Tag Archives: sustainable energy

This self-sustainable cloud server is powered by the energy of growing tomatoes indoor!

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Picture a post-apocalyptic future where human beings don’t have the liberty of dependence on power stations. Self-sustainable systems are the norm and utilizing every ounce of available energy is vital for survival. A dystopian tech-infused future world where computing systems don’t have any external source of abundant energy. Straight out from that sci-fi futuristic scenario is the Warm Earth server system by Ilja Schamle, a Design Academy Eindhoven graduate.

The DIY cloud server system embodies the symbiotic relationship between technology and nature. This project is all about utilizing the renewable energy extracted out of tomato vines to solely run the cloud server. In turn, the energy produced by the heat dissipation is cyclically used to maintain the optimum temperature for the vegetables to grow. As concept-like this might seem, the project was a part of the Missed Your Call graduate exhibition at the Milan design week.

The DIY project houses the tomato plants within the server racks and the server is mounted on the exterior of the rig. The ventilation shaft equipped with fans, channels the hot air to the interior of the cabinet – essentially turning it into a greenhouse. Tomatoes power the server courtesy of the plant-microbial fuel cell technology developed by researchers at Wageningen University, Netherlands. This turns vegetables into batteries – literally!

Nothing goes to waste as the plants perform photosynthesis – turning sunlight into chemical energy, and storing the sugars and proteins. The excess nutrition is excreted via the roots as waste, where the bacteria break it down to release energy. This energy is then leveraged as electricity. Since the servers are indoors, the solar-powered grow lamps act as a source of sunlight. The electrons released by microbes are attracted to iron and the activated-carbon grid functioning as a conductor is placed at the bottom of the pot. For now, the system can produce energy to sustain a single website, and we can expect this to develop into a massive system with more research and development.

Warm Earth is a self-sustainable geeky mashup that not many could think of before this. According to Schamle, the amount of content consumed at present and in the future is destined to rise and the energy required to run such systems is going to be colossal. The artificial ecosystem will change the perception of data centers as being mere dungeons for hosting servers. They will become an important entity of future homes, where they aren’t kept hidden from sight!

Designer: Ilja Schamle

This $172,000 sustainable luxury boat is on our summer wish list

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I am sure we are all dreaming about summer and places we would rather be at. It would be amazing if we could just get on a boat and go on an ocean adventure around the world, but since we all have to play our part in flattening the curve, the best we can do is stay indoors and look at beautiful boats like the Leisure 28. Digital getaways are fun too, so now let me show you around this sustainable luxury boat!

Leisure 28 is a sleek electric boat designed by Rand Boats, a Danish company committed to using sustainable design and innovative technology for giving you the best experience out on the water. This boat is built on the pillars of modern Scandinavian design and has powerful electric propulsion (so no motor noise or fuel smell!) with a maximum speed of 45 mph that can run for two hours without a recharge. Its hull design helps in making it ultralight and optimizes the performance effortlessly. Leisure 28 is made of a mix of recycled plastics and bio-based hybrids which makes it environmentally friendly.

The luxury boat has been crafted keeping in mind the social interactions during summers and making most of the space without turning into a cruise ship. It has a cabin with a queen-sized bed and an adjustable 12 seater table that turns into a king-size sundeck when lowered. There is an exclusive kitchen & bar space, and when the time is right for us to all be together again that is where we are going to hang out. If you are wondering about a bathroom, yes, there is one and I am also surprised how much Leisure 28 can hold for its size.

Rand Boats are proud of making something that is first and foremost a highly functional design, so whether you are high-speed cruising or riding big ocean waves, Leisure 28 will ensure a smooth sailing experience. Let’s continue dreaming about this minimal, graceful, luxurious boat we all need…and can have for USD 172,000.

Designer: Rand Boats

 

Your hand sanitizer may have 60% alcohol but is it carbon negative?

