Ruchika Pahwa: As people are getting more eco conscious, the need for green and sustainable residential units has also started increasing. One such design for ‘house-m’ has been created by the Tohoku University of Art and Design’s department for architecture and environmental design. Located in Yamagata, Japan, ‘house-m’ has been given the shape of a two-story private residence. Focusing on providing a dwelling to its residents that offers sustainable living, this house has been installed with passive energy systems. These systems get integrated with the residential operations and save around 10 percent of the fossil energy an ordinary Japanese house usually consumes. house-m Picture Gallery house-m ‘house-m’ by tohoku university of art & design in yamagata, japan The front elevation of the house opens toward the south side and has a deep overhang. This side of the house also features stylish sliding glass doors. The beauty of the ground floor gets enhanced through its outdoor L-shaped terrace. This terrace is an extension to its interiors and can be custom expanded per the resident’s requirements. To generate electricity and ensure a constant supply of hot water, the roof of ‘House-M’ is installed with solar thermal panels, as well as photovoltaic panels. This is an empowering feature to make this house more sustainable and green. To maintain cool interiors in ‘House-M’, there is a void created between two levels that allows enough air ventilation. It helps people live comfortably in summers. For heating purposes during winters, there is also arrangement for a regular wood stove in the tatami room on the second story. Additionally, there are strips of elevated windows that help in receiving better daylight. The atrium of the house gains daylight through these windows and thus acts as a light well. All kinds of substructures are developed in a creative architectural manner in order to enhance the already stylish exterior and interior looks of ‘house-m’. Via: Designboom

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‘House-M’: A residential structure encouraging sustainable living

Judge rules that state’s landmark low-carbon fuel rules discriminate against out-of-state ethanol providers because they consider impact of transporting fuel to California. Originally posted at News – Politics and Law

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California EPA to appeal ruling that blocks low-carbon rules

