yves behar / fuseproject: GE wattstation electric vehicle charger
by: Designboom - Weblog, 2010-07-14 09:57:00 UTC

the GE wattstation behaves like a piece of street infrastructure blending into the urban landscape


san francisco-based fuseproject, led by designer yves behar has designed the 'GE wattstation™',
an electrical charging station for general electric's (GE) ecomagination initiative.
the GE wattstation is an easy-to-use electric vehicle (EV) charger housed inside a modular,
consumer friendly form.



GE wattstation sidewalk line-up


the station is designed to to be as durable as street furniture, as visible as a beacon of light
and to look as nice as street greenery. the GE wattstation has been developed to break
all paradigms of the typical large scale, angular and brash 'gas pump'. to achieve this,
fuseproject has created a soft and distinctive friendly icon that is expressed through
a cylindrical body that flares toward the top where it becomes a circular interface.
this user interface is angled for ergonomic comfort, and its surrounded lens houses
a useful and informational graphic interface. the LED light ring indicates to the driver
whether the station is: available (white), fully charged (green), charging (red) or
out of order (yellow). it is the first charging station with a self-retractable charging cable,
keeping streets tidy while protecting the cable from weather elements, through its compact
metal shell. built to withstand harsh weather and usage conditions, it also includes a
built-in heater to defrost the snow during winter days.



scenario of GE wattstations set-up in a parking lot


the GE wattstation has been designed help accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles,
significantly reducing the time needed for vehicle charging. it is embedded with GE's
smart grid technology which enables the station to charge a vehicle in 4-8 hours
(assuming a 24kWh battery), compared to the normal 12-18. through wireless communication
in conjunction with digital platforms and mobile devices, users will be able to remotely locate,
operate and monitor the units. it will help utility companies manage the impact of electric vehicles
on the local and regional grids and help customers stay current with the latest advances.




front and profile views

'good design is when a new technology enters our life and makes it more simple,
beautiful and healthy. the GE wattstation achieves this with a welcoming design that will
seamlessly integrate into the urban landscape and become a natural part of our daily
driving routine.' - yves behar

detail of the charging station


the GE wattstation prototype will be available within the fourth quarter of 2010 throughout
the U.S. and europe. commercial and residential wattstations will be available to the
american, european and asian markets in 2011, and will be available through a number of
distribution channels, including utilities, auto dealerships, electrical wholesalers and
licensed electrical contractors as well as through an online store.



GE wattstation with self-retractable charging cable



informational graphic user interface



how the interface would indicate charge time


the color variations of the GE wattstation



on the street


yves behar on the GEwattstation™: charging the electric vehicle

Fruity Water Gate
by: Yanko Design, 2010-07-09 07:10:46 UTC

This project is completely apolitical. It IS literally a gate of water. This project goes by the name of “Water Shade” and keeps a shield of H2O around the fruit it is sworn to protect. It’s both a dish and a cover, working with water to keep freshness in and everything larger than Oxygen OUT! Designer Yitu Wang doesn’t want to keep you from your delicious apples though, so there’s a built in detector that sees your hand in approach, and thus is does desist.

Moisture is locked in. Freshness is locked in. Flies are locked out. Dust is locked out. And when you come up and decide you’d love to have a strawberry, as soon as your hand gets near, the streams in that area stop. You’ll remain dry. How very keen!

Designer: Yitu Wang

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Sustainability Platforms to be Replaced by Integrated Systems
by: Environmental Leader, 2010-07-09 11:21:20 UTC

Existing sustainability platforms will likely be replaced by more integrated software solutions, according to a recent survey by Verdantix.

Four niche categories of software applications – carbon management, sustainability reporting, energy management and environmental compliance – will be swept away by a new era of integrated sustainable business software platforms, the survey found.

The research firm surveyed 65 worldwide software providers on questions such as data on product launches since 2005, customer wins by industry and the job titles of individuals who have purchased sustainable business software.

The study found that there has been an explosive growth in the number of sustainability software applications. From 2005 to 2010 the number of sustainable business software applications grew from 31 to 126 – an increase of 406%. In 2009 alone, software vendors launched 32 new applications and 2010 has already seen 15 additional product launches. Supply-side growth will increase buyer education and establish the new software category.

The purchasing decisions are largely being driven by sustainability leaders within companies. Ninety-three per cent of firms supplying sustainable business software predominantly sell to managers with job titles like VP Sustainability and Chief Sustainability Officer. Sixty-four per cent of the suppliers have sold to individuals in environment, EH&S or CSR roles and just 18% have sold into the IT organization.

However, the study also found that a new era of integrated platforms is beginning now through software innovation. For example, Enviance offers a value proposition based on the concept of Environmental ERP. The Verisae product strategy is built on the idea of Sustainable Resource Planning and in the last 18 months SAP has acquired Clear Standards for carbon management and Technidata for environmental compliance.

Verdantix argues that this trend is being driven by an increase in supply side activity as more companies come to appreciate the strategic nature of sustainability initiatives. The organization also believes that only a handful of the existing 65 vendors in the space will survive the upcoming consolidation.

Meanwhile, a recent study by Pike Research found that the market for carbon management software and services for the manufacturing sector is expected to grow by 33 percent annually from 2009 to 2017, while U.S. federal government’s demand for carbon management software is expected to grow from its current level of $36 million to $294 million by 2017.

The report, Buyer’s Guide To Sustainable Business Software, is available for download by Verdantix clients and for purchase by non-clients at www.verdantix.com.

Bike Transforms Into Shopping Cart, Leaves No Excuses for Driving to the Store
by: TreeHugger Transportation, 2010-07-01 13:56:12 UTC
Images via Yanko Design Riding your bike to the farmer's market or store rather than driving is a great way to trim down your carbon footprint. But the excuses can still pour forward from reluctant riders -- "I don't want my bike to get stolen while I'm inside," or "I don't have baskets on my bike to carry things home," or "What if I buy too much and can't fit it on my bike?" A new concept bike that transforms into a shopping cart solves all these concerns and leaves little room for other excuses for driving rather then pedaling to the store.... Read the full story on TreeHugger