The Green Building Top 5 - August 26, 2015

'Artificial Leaf' Reaches Best Level Of Solar Energy Efficiency Yet

Humans have been struggling for years to create clean, renewable energy that doesn't decimate the planet. What's even more infuriating is that plants, waving gently in the breeze all the while, have been creating 'green' energy before mankind even existed. During plant photosynthesis, water and carbon dioxide is turned into glucose and oxygen. Recently, mankind has been trying to learn from plants to produce our own clean, green machines – in this case, artificial leaves. Read Full Article

Are Self-Driving Cars Good for the Environment?

The transportation sector is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, accounting for 27 percent of the harmful gases emitted into the atmosphere, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. On the road, cars in the U.S. guzzle about 2 billion barrels of oil each year. Read Full Article

Investment Bankers Think Solar and Wind Will Grow Faster Than IEA Forecast

The aim of stabilizing global temperatures will require enormous investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the near term, but these investments are economically feasible and will save society billions in the coming decades, according to a new report from Citigroup. Read Full Article

Revolutionary new solar windows could generate 50 times more energy than conventional photovoltaics

We’ve seen several transparent solar cell concepts on Inhabitat, but perhaps none with such ambitious claims as those made by SolarWindow Technologies. In a webinar today, the Maryland-based startup announced that their revolutionary power generating windows, which they claim can generate 50 times more energy than conventional solar panels, would soon hit the market. Unlike traditional and opaque PV technology, SolarWindow can be readily applied as a coating to any glass window or plastic surface and instantly generate electricity, even in artificial light and shade. The company claims that the SolarWindow technology can produce more energy at a lower cost and offers an incredibly fast ROI of just one year. That’s incredible, considering that conventional solar systems require at least 5 to 11 years for payback. Read Full Article

Up, up and away: Greening elevator technology

Despite the global push towards green buildings, the environmental impact of elevators is often neglected. Welden business development director Willie Tan shares a technology which can raise energy efficiency of these essential machines. Read Full Article