Solar Powered

An unmanned, solar-powered aircraft designed for high-altitude communications has edged closer to the real-world applications, with the HAPSMobile Sunglider successfully completing another round of flight testing in New Mexico.

Hassell has designed UWA's new Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences building. The project is defined by a shading screen of metal "petals." It also boasts sustainable technology, such as solar power and an advanced monitoring system.

Evaporation is one of the most enduring methods of purifying water to make it drinkable. Now researchers in China have developed a novel device made of wood that can do just that, by employing bacteria to help build key nanostructures.

What do you get when you cross a camping trailer, a tricycle, and a boat? Well, if you're Latvian design start-up Zeltini, you end up with the Z-Triton, which is currently in the prototype stage and sleeps two people ... and a small dog.

Russia has a long history of experimenting with wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) vehicles, most notably the huge ekranoplans dating back to the 1960s. Now, Russian scientists are developing a smaller unmanned WIG, that's solar-powered.

With its upcoming BRAC University campus in Bangladesh, WOHA has to work with a challenging city plot. The project involves turning what the firm calls a "polluted swamp" into a lush green campus that incorporates significant sustainable design.

Cox Architecture's National Maritime Museum is an impressive new addition to the waterfront in Tianjin, China, that features an eye-catching curved design. It boasts energy-efficient technology, including solar power and rainwater capture systems.

The Innisfree Anarres runs from a standard RV-style hookup but has solar panels on its roof to reduce its grid-based electricity usage. Teacup Tiny Homes also sought to provide efficient heating by installing a solar air heater on its exterior wall.

Desalination is an important technology that may help unlock more drinking water, and now two independent teams have developed new types of solar-powered desalination systems using very different mechanisms.

When commissioned to design a family home on a mountainside in Lebanon, Daz Architects decided on an unusual approach. The CH730 Villa curves downward to follow the slope of the mountain and offers fantastic views of the landscape below.

The Mount Sinai Kyabirwa Surgical Facility is a superb project in Uganda that provides locals with access to much-needed surgical treatment. The facility makes good use of off-grid technology, including solar panels and rainwater collection systems.

The founders of Squad Mobility left Lightyear to pursue a more affordable EV designed to potentially impact the lives of millions of urban commuters. What they've come up with is an electric, four-wheel roll-cage called the Squad (Solar Quad).