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I have never really paid attention to the ingredients of a hand sanitizer before the pandemic which taught me that the Bodyworks glitter ones really won’t help and I have to look for ones that have 60% alcohol or above. Obviously, the AIs of the worldwide web picked up on my searches and I ‘came across’ the world’s first carbon-negative hand sanitizer made by New York-based start-up, Air Co. I am all about sustainable living and a carbon-negative sanitizer was exactly what I needed to replace the glitter.

The pandemic caused an exponential increase in the demand for sanitizers, and in a bid to help health professionals as well as every regular person, all the alcohol brands switched from making their usual products to making sanitizers. Air Co. actually made the world’s first carbon-negative vodka by using captured CO2 instead of yeast to make alcohol and now it is following suit by switching from vodka to sanitizers but, their method still remains the same – sustainable distillation + innovative technology that removes CO2 from the air and replaces it with oxygen. They use the CO2 emitted from nearby factories, mix it with water during their production process and then distill it, all using solar energy. “It is inspired by photosynthesis in nature, where plants breathe in CO2, take up water, and they use sunlight to make things like sugars and other higher-value hydrocarbons, with oxygen as the sole by-product. Same thing with our process: The only by-product is oxygen,” says  Stafford Sheehan, one of the cofounders of Air Co.

The Air Co. sanitizer is 70% ethanol (their technology’s main output) and they are working with local officials to donate these bottles to the institutions that need it the most. Their actions reflect the brand’s two-part tagline – Almost impossible. Goods that do good. Air Co’s sanitizer is one-of-a-kind because of its undeniable benefit to the environment and positive impact that ripples beyond just keeping us virus-free. The brand is proud of using scientific methods to design products that would leave a lasting impression on people, be it their gluten-free, sugar-free, impurities-free, carbon-negative vodka or their hand sanitizer which is also crafted from the same air. Check out the running ticker of how much CO2 they have removed from the atmosphere – it is PRETTY impressive!

Designer: Air Co.

Charge your Tesla and lower your electric bill with these solar blinds!

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Renewable energy is our ticket to the future and the current climate crisis. From electric cars to sustainable tools, designers are changing the world for the better one product at a time. Joining that list are these Solar Blinds from SolarGaps that make your home smarter and your environment better. If you want to charge your Tesla without increasing your bill, this should be your first buy.

Solar Blinds help you save on your energy costs and reduces your electric bill by 30% compared to conventional energy usage costs, in simpler terms that is a third of your air conditioning bill if you live in a hot climate. These blinds can generate 100W per 1sqm which is enough to charge a smartphone, a laptop or power a tv. Solar Blinds also help you to massively reduce your carbon footprint – 1 sqm of solar energy can prevent 100 gms of carbon emissions. Now imagine the impact if your entire neighborhood will have if everyone installs these blinds. The blinds are meant for the future and they are created to be smart, you can control them with an app on your phone and they are also compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Home. Another cool feature is that these solar-powered blinds can be used as an alarm clock in the morning by setting them at the time you want them to open.

“The idea to combine solar panels and blinds struck me when I saw sunflowers in the field turning to face the sun. With my invention, I wanted to claim that everyone is responsible for saving our planet,” says Yevgen Erik, CEO of SolarGaps and I love how being an accountable citizen of this world is now more accessible with his design.

Designer: SolarGaps

10 Things to Know About Obama’s Clean Power Plan

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President Obama is about to make the environmental agenda as his #1 priority. That is why his clean power plan is right on target. It will make the atmosphere healthy, reduce costs and create new...

Leonardo DiCaprio Teams Up With Mark Ruffalo for a New Clean Energy Campaign

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Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his “Shutter Island” co-star Mark Ruffalo are teamed up for a new initiative and that is to make renewable energy affordable and accessible to everyone.Both the Hollywood...

Apple Plants Trees in China

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Apple today announced an expansion of its renewable energy and environmental protection initiatives in China, including a new multi-year project with World Wildlife Fund to significantly increase...

Apple to invest $1.93 Billion to build Two European Data Centers powered by 100% Renewable Energy

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Apple is looking to invest big bucks in Europe. Two state of the art facilities were made in Ireland and Denmark. The American company announced that they will invest in these two countries as both...