Just what is possible in a green building? It’s a lot more than just solar panels and rainwater collection.

Recently green energy has started to become more accessible to the average person. Prices are coming down, and efficiencies are going up. This is great news for the average consumer who wants to save a bit on their electricity bill, and it’s even better for those adventurous enough to go completely off-grid.

The Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental studies at Oberlin College in Ohio is a fantastic example of what can be done to make a building as eco-friendly as possible.

The building contains over 150 environmental sensors, providing an amazing amount of information about the system.

While not fully solar-powered, there are photovoltaic cells on the roof, and they provide a “substantial fraction of the entire building’s needs”.

Air conditioning is done both by active systems, the traditional mechanical method of moving air, and passive systems, which use building design and other non-mechanical methods to keep the building cool.

Landscape ecosystems are designs to thrive in the area surrounding the building, and it even grows some food.

Wastewater in the building is purified using natural methods, taken from wetland ecosystems. This wastewater is used for toilets and landscaping.

The house itself is build from as green materials as possible. While it’s a little hard to build a house completely out of hemp, the builders bought from suppliers that required less energy and stimulated the local economy. Every little bit helps.

On top of all these systems, the building has a massive amount of sensors ensuring the whole process stays in check, as well as environmental sensors to provide weather information.

This is an amazing example of a green building, and it’s another beacon as to what can be done to convert other buildings and even homes to green technology.

via Green Technology

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Is it the Shopcycle?

…or the Bicart?

Who knows, but whatever it is, I want one for my next trip to the grocery store!

This is a combination bicycle/shopping cart. It’s like your old bicycle basket on steroids. It’s designed to make shopping easier without a car. I like biking the corner store for example, but a bunch of shopping bags is a bit out of my storage capacity on a bike.

It’s a brilliant idea, but do you think they’d let you ride it in the store?

via AutoblogGreen

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!