways received a grant from the Department of Transportation last year, for $100,000, with the intent to build a road that can display warnings for pedestrians, as well as drivers. From the picture, you can see that the two children have stepped onto a panel that would reside in a crosswalk. Subsequently, the road in front of the drivers would light up with LEDs, displaying the message. In this case, you see “SLOW DOWN” displayed quite nicely, and easily read. The panels themselves also come with a heating unit, so that when it snows, the panels are still readable. Microprocessors within the panels work as the communication between panels. Basically, it sounds like Solar Roadways have covered all their bases.
Considering the company’s hard work, we’re not surprised that the company is up for an award. They are one of five selected for the 2010 EE Times ACE Award for the “Most Promising Renewable Energy Award.” But, while we’re excited to see this prototype in still images we’re looking forward to the video which should be out later this month. And what’s next for the company? They want to make parking lots, bike paths, and driveways out of the same panels. We’re hoping that Solar Roadways does indeed get to see their panels in the real world, because we love the future. And, better options for safety.
Considering the LG Pop’s milquetoast specs, the best thing going for it has to be its trick solar rear that’s capable of injecting three minutes of talk time for every eleven minutes of sunshine you pour into it. Problem is, the panel was an accessory that didn’t ship in the box — you had to buy it separately, and back at the Pop’s launch, it wasn’t available. That’s all been cleared up now with news out of LG’s German press office that the panel’s available for a stout €34.90 (about $49) on top of the phone’s €169 ($236) sticker — pricey, perhaps, but you figure you’ll make it up in power savings over the course of a few years’ use. Over the long term, all phones should have these suckers built in just for kicks, so let’s hope LG’s setting a precedent here.
