Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

In 2012, Siemens developed a software that allowed them to design ultra-efficient solar parks in just a few seconds, but at that time only Siemens had access to the tool. Now Siemens has announced that they are making this software available to other photovoltaic facility construction firms so that everyone can benefit. The software is called PVplanet and it allows developers to generate the best layout for their specific space, reducing planning time by up to 80% and making each solar park more efficient.

Siemens, Siemens solar power, Siemens renewable energy, Siemens green energy Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics, PVplanet, PVplanet software, solar park software, solar park development, solar park design, efficient solar power, efficient solar parks, solar panel efficiency, solar development, solar investment, solar developing software, solar power, green energy development, green power

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Post tags: efficient solar parks, efficient solar power, green energy development, green power, PVplanet, PVplanet software, siemens, Siemens green energy Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics, Siemens renewable energy, Siemens solar power, solar developing software, solar development, solar investment, solar panel efficiency, solar park design, solar park development, solar park software, Solar Power

While the bulk of the energy usage may be happening just a few blocks north, Las Vegas is going a little bit greener by powering the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” with three solar trees. For years the sign has been a marker that lets people know that they have arrived in Sin City. Now the sign will also act as a symbol of the city’s commitment to renewable energy. To realize their Clean Energy Project, Nevada worked with Green Chips, a non-profit focused on sustainability and the Clark County Commission to erect a three-tree solar installation next to the sign. The installation not only provides much needed shade for tourists, it also powers up what may be one of the world’s most photographed locations.

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Post tags: Clean Energy Project Nevada, Green Chips Nevada, green energy Southern Nevada, las vegas, Las Vegas goes solar, Las Vegas sign solar tree, Las Vegas sustainability, solar installations, Solar Power, solar power initiatives, solar trees, Southern Nevada sustainability, sustainability Southern Nevada, Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign going green, Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas solar powered

The tech giants of Silicon Valley are no strangers to sustainable design, and brick‘s recently completed office building bears no exception. Designed as the future home of Nuance Communications, the 70,000 square foot building sports a variety of eco-friendly features including a lush rooftop garden with water-efficient landscaping and solar panels. Set to open in spring 2014, the modern office building is also on track for LEED Platinum certification.

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Post tags: bike parking, brick, curtain wall, green roof, LEED platinum, Marshall Wilson, nuance communications, onka wood, rooftop garden, silicon valley, solar panels

SolTech Energy, a Swedish company selling solutions for clean solar power, has developed a unique home heating system contained within roofing tiles made out of ordinary transparent glass. The attractive house-warming tiles (somewhat ironically) give roofs a beautiful, icy appearance quite unlike anything else we’ve ever seen before.

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", "energy system", "Glass tiles", "solar energy", green design, roof tiles, Solar Power, soltech energy

Green Mountain College students are redefining the American dream with a tiny “living system” home that offers a mobile lifestyle with a reduced environmental footprint. Created as part of professor Lucas Brown’s Renewable Energy and Ecological Design (REED) class, the 70 square foot pod-shaped house includes a sleeping area, rainwater collection, and a 120-watt solar powered electrical system. Nicknamed OTIS (Optimal Traveling Independent Space), this self-sufficient mobile home was built with reclaimed materials whenever possible.

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Post tags: design/build, green mountain college, lucas brown, Optimal Traveling Independent Space, OTIS, rainwater catchment system, Renewable Energy and Ecological Design, Solar Power, tiny house

Read the rest of Bone-White Geometric Facade Wraps Around Contemporary House in Israel

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Post tags: Ashdod, House in Ashdod, natural light, open floor plan, porcelain granite, porthole windows, solar panels, sunrise portal, water recycling system, Zahavi Architects

There are two key factors that affect solar cell performance: high optical transparency for good light transmission, and high optical haze for increased scattering, and therefore absorption. Researchers recently developed an inexpensive paper solar panel component made from wood fibers that is more environmentally-friendly than the plastic substrates currently used, and it has 96 percent transparency and an unrivalled optical haze of 60 percent. Could this be the most efficient solar cell yet?

