Design vs. Functionality - Green Technology Archives

Chevy Volt Hybrid Design

2008-09-26T16:42:03Z

A lot of the latest buzz in green technology has been about the announcement of the Chevy Volt production design.

If you've been living under a rock, here's a brief overview: The Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid compact car targeted for release in 2010 that features a revolutionary electric propulsion system that goes beyond just battery power. The lithium-ion battery itself will have an estimated range of 40 miles, but there will be a variety of range-extending on-board power sources to recharge the battery once you pass its range. These power sources will include gas and in some cases e85 ethanol(3). The engine is maintained by the small combustion engine instead of assisted by one.

Functionally, this sounds great. The average daily commute for about 78 million Americans is 40 miles or less. The Chevy Volt, with a first generation sticker price of $40,000, could presumably keep those 78 million people from using gas during the work week. Charging the car won't be too much of a pain with the option of plugging it into a standard household 120v outlet, which will take about 8 hours for a full charge, or a 240v outlet, which will only take about 3 hours to charge.

But...if you're going to design a green car and market it as a solution to our environmental woes, maybe you should not design it around a nonrenewable power source. 70 percent of the United States electricity production comes from non renewable fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Want to really "Wow" me? Figure out how to cleanly dispose of nuclear waste and design a car around nuclear power. That would really be a technological advancement.

Also, if you want to talk about straight up physical design...it's a down right bland looking car (image). What happened to the intense concept design that was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit? The company states that the design required something more aerodynamically efficient, which I understand, but something more could have been done. If Chevy is going to go through the effort of trying to stun me with technological advancements, they should spend a little more time making me want to actually be seen in the car. I know it's shallow, but how many of you out there drive a car solely based on its gas mileage?

The trouble with new technology design

2008-09-10T18:55:19Z

Marcelo da Luz , a Canadian solar pioneer, is the project catalyst, design concept, mechanic and driver of the Xof1 (power of one) solar-powered car. The goal of the project is to develop and build a solar car to set a word distance record, and promote the use of clean and sustainable energy. All in all a grand and noble idea, but his design has recently been getting him into a little trouble with the law.

Upon entering Alaska earlier this week, a concerned citizen mistook the Xof1 for a UFO and called the local police. The police chased Marcelo down, interrogated him, and upon realizing he was not a martian doing reconnaissance in preparation of a mass invasion, they promptly let him go.

Apparently this isn't the first time the Xof1 has gotten Marcelo into trouble either (newlaunches.com).
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frogLight - Green design in a standard form

2008-09-03T21:10:29Z

To go environmentally friendly with your lighting solutions, you need to basically stick to CFLs or LEDs right now. The CFLs on the market are non-dimmable , manufactured using very toxic materials (mercury), and cast that cold tint that feels like the juices are being sucked from your eyeballs. You also have to question how "green" they are when most consumers throw fluorescents out with the trash, even though they are technically toxic waste.

The high-powered LED alternative uses significantly less power than a CFL, can be tuned to give a much more pleasant color output, and contain no mercury. The only drawback is the heat generated that can affect the life of the LED.

Frog Design did not only want to create an environmentally friendly bulb, but also design it around the psychology of light quality and the impact that has on the acceptance of current offerings on the market. The genius behind their design of the frogLight is that they deliver the technology in an already widely accepted form... the shape of a standard light bulb. The consumer does not have to change their form of power, or the light socket, or replace that old dusty lamp shade that attaches right to the bulb.

The final concept retains most of the functionality of a incandescent; such as dimming capabilities, a pleasant lighting quality and color, and uses a standard socket connection. As a green solution it offers better energy efficiency than CFLs, uses no mercury, and is projected to last about 30 years.