Notes

Inhabitat's Week in the Green: Wind Farms, Algae Power and an Airplane made of Hemp

Inhabitat's team of experts review the week's top green developments and green tech news every week -- it's the Week In Green.



Highways are big, dark surfaces that soak in plenty of sun. Wouldn't it make more sense to make them solar-powered? That's what designer Daan Roosegaarde thought and is now making it an actuality. Heijmans Infrastructure and Roosegaarde teamed together to install solar-powered glowing lines along a Dutch highway. The test was successful, and it will soon expand to other regions of the country. Also on the renewable energy front, Masdar is building a 50-megawatt wind farm for the Sultanate of Oman, making it the largest wind farm in the Gulf states region. The wind farm will produce enough clean energy to provide power to 16,000 homes and stop 110,000 tonnes (121.254 tons) of carbon dioxide being burned each year. Mc name Primrose Solar and Solarcentury are working together in the UK to construct a 48 megawatt solar farm in Portsmouth. They hope to make it the most environmentally-friendly ground-mounted solar farm in all of the world. Are you thinking that algae is just slime that's green? It's not This natural resource can power everything from lightbulbs to an entire city. Here are some of the most innovative designs powered by algae that could change the world.



A few years back, BMW and Daimler announced plans to collaborate to create an affordable electric vehicle that was safe and secure. The Visio.M is a tiny electric car with two seats that weighs around 900 pounds and will be revealed to the public at the eCarTec trade fair in Munich. Inhabitat was also among the two teams who completed the challenge to drive 834 mph using a single tank diesel fuel in the 2015 Audi A3 TDI. This proved that it was possible to travel from Albuquerque, New Mexico to San Diego without having to refill the tank. According to a couple from California, the first hoverboard in the world has arrived. They claim to have developed an electric hoverboard that utilizes electromagnetics to hover just 1 inch above the ground. Vello Bike, a high-performance folding bicycle, is designed for urban commuters. It takes only one push to fold and roll back into position. This makes it easy to transport the bike by public transport or to store it in a storage area. In aviation news, Canadian company Hempearth is developing the world's first aircraft made of hemp. The company hopes that the plane will be ready to fly next year.



While 3D printing has many potential applications in the realm of design however, it also presents problems for law enforcement officials as it allows users to create their own guns at home. Last week, a 28-year-old Japanese man became the first person to jail for 3D printing after being found guilty of creating two guns at home and distributing an instructional video to show others how to make the same. And Inhabitat was present when New York City held its first ever get-together conference this week. Check out the best technology innovations on display, including 3D-printed pens and tablets that have built-in projectors.



Additionally, 3D printing is firmly established in the realms of medical and aerospace technologies but it's just beginning to gain traction as a viable construction technique. At Maker Faire Rome, the World's Advanced Saving Project unveiled a brand new portable 3D printer that could be used to build homes out of clay or mud, and even fibers. The group is planning to introduce the technology to the most remote areas of the world. Design duo Micaela Collella and Maurizio Barbario have created plans for a prefab wood home. The foundation is made of a new steel and is able to be completely recycled. Philippe Starck, a French designer, recently teamed up to build a new solar- and wind-powered house. The house that is two stories high produces 50 percent more energy than it consumes.



With Halloween coming up, many of our readers are pulling together awesome costumes for their children and themselves However, none can beat this dad's amazing LED stick-figure costume that makes his daughter, Zoey, look like a glowing stick-figure Minnie Mouse. If you're still at a loss for Halloween costume ideas and you want to do something gadgety take a look at our fantastic images of human iPhones, Androids robots, and Minecraft characters here.


Here's my website: https://mcnames.net/