Inhabitats Week in the Green Wind Farms Algae Power and an Airplane made from Hemp
Every week, our friends at Inhabitat review the week's most exciting green developments and green technology news for us -It's the Week in Green.
Highways are large dark surfaces that absorb a lot of sunlight. Wouldn't it be more logical to have them powered by solar energy? Designer Daan Roosegaarde thought of this and it's now an actuality. Heijmans Infrastructure and Roosegaarde teamed together to install solar-powered glowing lines along a Dutch highway. The project was a huge success and is expected to be extended to other regions of the country. Also on the renewable energy front, Masdar is building a 50 megawatt wind farm for the Sultanate of Oman, making it the biggest wind farm in the Gulf states region. The wind farm will provide enough clean energy to power 16,000 homes and will prevent 110,000 tonnes (121,254 tons) of carbon dioxide from burning per year. And in the UK, Primrose Solar is teaming up with Solarcentury to build a 48-megawatt solar farm in Portsmouth. The two companies aim to make it the cleanest ground-mounted solar farm in the world. Are you thinking that algae is just green slime? You'd be wrong It can power everything, from a lightbulb to an entire city. Here are some of the most innovative designs powered by algae that could revolutionize the world.
A few years ago, BMW, Daimler and scientists at the Technische Universitat Munchen announced plans to collaborate to develop an affordable and secure electric vehicle. The Visio.M is a tiny two-seater electric vehicle that weighs in at 900 pounds . It's scheduled to be presented to the public at the eCarTec trade fair in Munich. In other green transportation news, last week , Inhabitat was one of two teams who completed the challenge to drive 834 miles with just one tank of diesel fuel in the 2015 Audi A3 TDI, proving that it's possible to get from Albuquerque to San Diego without refilling the tank. According to a couple from California, the world's first hoverboard has arrived. The couple claims that they've invented a functioning hoverboard that utilizes electromagnetics to float around an inch above the ground. For urban commuters, Vello Bike has designed a high-performance folding bicycle that requires only a simple push to fold and roll it into place. This means you can transport the bike with you on public transportation or store it without much hassle. Hempearth is an Canadian company, is building the world's first plane made from hemp. The company hopes the plane will be ready for flight in the next year.
3D printing has a lot of potential for the design industry However, it also poses some problems for law enforcement because it can allow users to make their own guns at home. A 28-year-old Japanese citizen was sentenced to three days in jail last week for 3D printing. He was found guilty of making two guns in his home and sharing a video showing how others could create them. And Inhabitat was on the scene when New York City held its first ever get-together conference this week. From 3D printing pens to tablets that come with built-in projectors. Take a look at some of the most useful tech innovations that were displayed.
Additionally, 3D printing is firmly established in the fields of medical and aerospace technologies but it's just beginning to become an effective construction method. At Maker Faire Rome, the World's Advanced Saving Project unveiled a brand new portable 3D printer that can be used to build homes out of clay or mud, and even fibers. The group is hoping to bring the technology to some of the world's poorest areas. In other green architecture developments design duo Micaela Colella and Maurizio Barberio have created plans for a prefab wooden home with an innovative steel foundation that can be recycled. French designer Philippe Starck recently teamed up with a prefab manufacturer Riko to design a new wind- and solar-powered home. The two-story structure produces 50 percent more energy than it uses.
Many of our readers are making costumes for their kids for Halloween. But few can match this incredible dad's glowing LED stick costume that makes Zoey appear to be Minnie Mouse. If you're stuck for Halloween costumes and would like to dress in something techy take a look at our fantastic photos of human iPhones, Androids robots, and Minecraft characters here. The one and only
