What do you do when your species unsettles the balance of nature? Create artificial nature to make up the difference, of course. Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Mitsubishi Corp. and Tokki Corp. have developed a prototype solar cell module that realistically takes on the look of a common houseplant. The organic thin-film solar cells are protected by a layer of plastic, allowing the technology to be used in the future for constructs including walls and windows, clothing materials, leisure goods, outdoor products and toys. Hopefully, if we run out of trees in 50 years, these technological wonders will offer reasonably comforting substitutes.
2005’s Solar Decathlon blew us away, but we were particularly fascinated by a stunning Solar House from Cornell University. This team brought a beautiful zero-energy home to the mall in Washington, D.C., and had just launched ZeroEnergy Design, a home design firm focused on zero-energy design. Continuing their momentum as green home design gurus, two of the Cornell Solar Decathlon team members have just launched a new endeavor aimed at bringing custom green design to the masses through an innovative business model called FreeGreen. Started by David Wax and his partner Ben Uyeda, FreeGreen is making green home designs free to everyone!
