Colour Porcelain by Scholten & Baijings for 1616 Arita Japan
by: Dezeen, 2012-04-27 17:39:18 UTC
Milan 2012: Dutch designers Scholten & Baijings showed a varied service based on the archives of hand-painted porcelain company 1616 Arita Japan at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan last week. (more…)
Upfront Cost of Installing Solar at Home
by: Jetson Green, 2012-04-27 15:16:49 UTC
California-based Sunrun and Harris Interactive recently announced the results of a survey of 2,211 adults (1,475 homeowners) about the cost and desirability of installing a home solar system. The main sound bite is the one-liner that “97% of Americans overestimate the cost of going solar,” as well as the stat that “nearly 8 out of 10 of those who do not already have solar panels say they would install solar if cost were not a factor.”
The survey asked respondents to guess: ** the actual cost to install solar panels with solar power service on an average-sized home.**
You may disagree but I view this as a trick question to see if anyone really knows what a “solar power service” is. That is to say, only 3% responded with what could be seen as a correct answer of “less than $1,000.”
With a solar power service – i.e., third-party owned solar in the form of a solar lease or a power purchase agreement, depending on the state – the purchaser doesn’t own the panels, so the upfront cost to the homeowner is nominal compared to purchase cost of the same system. With a solar power service, one could “go solar” without buying the panels.
As a side note, it’s hard to tell if the question clarifies whether “actual cost” is viewed from the homeowner’s perspective or from the installer perspective. Regardless of purchase, lease, or other financing, the actual cost is what it is – someone pays for the solar panels and that someone is probably the homeowner in the form of a lease or power purchase payment over time.
In any event, Sunrun found that nearly eight out of 10 homeowners who do not already have solar panels would install solar if cost were not a factor. That to me is another way of saying: if the solar panels were free, would you like to have them? Most likely (unless you’re thinking nothing in this world is free), the answer is yes.
Seems like the real takeaway from the survey is many Americans have no idea how solar panels can be leased or financed under various contractual models that tie into state laws. And this lack of familiarity means the decision to “go solar” should be made after diligence, investigation, and full understanding.
[+] Americans Overestimate Upfront Cost of Installing Solar.
Credit: Sunrun.
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LA opens rooftops for solar energy installations
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2012-04-28 00:03:08 UTC
We're used to seeing solar arrays in desert locations, but this initiative is looking to a new frontier for solar energy - the rooftops of Los Angeles. The recent approval of a Feed-in-Tarriff (FiT) rooftop solar program known as CLEAN LA Solar by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power opens up over 12,000 acres of potential rooftop space for solar development. ..
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LA opens rooftops for solar energy installationsSection: ecoGizmoTags: Electricity,
Energy,
Solar
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Rimac now accepting reservations for 1,088 hp electric supercar
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2012-04-28 00:32:50 UTC
An all-electric, 1,088 hp, Croatian supercar - if you didn't know differently, you might think we were just stringing a bunch of random adjectives together on a dare. But those adjectives actually describe a real, live concept car - the Rimac Concept One - which is now available for reservation ahead of deliveries in 2013...
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Rimac now accepting reservations for 1,088 hp electric supercarSection: AutomotiveTags: Croatia,
Electric Vehicles,
Rimac Automobili,
Supercars
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tadao ando for carl hansen + son
by: Designboom - Weblog, 2012-04-27 07:45:00 UTC
the japanese architect has teamed up with the furniture company to create a chair which pays homage to danish designer hans j. wegner.
read more
philips freestreet lighting design
by: Designboom - Weblog, 2012-04-27 11:19:00 UTC
designed to reduce light pollution and urban clutter, the street lighting system eliminates the need for poles in illuminating public areas at night, relying instead on the stringing of narrow cables equipped with LEDs.
read more
IN-EI Issey Miyake Lighting Collection
by: Sustainable Design News, 2012-04-27 18:20:29 UTC
IN-EI, Japanese for "shadow, shadiness, nuance," is a new lighting collection created by Issey Miyake and his research and development team "Reality Lab."
The art of lighting has a conceptual and technological heritage at the Miyake Design Studio, dating back to 2010, when Issey Miyake and Reality Lab introduced "132 5."
Honda develops technology designed to prevent traffic jams
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2012-04-27 05:04:43 UTC
While modern in car
satnav systems can draw on real-time traffic congestion data and suggest alternative routes for drivers to avoid high traffic areas, Honda has taken a different approach to try and minimize the potential for traffic jams. The company has developed new technology designed to detect whether a person’s driving is likely to create traffic jams and encourage them to drive in such a way as to keep traffic flowing...
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Honda develops technology designed to prevent traffic jamsSection: AutomotiveTags: Congestion,
Fuel efficiency,
Honda,
Traffic,
University of Tokyo
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Finally, LED fixtures that combine good looks and performance.
by: TreeHugger Design, 2012-04-26 14:32:00 UTC
Using cooling fins as a decorative feature instead of a technical necessity.
1G is a Water-Wise Tornado of a Toilet
by: Jetson Green, 2012-04-25 21:09:25 UTC
TOTO just introduced a new toilet called 1G and announced that it’s the first manufacturer to break the one-gallon per flush barrier for a gravity-fed toilet, according to a recent statement. 1G is like a tornado in the toilet — less the noise of pressure-assist version — with a Double Cyclone flushing system.
TOTO’s Double Cyclone system propels water through two nozzles for a total flush that “clears the bowl first time, every time.”
Plus, 1G’s bowl and rim are coated with SanaGloss, a nanotechnology glaze that seals the porcelain with a barrier to repel matter and bacteria. This keeps the bowl free of waste and is supposed to help reduce cleaning time and the use of cleaning agents.
I’ve asked for pricing and availability details from TOTO and will update this article when we get that information. In the mean time, contact a distributor for more information.
[+] Visit TOTO USA for more detail about their toilets.
Credits: TOTO USA.
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