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Post tags: energy efficient solar cells, high optical haze paper, high optical transparency paper, inexpensive solar cell paper, microporous solar paper, nanoporous solar paper, solar cell made from wood fibers, TEMPO treatment, wood fiber solar cells

At long last, the world’s largest solar bridge at London’s Blackfriars station is finally complete. Solarcentury and England’s Network Rail partnered to cover the bridge with 4,400 photovoltaic panels. Formerly an energy hog, the bridge now provides Blackfriars station with half of the energy it requires to operate.

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Post tags: blackfriars bridge, bridge in london covered in solar panels, clean tech, eco design, green design, green projects in London, London's sustainability goals, network rail, photovoltaic panels, PV bridge, renewable energy, Solar Bridge, solar bridge in London, solarcentury, sustainable design, world's largest solar bridge

Hakan Gürsu of Designnobis developed the Solbooth – a beautiful solar-powered phone booth that we’d love to see on city streets. The transparent shelter blends into the urban environment with its see-through surfaces, and it emphasizes accessibility with a convenient ramp. The Solbooth is designed to serve as an all-in-one point of communication for making calls and finding info on a city.

+ Designnobis

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Post tags: clean tech, designnobis, green design, green energy, Hakan Gürsu, phone booth, renewable energy, solar phone booth, Solar Power, solar-powered phone booth, SolBooth, sustainable design, Urban design

California is suffering through its worst drought in decades, and it has gotten so bad that officials announced that 17 communities across the state are in danger of running out of water within 60 to 120 days. But what if the solution to California’s water crisis is as simple as sunlight – a resource the state has in abundance? That’s exactly what California-based startup WaterFX is proposing with its solar-powered desalination system. Renewable desalination could solve water scarcity issues not just in California but in other drought-stricken and desertified areas across the world.

solar-powered desalination, California, drought, water, renewable, solar, freshwater, salt water, WaterFX, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Aaron Mandell

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Post tags: Aaron Mandell, australia, California, Drought, freshwater, qatar, renewable, salt water, saudi arabia, solar, solar powered desalination, water issues, WaterFX

For the past year or so, Rawlemon has been blowing our minds with their innovative concepts for concentrated solar power generation. Back in 2012 Inhabitat first reported on the Barcelona-based startup’s spherical solar energy-concentrating globe. Like a giant crystal ball, the prototype was capable of concentrating sunlight up to 10,000 times–making it significantly more efficient than traditional photovoltaic designs. Then, just a few months ago, they did it again: this time releasing a new and improved prototype–called the Betaray that can harness solar energy from the sun, the moon, or even the gray sky of a cloudy day. Encouraged by the positive reaction to the design, Rawlemon has launched a crowdfunding campaign that will allow the start up to move from research to development. Those who contribute have a chance to get their hands on the company’s newest (and arguably most awesome) product: a 1/500th scale version of the Betaray, called the Beta.ey, that can be used to charge your phone!

Rawlemon, Betaray, beta.ey, atmospheric lamp, Rawlemon Indiegogo, solar charger, solar concentrating sphere, concentrated solar power, crystal ball, power from light,

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Post tags: atmospheric lamp, beta.ey, Beta.ey solar charger, Betaray, concentrated solar power, Crystal Ball, power from light, rawlemon, Rawlemon Indiegogo, Rawlemon solar power, solar charger, solar concentrating sphere, spherical solar power generator

Lack of water is a huge problem in vast portions of the United States, where there is hardly enough to go around after the farms, ranches and cities have gotten their fill. So it really makes no sense that we waste massive amounts of water in order to generate thermal power. In fact, running these plants require four times more water than that used by every citizen in the country combined. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we had an alternative energy source that is clean, efficient and uses significantly less water? You know, something like photovoltaic solar power?