Microsoft’s New American Home is high on sustainability, and of course, technology

Eco Factor: 100% solar-powered home designed by Microsoft is loaded with technology. Microsoft has already shown its worth in designing user-friendly software, and now they have shown how much they care about the environment by designing a 100% solar-powered house which naturally comes with truckloads of technology and gadgets. The software giant, along with a selected team of tech companies, has designed the New American Home on the outskirts of Las Vegas, which comes with 10 Toshiba HDTVs, a 16-zone Nuvo distributed-audio system, Anthem AV processors and bathtubs, and towel warmers that you could control with your cellphone. The best feature of this $5 million home built on half-acre of land is that all the technologies and gadgets are run on solar panels that mean you don't have to pay even a cent for electricity usage. The team of innovators is planning to build 14 similar homes to develop a community they'd call Marquis Vegas. The Dark Side: The number of solar panels integrated in the house would have been able to provide some power for the grid if the amount of technology in the home was reduced. Still the efforts are highly commendable, which show tech geeks a way to live the green life. Via: Dvice

 

Qnuru – Solar goodness to green your home interiors

Eco Factor: Solar-powered lantern concept. Just replacing the conventional grid system with PVs for electricity is not the only solution to reduce electricity consumption. Go through this lighting design, a portable solar lantern, which along with PVs has a special reflector to enhance light angle to an optimal level. The body is made up of steel, and instead of normal lighting bulbs LEDs have been incorporated. As a result of this blending, this lantern is capable of using peak angular shade to provide maximum nighttime lighting. The glass body ensures better light scattering enabling the lamp to illuminate a maximum area. The Dark Side: The designer hasn't mentioned anything about the amount of energy it can generate and how long that energy can sustain the LEDs inside the lamp. If ever the product reaches mass production, the cost of the lamp and its energy limitations might pull things down. Via: Galvin Design Studio

 

Everywhere Energy makes sure you never run out of green electricity

Eco Factor: Solar-powered portable mobile charging station. Earlier today we witnessed the launch of a mobile trailer-mounted generator that provides green and clean electricity for events and weddings. The product was great but failed on the portability aspect. Industrial designer Jose Merla Laguna has designed a similar concept that makes sure that solar energy for you is as portable as a suitcase. Dubbed the Everywhere Energy, this stunning solar energy generator comes with foldable solar panels that can be opened to harness the energy of the sun. The generator has been designed to come with built-in clorophile solar cells that instead of depending on the direct rays of the sun depend more on a chemical reaction to generate solar energy, which enables the device to work without getting the direct rays of the sun. To store the energy collected, the generator makes use of a "flying wheel" system that increases the efficiency of the system and also allows the system to run without lead-acid batteries. The generator can provide electricity for all types of electrical equipment from a refrigerator to a television with ease. Jose claims that such a system can prove its worth for 10 years of continuous operation without needing any type of maintenance. The generator can provide electricity for all types of electrical equipment from a refrigerator to a television with ease. The Dark Side: The system definitely solves the problems associated with conventional solar generators. Apart from being skeptical about the performance of the "flying wheel" charge storage technology, we don't have any doubts that this system has all the potential to be mass produced. Via: Jose Merla Laguna

 

Solar-powered pet waste cleaner aims to green your best friend

Eco Factor: Pet waste disposal system utilizes solar energy to break down pet waste. Dogs are often referred to as a man's best friend, but all that friendliness comes to a halt when the owner gets to see poop being scattered all over the house right in the morning. Cleaning all that mess is one problem every pet owner wants to put an end to, which eventually tempts a person to buy products and sprays that solidify the whole mess and turn it into a sculpture for everybody to notice. Industrial designer Joe Dougherty wants to put an end to all pet chores in a way as user friendly and nose friendly as possible, with a product he calls the Pet Waste Disposal System. The conceptual machine has been designed with three sub-systems – a laser pointer to pinpoint the location of the waste, a scooper with a built-in radar system to get the location from the laser pointer and pick up the waste and finally a housing unit that stores the waste in it and uses solar energy and rain harvested water to break down and disperse the waste back into the soil. The laser pointer can be used to set multiple locations that need cleaning at the same time. The Dark Side: Apart from the high cost fears of the system if its mass produced, we really appreciate the efforts of Joe Dougherty to design a product that not only promises cleaner households but also makes sure that dog and other pets can become environment's best friends too. [Thanks: Joe Dougherty]

 

World's first solar postcard by HYmini

Eco Factor: Solar-powered battery within to charge your gadgets. HYmini's miniNote is all about expressing your concern for nature and bears an underlying message to spread this awareness among all. It is the world's first solar postcard having a built-in 1,200 mAh lithium ion battery. Now your gadgets will never run out of power. This handheld battery generates enough power to keep your iPod alive for 20 minutes, provided you've charged it fully. It comes with USB adapter tips for handheld devices. Don't you worry about durability! The battery has brass metal corners to ensure that. The recycled cardboard packaging is bio-degradable, which envelops the miniNote. The Dark Side: No doubt the concept is novel, being the world's first of its type. Availability, demand and adequate supply worry me a bit. Also, what would you do when the sun doesn't shine and your gadgets crave for much-needed nourishment? Via: Greenmuze

 

Breathe Easy Aeroponic system

Eco Factor: Aeroponic system ensures fresh air and regulates humidity level. "Return to nature" seems to be the motif Breathe Easy works on. This fully automated system allows plants to grow without the least need of any human intervention to raise them. Though it's a natural way, still plants' proliferation demands care and empathy. Designer Paul Thomas makes sure that your indoors receive that extra grace owing to the LED lights that illuminate them. Gel-based nutrient substrate provides plants much-needed nourishment. You've got magnetic seals in case you want to fasten these to walls. So, getting rid of environmental pollutants in a natural way and simultaneously standardizing humidity is a great lead indeed! The Dark Side: It's a novel concept and environmentally-friendly as well. LED lights illuminating the base (where roots are) and avoiding plants hardly makes any sense to me. Via: YankoDesign

 

Radiant Solar lamps by miniWiz

Eco Factor: Solar-powered lamp makes plastic bottles illuminate and indirectly recycles them. The introduction of eco-friendly devices does exhibit CES's sensitivity towards environment. Amid all sorts of ultra modern gadgets, this solar lamp presented by miniWIZ endows empty plastic and glass bottles with arresting colors. Its 0.18 W solar cells are compelling enough to hand light out for a full 6 hours. And these solar bulbs charge themselves fully in less than 3 to 4 hours. Just screw them onto a plastic bottle, and the LEDs sensing dark automatically emit light out. If not satisfied with the lighting, putting some water into the plastic bottles would positively amplify the amount of light being offered; the lamp's casings are fully waterproof, mind you! Not to miss, the minimal price tag of $23-25 makes it so very affordable to all. The Dark Side: Well, everything is just right and spot on for these wonderful lamps, except those missing Candelas. It would have been better if it could offer brighter luminosity. What say you? Secondly, what worries me is the acceptability for these atypical applications. Via: Inhabitat