Rajni Mehta: Most of the vehicles that we see on the roads today have been designed to deliver a sense of thrill to their speed loving owners. However, most eco friendly cars have limited speed, which is one main hurdle in the global adoption of green rides that are mostly propelled by electricity. But speed lovers need not worry as here’s good news for you. Here we introduce you to 10 of the fastest vehicles of the world with land speed records to their credit. The most impressive part of these vehicles is that they are not only velocity friendly, but also eco friendly. 1. Car powered by wind having land speed record Car powered by wind Greenbird, designed by British engineer Richard Jenkins, has broken a longstanding record to create its own. Powered by wind, the vehicle sped up at 126.1 mph at lake Ivanpah. Ecotricity, the company that is to be credited for this fast wind-powered car, has plans of launching a wind-powered supercar of a more conventional design. The company believes that wind would become one of the primary sources of energy that would fuel regular cars within two-decade time. 2. BMW biodiesel-fueled motorbike sets new land speed record BMW biodiesel-fuelled motorbike When the BMW R 1150 RT was modified and its engine replaced by a 3-series 2-liter diesel one, a new land speed record was created that beat the record created and held by a diesel fueled motorbike. The founder and executive director of The Crucible, Michael Startz, drove the bike in Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats to zoom in the record books. The Crucible, an artistic industrial design center based in Oakland was involved in the development of the vehicle, whereas Greenline Industries provided the fuel called B100. 3. BYU Electric Blue sets land speed record at 155.8 mph BYU Electric Blue Seven years’ time and contribution of 130 students of the Brigham Young University (BYU) under the guidance of Associate Professor Perry Carter gave birth to this vehicle that has created its own land speed record in the Bonneville Salt Flats. Named Electric Blue, the vehicle is below 1100 pounds and for its E1 weight class has made its way to a world record. The vehicle hit a speed of 175 mph during one of the qualifying runs. The vehicle with an aerodynamic, carbon fiber frame includes lithium ion batteries and has ground clearance of less than an inch. 4. Student built Buckeye Bullet Electric Streamliner sets new land speed record at 307.66 mph Buckeye Bullet Electric Streamliner Buckeye Bullet, the electric streamliner, is a brainchild of the students of the Ohio State University. Previously, the vehicle had hydrogen fuel cells to power the electric motor, which were replaced by lithium ion batteries from A123. The vehicle made a FIA two-way land speed record in 2009 when it was powered by the hydrogen fueled cells. Recently, the university joined hands with Monaco based Venturi to transform the car for testing purposes so that it could be launched in a brand new avatar in 2011. The top speed derived from this vehicle after the modifications is 320 mph. 5. American engineer shatters land speed record in a hydrogen-fueled car hydrogen-fueled car American engineer and stuntman, Jesse James, has broken the record held by BMW H2R that had a speed record of 185 mph, by wheeling a zero emission car that’s fueled by hydrogen gas. The new record set at Mojave Desert is of 199.7 mph that the driver managed to extract out of the vehicle by replacing the Chrysler engine of the 1960s car with a twin-turbocharged 9.8L V8 engine from Chevrolet. 6. Electric motorcycle sets the Salt Flats on fire, clocking at 150 mph Electric bike by Mission Motors Mission Motors joined hands with Fuse Project to create this electric motorcycle that created a new record of land speed at 150mph at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. The company is now into producing this bike for the masses. As per the company, the bikes that will be released in the market soon will have similar features as the record breaking one and would be able to get a speed of 80 mph when on streets. 7. Lightning Motorcycles break 200 mph electric bike speed record Lightning Motorcycles Breaking the land speed record of electric bikes, here’s the new bike from Lightning Motorcycles. The bike created a record of 206.079 miles per hour on an average. Paul Thede, who rode the bike in Bonneville Salt Flats to create the record, reached a speed of 208.38 mph during the stunt. The bike is powered by a nano phosphate battery pack of 345 Volt 11 kilowatt-hour safe LiFEPo4. 8. Lawless Electric Drag Bike having land speed record Lawless Electric Drag Bike Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle shop, together with Lawless Industries made a new quarter-mile record for battery-powered motorcycle at Virginia. The bike that made this possible has been named the Lawless Electric Drag Bike. The 4000 amp electric bike with 363 volt and a horsepower of over 600 was driven to a speed of 177 miles per hour quarter-mile pass by Larry ‘Spiderman’ McBride, the legendary drag racer. 9. Student-built 155 mph biofuel truck breaks world land speed record Biofuel Truck This vehicle that runs on vegetable oil has been designed by Boise University. This Greenspeed pick-up truck has created a new world land record of biofueled vehicles. Developed by a student team under the supervision of Dave Schenker, this vehicle managed to reach a speed of 155 miles per hour in south California. A 1998 Chevrolet S-10 has been modified to bring this vehicle into existence by the team. 10. Steam-powered supercar shatters world land speed record Steam-Powered Supercar This British Steam car, called the ‘fastest kettle in the world’, has made a record of 139.843 mph breaking all previous records of steam driven vehicles. The 25-ft long car made the record in California while it was being driven by Charles Burnett III. 12 boilers running on liquid petroleum gas heat water to a temperature of 400 degree C or 752 degree F, which is then sent to the turbine to power the engine.

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10 eco friendly vehicles with land speed records to their credit

Google may have powered down its efforts to make renewable energy cheaper than coal, but the Silicon Valley juggernaut is still investing big in green power. Google said this week that it is making a $94-million equity investment in four solar photovoltaic installations.

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Google Invests $94 Million in Four California Solar Farms

A study just issued by the Urban Land Institute confirms what many of us living in California already know — sprawl has had its heyday, and more and more people are choosing to live closer to where they work and play.

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Has the Sun (Finally) Set on Suburban Sprawl in California?

