What can rule-bending alternative builders teach us about smarter shelters? (Video)
Modern building codes and zoning regulations, while helping to set safety standards that can save lives, can also serve as big barriers to building small, sensible, and affordable dwellings with alternative materials and techniques.
New roof coating keeps roofs cooler than outside temperature
A novel technology surpasses white roofs with its cooling powers.
Meet the woman building stunning sustainable homes from bamboo
Elora Hardy and her team of designers, artisans, and builders at Ibuku are reimagining sustainable building, using one of nature's strongest and most versatile materials.
Which type of roof is best in cold climates: solar, white or green?
A study looks at the life cycle impact of the different types of sustainable roofs and finds a clear winner for colder regions.
A tiny house in the trees: Dom'Up is a beautiful suspended treehouse for adults
This little shelter, which can be built in less than two days, is designed to be suspended between two trees, without leaving a trace on them.
Smart window tints to block sunlight, generates energy
The technology could help keep buildings cooler in the warmer months.
Follow along with this tiny house build on Vancouver Island
Get a taste of tiny house building, thanks to Jake and Kiva, who are documenting their tiny house building process, step by step.
Brooklyn townhouse retrofit embodies a “slow building” ethos
There are many special things about the home of Gennaro Brooks-Church, the director of the green building firm Eco Brooklyn.
Tiny is beautiful: Interview with Full Moon Tiny Shelters
Tiny houses are a hot topic these days, but is working or living in a tiny home (or building one) for you? Dawn Higgins, of Full Moon Tiny Shelters, has some great advice.
Net-zero building unveiled in Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach neighborhood
The Bright ’N Green building is an experimental effort to combine sustainable technologies.
Bike-powered 'bread gym' for kids combines 'Bread & Brawn'
Built by campers, this structure uses pedal power to produce flour for bread, enough to feed a camp full of kids.
Is hydrogen back in the energy picture? Or is it all just shilling for oil companies?
The only people who benefit from the hydrogen economy are the oil and petrochemical companies that make the stuff.
Startup is using heat generated from Bitcoin mining to grow food and fish
Merging energy-intensive Bitcoin mining with aquaculture, this project is experimenting with how technology might be used to develop better food systems.
Carbon dioxide may soon be used to make fuel
A newly developed, solar powered “leaf” mimics photosynthesis, converting CO2 into fuel.
Water clock system boosts solar output up to 30%
Designed by an innovative 19-year-old, the Sun Saluter relies on a basic water clock to rotate solar panels.
Kenyan students design biowaste reactor to harvest dormitory waste
Opportunities are everywhere. Even in poop.
Self-sufficient couple builds their own floating off-grid island (Video)
Dubbed "Freedom Cove," this remarkable home is a decades-long labor of love built in an inlet in British Columbia.
Sungevity starts selling solar in North Carolina; a sign of things to come?
A handfull of states have been carrying the torch for rooftop solar.
Alternative view of the future of the car at Detroit Auto Show
A designer's take on the car of the future. Hint: it's a bike
Megabattery demonstrated successfully
Here's a bright idea for alternative energy -- a megabattery to smooth the peaks and troughs for a reliable power grid
Massive horn sculptures would generate sound and energy from wind
Paying homage to Denmark's historical relationship with wind, these public art sculptures would generate music and power from wind.
The fight against climate change is momentous (and also not that hard)
With coal use in China dropping, and clean tech becoming competitive, it's time for all of us to ramp up our efforts.
Clean power to the people
Figuring out energy can be tricky, especially since there are a lot of alternative energy options. Here are some tips for making smart decisions about energy.
Are environmentalists too focused on innovation?
New technologies can be a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. But they can also be a distraction.
Solar farms can enhance biodiversity and sequester soil carbon too
New research, backed by conservation groups in the UK, suggest solar farms may offer opportunities for a more biodiverse countryside.
Charge your phone with a bike between flights at Amsterdam airport
Whether for exercise, electricity, or simply out of curiousity, the bicycle powered charging stations in Amsterdam airport appear popular
Astronaut pee can be used as an energy source
A new system for turning astronaut urine into drinking water also makes good use of the waste urea as fuel.
How to make zero carbon cheese
From solar power through Nissan LEAFs to a traditional cheese cave, a combination of old and new technology produces very green cheese.
Flow battery breakthrough can store renewable energy cheaply
Storing solar energy for when the sun doesn't shine or wind power for a calm day costs too much. But that could all be changing.
From 20 years in Congress to off-grid living
Fiercely opposed to big government, and a huge advocate for distributed clean energy, Roscoe Bartlett now practices what he preaches.
Discovery could lead to more long-lived, inexpensive rechargeable batteries
A new process for seeing how electricity flows at the surface of electrodes will give a boost to efforts to improve rechargeable batteries
Happy holidays with a technotwist
May technological wonders help our children look forward to a bright season as well
5 really awful things that we should try and be thankful for anyway
Even armageddon has a silver lining.
World's first “Brussels Sprout Battery” lights up a Christmas tree
In an effort to improve kids' opinions about Brussels sprouts, a team of engineers and scientists decided to give them a cooler edge by making them power up the lights on a Christmas tree.
Off-grid solar in Africa is bankable. Crowdfunding initiative sets out to prove it.
Access to affordable capital is one of the biggest challenges for expanding a young industry. For solar in Africa, crowdfunding is helping to change that
UK offshore wind capacity grows 80% in one year
The British wind energy industry is making huge strides - with more to come.
Major German utility rethinks business model, bets on renewables
The future will look nothing like the past when it comes to energy. Chances are, our utilities will look pretty different too.
Artist's 'Infinite Essence' affirms that we are all made of starstuff
These poignant and captivating images reveal the hidden beauty of our stellar origins.
Looking for a spot to park your tiny house? Here's where to find one
Interested in living in a tiny house, but not sure where to park it? Here are some places to start with.
Couple constructs stunning, ultra-modern tiny house together (Video)
This impressive home features a lot of great multifunctional ideas, plus a custom-built cat run for two felines in the back.
Minimalist 335 sq. ft. tiny house is inspired by bike touring lifestyle (Video)
This couple applied precious life lessons -- learned from years of bicycle touring -- into designing their modern tiny house on foundations.
Parametrically designed egg-shaped observatory lets you watch local wildlife
Situated in a nature reserve along the Dutch coast, this unique structure not only serves as an observation post, it also provides extra bird habitats.
Compact 322 sq. ft. studio apartment transformed for art student
This renovation makes way for an integrated kitchen and study area, a bedroom and a flexible living room.
Modular prefab Drop Box is a portable habitat for natural locations
Intended for short-term stays in nature, these prefab units can be transported and 'dropped into' almost any location.
Off-grid 'micro-refuge' re-interprets the classic A-frame cabin
Visitors to this regional park can rent this minimalist cabin in the woods.
Family of three builds their own off-grid tiny house in Hawaii (Video)
This family's self-built tiny house is part of a small off-grid homestead out in Maui.
Compact seaside apartment renovation is inspired by boat design
This small 355-square-foot apartment has been redesigned to be more space-efficient, enough to accommodate a family that loves to entertain and have guests sleep over.
These life-like wildlife sculptures are actually made with rolled newspapers (Video)
These remarkably realistic forms are produced using densely rolled strips of old newsprint.
Apartment renovation comes with kitchen-in-a-box & floating desk
An old apartment is refreshed with a new scheme that stacks things up to gain more space.
The Hiatus is part of a new official subdivision for tiny homes in Oregon
This 598-square-foot model home is one of the almost two dozen homes that are slated to go up as part of a tiny house community.