Green Building : Jetson Green

Wind Powered Artistic Light Facade

The Architectural Review recently mentioned an interesting facade installation on an office building in Utrecht, Netherlands.  Designed by Cepezed, in collaboration with Ned Kahn Studios, the facade is made with about 3,250 square feet of stainless steel mesh.  The mesh grid holds transparent plastic disks, or squares rather, that vibrate and move to the wind.  The effect is an artistic facade that produces a mezmorizing array of shade and light, together with exterior wave patterns that captivate. 

Honeywell Wind Turbine to be Sold at Ace Hardware Stores for $4,500

Last week, we mentioned that the small wind market is growing like crazy, and if things go as planned, there could be another turbine company to watch.  The Honeywell Wind Turbine from EarthTronics, according to Martin LaMonica of CNET, will be sold in participating Ace Hardware Stores starting this October.  EarthTronics claims the turbine can generate power at wind speeds as low as 2 mph.  With Class 4 winds, the turbine can generate about 2,000 kWh per year, which is roughly 15-20% of an average home's electricity needs. 

Small Wind Market Surges 78%, U.S. Manufacturers Making Money!

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) just released a new report, the AWEA Small Wind Turbine Global Market Study, detailing a sizable advance in the small wind turbine market in the United States.  Small wind turbines, you may know, are those with a capacity of 100 kW or less.  And the U.S. market for this niche grew 78% in 2008, with a total of 17.3 (MW) of new installed capacity.  The report indicates that the growth is due, in large part, to private equity investment in the sector, as well as economies of scale, rising electricity prices, and heightened public interest. 

True Zero Net Energy Vermont House

This is the first LEED Platinum home in Vermont, although perhaps more importantly, it's a documented and legitimate zero net energy home.  From January 2008 to January 2009, the 2,800 square-foot, single-family residence exported 16 kWh of electricity to the grid.  Over the same time period, a Bergey 10 kW net-metered turbine generated 6,286 kWh of on-site, green energy.  Designed by Pill - Maharam Architects, the handsome farmhouse was built for a family of four and features a number of green elements:

National Children's Museum LEED Design

On Earth Day, the National Children's Museum unveiled plans for a new building designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.  If all goes as planned, the building will obtain LEED certification and open in 2013.  The design reflects the Museum's mission to inspire children to care about and improve the world.  NCM's new, 150,000 square-foot facility will be built at National Harbor with some of the following green features:

Conceptual Menir House Features Innovative Green Elements

This conceptual proposal for a residence with combination solar panel and wind turbine offers the best of both worlds, with a dose of stage-like performance.  Shaped to look like a rock, the dwelling stores water in its outer shell as an insulator to conserve energy. Furthermore, the transforming device embodies a playful spirit with its daisy-like shape that seems more like a toy rather than a high tech piece of equipment. 

Mag-Wind New Wind Turbine [Video]

Jay Leno's all about the green tech, I mean, his garage is running on wind and solar, and it powers approximately two-thirds of the place.  So recently, he just put up this video demonstrating a new technology for rooftop wind applications.  The Mag-Wind turbine is made by Enviro Energies and both Jay Leno and Ed Begley Jr. have their own versions on order.  Naturally, Leno was excited to point out that his turbine will be bigger than Begley's, but in addition to that, you'll get an idea from the video how interesting the technology actually is.  It's built using magnetic levitation technology that reduces friction, noise, vibration, and energy loss.  Some other interesting aspects of the Mag-Wind System include:

ASU Salvages Old Building for New School of Sustainability

Check out this bright, contemporary renovation of an old, 1960s nursing building.  The renovation was led by the design team of Lord, Aeck & Sargent and Gould Evans Associates; they’re anticipating LEED Silver certification and did it all with a $6 M budget.  Now complete, it will be used for Arizona State University's Global Institute of Sustainability and a newly formed School of Sustainability.  In terms of performance, the Institute is anticipated to save 18.7% on energy and 50.3% on water use compared with its baseline usage -- plus, it's been outfitted with six, hard-to-miss, state-of-the-art AeroVironment parapet turbines. 

Former Bathhouse Gets LEED Platinum

Located in a formerly desolate area of downtown St. Louis, the William A. Kerr Foundation building is a showcase for sustainable renovation strategies.  It started out in the late 1800's as a bathhouse (it sits above a natural mineral spring), and thereafter as a paint warehouse -- over time, it fell into disrepair.  The neighborhood was blighted when it was acquired by the owners, and they wanted to restore the building for the foundation's offices and educational activities.  Subsequent to remediation and renovation, it was awarded 58 out of a possible 69 points by the USGBC and received LEED Platinum certification.  The William A. Kerr Foundation building has the following green features:

EcoLogic Lofts Winds Up Green Chicago

This is the initial rendering for a project called EcoLogic Lofts in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, a project that developers plan to break ground on in early 2009.  Shooting for LEED Silver certification, the 7-story, 94-unit condo building will source two percent of its power from rooftop wind turbines that look like those made by Aerotecture International (and which are also on Near North Apartments).  Located at Bucktown, Lakeview and Lincoln Park, EcoLogic Lofts will have one and two bedroom units with prices ranging from $239k - $499k.