Deep Shikha Barot: The mega structure As new details emerge about Apple’s proposed campus in Cupertino, it becomes increasingly evident that the structure will be nothing short of awe-inspiring. The spaceship campus, a name it gets for its shape, is mammoth in terms all the parameters one can think of. The structure is in some way intended to lend the perfection as is evident in Apple products to the workplace where these products are designed and worked upon. It is in sync with the kind of precision Steve Jobs sought in Apple products. The sheer scale of the numbers marks the rising of a new megastructure on the horizon. New Apple Campus What makes it mega? A closer look gives a deeper insight into the aspects that affirm the status of Apple’s proposed campus in Cupertino as a megastructure. The campus will be spread out over an area of a whopping 2.65 million square feet. The solar roof of the proposed campus is estimated to generate 5 MW of power. The intricately designed, circular structure is meant to make space for nearly 13,000 employees. Perhaps a bit idiosyncratic, but the circular structure ensures that the glass used around the entire structure is curved. This is a peculiar feature. More than six thousand trees will be at the core of the circular structure that will take half a billion dollars for completion. Factbox a. Design The behemoth to be constructed in Cupertino, California, has been designed by the firm Foster and Partners. The architectural firm, based in London, is widely acclaimed. The Hong Kong International airport and the British Museum bear a testimony to the excellent quality of their work. ARUP and Kier & Wright are also a part of the team handling the design process. b. Estimated cost Conservative estimates peg the number to be $500 million. There is every likelihood of it being more. c. Purpose The commercial building will be the second campus for Apple in Cupertino. 13,000 employees will report to this campus once the structure completes. The master plan for the building envisages that only twenty percent of the facility would be the built up area, the rest eighty percent will be covered by greenery. The roof of the entire structure will carry solar panels. The built up area will accommodate a R&D park, a fitness facility and an auditorium to seat a thousand people. The multilevel parking system with solar panels on the roof helps increase the area under the solar panel coverage while reducing the asphalt usage at the same time. The plant will generate its own power, through renewable and non-renewable means, with the grid acting as a secondary option in case of a hitch. d. Surface area The whole campus will cover an area of approximately 2.65 million square feet. e. Construction time The construction process for the structure will start rolling in 2012. It will be open to welcome the new occupants by 2012. Eco-credentials The project is impressive with its credentials on the ecological front. There are multiple reasons for the same. 1. Pollution free generation of power The roof of the entire structure, around 50,000 square feet in area, would carry solar panels for producing energy. This, in combination with the energy produced from natural gas will supply the entire office space with the power needed. The power from the grid would act as an alternative in case the in-house supply fails. Solar energy producing capacity of the structure would be nearly 5 MW. This would undoubtedly put it in the same league as the most effective solar power producing corporate structures. It would be comparable to the best facilities for the purpose not just in USA but the world. The energy generation process for the megastructure will not pollute the environment. 2. Provision for greenery The space being designated for tree plantation is four times the area the built up structure would occupy. This would mark an increase of 60 percent above the existing number. The campus seeks to provide for green spaces for its employees to relax post a grilling session at work. 3. Attempt to minimize environmental impact It is also believed that the asphalt for the plot will see a reduction of about ninety percent from the current levels. Apple is trying to allay apprehensions concerning the impact of the new campus on the traffic and the air the city. Furthermore, people are seeking clear answers on the kind of effect the construction process for the green megastructure will have on the city. The city council is carrying out an impact analysis. The provision for solar power generation and the space reserved for greenery is likely to ensure that none of the issues prove to be a spanner in the works. Picture Gallery New Apple campus Apple’s new Cupertino campus

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Green Megastructures: Apple’s new Cupertino campus

www.co.merced.ca.us/index.aspx The Merced County jail and a nearby juvenile justice facility in California’s Central Valley are expected to draw about 70 percent of their electricity from a new 1.4 megawatt solar farm that fans out across 4.5 acres.

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Siemens Powers Merced County Lockups with 1.4 MW Solar Farm

MidAmerican Energy Holdings buys First Solar’s 550-megawatt Solar Topaz plant in California, which will be one the largest sun power projects in the world.

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Warren Buffet dives deep into solar

Come January, progressive California companies need no longer fear that pursuit of environmental responsibility means a risk to fiduciary responsibility under a new law that sanctions formation of benefit corporations.

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How California Companies Can Turn a Deeper Shade of Green

