As cities begin to realise that they can reduce their energy consumption by switching to eco lighting, this wind and solar 'street' light might be an indicator of things to come.
Located at the Panasonic Center in Tokyo, the lights incorporates solar cells for daylight energy collection and a spinning column to generate power from wind. The energy is stored in the base of the lamp post for use at night.
Not only does Panasonic have some of the most unusual outside lighting but a kinetic sculpture as well. The center was built with the intention of reducing its energy consumption by almost 30% and has a number of other 'eco' initiatives including rainwater utilisation and inbuilt solar lighting.
More details at: panasonic.co.jp
[Via: Hyperexperience]
Spinning Street Lights
Green that Roof
Green, growing, roofs are not new in the architecture field, but this one is a stunner.
The new construction is part of the School of Art and Design at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore. The curved grassy roofs top a 5 storey glass fronted building which nestles in a wooded area of the university campus. Housed inside are digital sound and vision studios as well as a sound stage, recording studios and video post production studios.
There is access to the three interlinked roof areas via steps so that they can be used as a scenic, outdoor, communal area. Apart from looking beautiful and helping the building blend into its wooded environment, the roofs help lower building temperature and also that of the surrounding area. Makes you wonder what the art produced inside is like.
More details on the University website: www.ntu.edu.sg
[Via: Inhabitat]
Recyclable Hotels
This week budget hotel chain Travelodge announced their intention to build the world’s first recyclable hotel in Uxbridge, UK.
It will be made up of a stack of 86 steel ‘boxes’, which look a little like shipping containers. Travelodge say you won’t be able to tell the difference between this and any of their other, more traditionally built, hotels – so it won’t feel like sleeping in a container then!
The ‘boxes’ come from China and are already fitted with bathrooms, electrical wiring and plaster walls. Once stacked the final fitting is made and the hotel clad externally.
Travelodge said that this method of construction "…could facilitate the creation of hotels on a temporary basis to open in times of peak demand in certain locations - such as festivals or major sporting events.”
There is also an advantage in that at the end of their life the hotels can be quickly dismantled and the boxes salvaged for recycling. Or the entire ‘construction set’ can be moved to a new location and refitted – the first portable hotel?
It remains to be seen how ‘eco’ this venture is if the boxes have to be transported half way around the world from China, but there is an economic saving for the company – these hotels cost about £4.5 million rather than the normal £5 million to build.
More details at www.travelodge.co.uk
[Via Thoughts on Global Warming]
Eco Lighting for Everyone
There is something about a city skyline, illuminated at night, which ads spectacle and intrigue to the places we love.
On the one hand we want to reduce our carbon footprint, energy consumption and budget but on the other we want our cities to look spectacular at night.
In London the National Theatre is trying to find a way to be both eco friendly and remain a beacon on the South Bank. In a 5-year partnership with Philips they are renewing the external and internal lighting of their building complex.
During September they completed the first phase and changed their external lighting. The results (suggested by Philips) are a 70 % reduction in the energy required to illuminate the distinctive, but daylight ugly, flytowers.
It seems that once the entire project is compete the theatre hopes to save £100,000 annually which they want to reinvest in theatrical productions.
More details at the community website London SE1
Do it Yourself Light Shade
As the world switches over to low energy light bulbs (a little), there are masses of the old style bulbs being left on the shelf. See the item below.
Rather than bin them why not collect them (if you don’t have enough bulbs yourself rope in your local friends), and make your own recycled light shade?
‘Bulbs Unlimited’ is a German based company which supplies a kit to help you ‘stick’ your light bulbs together in a variety of shapes and forms. The result – a sculptural light shade made from all those old bulbs.
You can attach bulbs together in a variety of shapes and build ‘light objects’ in almost any size you feel fits into your room. What is really nice is that you can also unclip them and make them into a new shape!
Bulbs Unlimited’s web site has a slide show to give you an idea of how it all works (very simple) and you can order a starter pack online. The ‘Rookie-Pack’ contains all the pieces you need to make one light ‘object’ (supply your own light bulbs!) and costs 39.95 Euros + post and packing. Once you get good at this you can add to your ‘construction kit’ and make larger light shades. So, light up your home and recycle your old light bulbs at the same time.
www.bulbs-unlimited.com
First zero-carbon house
Monday was a good day for the zero-carbon debate as the UK government has just recognised the first zero-carbon house by awarding it a stamp duty exemption certificate. For those not living in the UK – stamp duty is a tax payable when you buy property.
Housing minister, Yvette Cooper, handed over the certificate to a prototype house which is the most environmentally friendly home built in the UK. For a buyer this means they do not have to pay the tax and could save around £2,000 on a zero-carbon house costing £200,000.
"A quarter of carbon emissions come from our homes. That's why zero-carbon homes are so important," said Yvette Cooper.
Photo: Peter White, BRE. Used with permission.
[From the Guardian]
Got a lot of hot Air?
In the summer our loft spaces get HOT. There is now a device which will take that heat and convert it into hot water for use in the house! Something for nothing?
The air source heat pump, supplied by Trianco, which looks like a small industrial air conditioning unit, is installed in your loft space and plumed into your hot water tank. It will heat water to around 55 degrees.
As our summers get warmer, this might be just the thing to supply your hot water needs. "But it must use electricity to keep it going I hear you ask" – well Trianco claim that for every unit of energy purchased as electricity to run the pump, several units of heat are delivered, making it up to four times more effective than other heaters (gas and oil systems). www.trianco.co.uk
