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Blog

Solar Cell Technology Advances with Spray-On Perovskite

Solar cell technology always excites us for the simple fact that the sun’s energy is too good to waste. Especially in places where the sun shines in abundance, solar cells are a great way to generate energy instead of relying…

neoli5 August 2014

Blog

Green News Roundup This July | From Trashy Buildings to Repurposing Stadiums

Here's a look back at the five green news stories that caught our attention this month of July. Air-conditioning an Entire Mini City Dubai's temperature-controlled mall is set to be the world's largest. Forty Eight million square feet. That’s…

neoli31 July 2014

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Air-Conditioning for Buildings | Why Too Much Cool is Uncool

One hundred and twelve years since the invention of the air-conditioner—yes, it’s that old—and we’re still coming to terms with its uncool effects. Back in 1902, Willis Carter only intended to control temperature and humidity inside a printing press to…

neoli27 July 2014

Blog

Stormwater Management Is Everyone's Concern

Once upon a time, the rain fell in lovely droves. It freely splattered and gushed and rushed and rolled. And then all that energetic water promptly drained into the earth, absorbed by the roots of plants and trees, and naturally…

neoli16 July 2014

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USGBC Report Shines the Spotlight on Green Building in China

It’s out now: USGBC's LEED in Motion series, an extensive and insightful reportage on LEED adoption in various countries worldwide. Among many other things, the report features profiles of successful LEED projects, growth statistics, analysis and insights from green building experts…

neoli10 July 2014

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Demanding Sustainability from Our Coffee Shops

The day my favorite indie coffee shop stopped bagging its used coffee grounds, I had to speak up. The wooden rack which was usually lined with 2-kilo bags of used coffee grounds had been empty for the past couple of…

neoli5 July 2014

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Story Roundup This June | From Tiny Robots that 3D Print to Smart Warming System that Follow You Around

Spot-On Local Warming Systems Redefine Climate Control The quest to make our homes and buildings smarter has led MIT researchers to develop an ingenious local warming system that’s spot-on and intuitive. MIT's smart infrared heating element stalks you, but in…

neoli28 June 2014

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Why Creating Sustainable Cement Isn’t Enough

An interesting article appeared on Wired last week about China's overuse of cement for the past three years. Let's just say, it's a lot. China's humongous cement cube overshadows everything else. (Illustration by Rhett Allain) Using some heavy scientific calculations,…

neoli25 June 2014

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Hurray for Algae : The Unlikely Role of Algae in Architecture

We’ve featured algae here before, and we were mostly in awe. After all, who could have known that this ultra-simple plant-like life-form could have so many applications?—as medicine, fuel, fertilizer, biofilter, and even food. The Urban Algae Canopy is the…

neoli16 June 2014

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The Many Joys and Woes of Off-Grid Living

In an online age where we find more and more ways to connect to each other across the globe, it’s unthinkable to disconnect one’s self from the basic utilities we depend our life on. Water, electricity, basic plumbing. Those things…

neoli13 June 2014