Balakrishnan Ramachandran: A motorbike costs less than a car and is easier to ride and park in the increasingly congested city roads. The leisure or lifestyle bike design is driven by speed, shape and cult appeal. The bike for the emerging markets has to emphasize economy and convenience of battery recharge. Innovative approaches to bike design for each market are emerging, as designers are looking beyond the shapes and forms followed so far for the petrol bike market. Some of the eye-catching e-bike designs of 2011 are reviewed below: Concept electric motorcycles 1. AMPLIO Electric Motorcycle concept AMPLIO Electric Motorcycle Toronto based designer Sebastian Tymockzo has incorporated a battery swap feature in his Amplio concept bike. The 10 kWH Lithium Ion battery pack is built into an aluminum rack at the base of the bike. The bike is ridden onto a battery swap station and the rider remains seated while the spent battery is exchanged for one that is fully charged. The spent battery will be automatically plugged into a recharging panel. The swap stations will be built and maintained by Better Place, the Palo Alto, California company that is building battery swap stations for electric vehicles. The battery swap can be done in under 3 minutes, similar to the time taken for filling gas at a petrol pump. The concept bike has a range of 160 kilometers and has a built-in charger for plugging into a utility outlet overnight. However, the ease of battery swap may encourage e-bike owners to prefer that mode. The bike has no clutches or gears and speed variation is by rheostat controls on the bike handle. The drive is through a sealed brush-less AC synchronous motor. Regenerative braking on the rear wheel will conserve battery consumption. 2. Evolve Lithium and Xenon Electric Bike concepts Evolve Lithium and Xenon Electric Bike Evolve Motorcycles, the New York city based custom motorbike maker displayed two electric models at the Milan motorbike show earlier this year, named Lithium and Xenon, aimed at the leisure and lifestyle markets showing that electric bikes are finding acceptance even in these markets. The Lithium is styled as a sporting bike with a top speed of 100 miles per hour. The 96 volt 110 Ampere-hour battery will recharge in 3.5 hours and deliver a range of 100 miles. The Xenon is modeled on the bike shown in the computer animation in the 1984 movie Tron which developed a cult following with comic books, TV serials and video games being made on the theme. The Xenon bike features large 32 inch hub-less wheels, encased in a fiberglass body. The Tron imagery is replicated by the blue organic light emitting diode strips around the wheel rim and as outline of the rider’s position. The Xenon is powered by a 40 kilowatt motor that can reach bike speeds of 100 miles per hour. The 60 Amperehour Lithium-ion battery will recharge in 3 hours and deliver a range of 100 miles. 3. Steam-punk style Electric Motorbike for the year 2020 Steam-punk style electric motorbike Mathew Law, the California based automotive designer has conceptualized this electric bike that looks as though it is inspired by Captain Marvel comics. The cylindrical container on the side houses the battery and the drive motor. The lighted LED strips ensure that the bike is eye-catching. The designer has not disclosed any details of battery capacity or range, but the form design is attractive. 4. Tesla E-max Motorbike concept Tesla E-max motorbike Motorcycle enthusiast Madella Simone has designed this unusual e-bike with the frame made of piezoelectric materials to generate electricity from the bumps and twists when the bike is ridden. In addition, a Halite fabric layer on the seat converts body heat into electricity. These supplementary energy sources will feed into the battery that powers the electric motors on the two wheels. 5. Modern Twist on the classic Peugeot Classic Peugeot This is another concept e-bike by Madella Simone, who has adapted the form from the famous 1934 four engine motorbike the Peugeot 515. The bike has rear wheel drive from an electric motor located in the wheel hub and powered by a Lithium-ion battery pack under the rider’s saddle. The designer has also eliminated the standard hub that connects the bike body to the wheel fork and replaced it with a spherical joint that permits easy wheel change 6. Electric Motorcycles concept with 4 wheel steering The Electric Motorcycles Concept Designer Wes Rhoad has designed this e-bike with twin wheels for both front and rear which he says makes for easier steering. The black and chrome design should appeal to the bikers. 7. Sora Electric concept bike Sora electric concept bike The Sora has progressed beyond a designer’s concept into a vehicle that has gone into production last month. This e-bike is made by the company Lito Green Motion of Montreal, Canada and features a powerful electric drive that can achieve a top speed of of 200 kilometers per hour. The drive range is an impressive 480 kilometers (300 miles). The engine delivers a max torque of 80 Nm. On-board computer controls monitor cell voltage distribution in the Lithium-ion battery pack and feature settings for optimum range or peak torque. A GPS map device is also provided. The bike is priced at a steep $40,000. 8. Superhero Motorcycle Superhero Motorcycle This concept e-bike as described by the designer Jean Baptiste Robilliard has a rugged appearance. The bike frame houses the electric motors and batteries. The e-bike incorporates a kinetic energy recovery system similar to F1 cars, where the energy from braking is recovered to recharge the battery. 9. Star Wars inspired Honda Chopper concept Honda Chopper Concept This Peter Norris concept bike draws inspiration form the movie Star Wars.The white body components and the shape of the rear lamp holder to look like turbo-boosters are derived from the movie image . The bike uses feet forward seating to achieve its low profile. It would be interesting to see if Honda would actually produce this vehicle. 10. The Detonator The Detonator This concept e-bike, designed by Daniel Simon, comes with a price tag of around $100,000 in its limited edition release. The motorbike can reach a speed of 120 miles per hour and is said to achieve a range of 80 to 100 miles with only one hour of charging by using advanced Lithium-ion batteries. The driver position is well behind the front wheel and steering this vehicle could be a challenge to an average bike rider.

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Best of 2011: Concept electric motorcycles