Energy Efficient

Researchers at the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin has developed a "smart window" technology that allows the passage of visible light while blocking heat, or vice versa.

Scientists have developed an approach that could lead to a muscle-targeted injection therapy that enables people to take a shot in the arm or leg, go about their daily tasks or engage in mild exercise and lose more weight than they would otherwise.

When we think about sustainable homes, we tend to think about energy usage. A new home in Columbia City, US, can claim to not only be energy efficient, but to make sustainable use of materials. Reclaimed Modern has near net zero energy consumption and uses reclaimed metal, wood and concrete.

Unai Ugalde-Olea, lecturer in the Department of Electronics Technology of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country is working on a new way of controlling robot joints that promises energy savings of up to 40 percent by changing the way the robot handles instructions.

Big Ass Fans has added its SenseME technology to its Haiku ceiling fan, which includes Wi-Fi connectivity and sensors that enable it to regulate temperature and kick into action when someone enters the room.

Spain's Alventosa Morell Arquitectes recently completed work on an energy-efficient prefabricated residence named Casa GG which requires very little energy to heat, even in the middle of winter.

Boulder, Colorado-based Rhino Cubed recently unveiled an off-grid micro-home made from a single shipping container. Dubbed the Rhino Cube, it can serve as weekend retreat or full-time shelter.

A dedication ceremony took place at the World Trade Center site yesterday, marking the completion of the National September 11 Memorial Museum before it opens to the general public on May 21.

A group of engineers at Stanford have developed an iPad-sized, highly power-efficient way of simulating a million neurons and billions of synapses for as low as US$400. It could both help our understanding of the brain and help develop a new generation of bionic limbs.

In a move that could help address our insatiable thirst for fuel while at the same time help cut CO2 emissions, scientists with the SOLAR-JET project have shown that concentrated sunlight can be used to convert carbon dioxide into kerosene, which can then be used as jet fuel.

The American Institute of Architects has revealed its 2014 selection of top ten green buildings in the US. The list includes some lesser-publicized green-building projects, such as a homeless shelter, a treehouse, and even a Net-Zero energy courthouse.

The American Institute of Architects has revealed what its judges reckon to be the 10 best new American homes and housing complexes, for the organization's 2014 Housing Awards. Almost all of the winners feature some degree of sustainable technology or design.