The Parikh family kept their driveway snow-free via a renewable power system. While many residents in the New Jersey counties Bergen and Passaic had to shovel huge amounts of snow (over 2 feet of snow in some areas) from their driveways that Winter Storm Jonas left in its wake, the Parikh family wasn’t among them. Living in a green building, this family’s eco-friendly home is equipped with a heated driveway and walkways, featuring a unique geothermal/solar system, which melted the snow an inch and a half per hour, eventually leaving…
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Green energy plans in Saudi Arabia to result in eco-friendly mosques
Green mosques: the future of Saudi Arabia. As part of a bid to gain green building initiatives national attention, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is planning to make over 90,000 mosques friendlier to the environment through the use of solar power and other green energy sources. Green building focuses on promoting resource efficiency and pro ecological practices. Following a joint meeting that took place between Saudi Green Building Forum and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, it was agreed to make mosques more eco-friendly. “This was a strategic decision when…
Read MoreRenewable energy takes center stage with the Air Force
Air Force sets sights on renewable energy and efficiency The U.S. military continues to feel the weight of fragile global energy supplies and reduced federal funding grow, which could lead to several financial problems in the future. Renewable energy may be able to mitigate the impact that these two trends are having on the military. The U.S. Air Force, like other branches of the armed forces, is currently struggling to find a solution to its growing energy and financial burden, causing the Air Force to launch a new plan with…
Read MoreWorld’s first algae powered-building called BIQ
BIQ to be the first building of its kind in the world Splitterwerk Architects is building the world’s first algae-powered building in Germany. The architecture firm designed the structure, called BIQ, that is completely covered in a bio-adaptive microalgae that will give the building a distinct bright green color and help it generate its own electricity. The effort has been commissioned by the International Building Exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, and BIQ is expected to be fully completed at some point next year. Algae generates heat energy that can be converted…
Read MoreCalifornia Toyota building will be hydrogen powered
Ballard Power Systems, a leading developer of hydrogen fuel cells and their associated technologies, has announced an agreement with the U.S. branch of Toyota to deploy their most powerful fuel cell model to date. The one-megawatt fuel cell generator will be used at Toyota’s U.S. headquarters for sales and marketing in California to provide electricity and heat at peak hours of the day. The agreement further shows the automotive industry’s support of hydrogen fuel cells. The fuel cell, dubbed CLEARgen, will make use of hydrogen produced from landfills. If using…
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