REDESIGNING THE PROBLEMATIC BATTERY
When Americans aren’t plugged in, our consumer gadgets rely heavily on battery power. And although rechargeable batteries are more sustainable than the traditional “disposable” technology that still dominates the market, there’s plenty of room for greener, cleaner alternatives.
Maybe future “green” batteries will look like the ones at right, dreamed up for Yanko Design, a well-read Web magazine covering the latest international design innovations.
The Light Catcher
The beauty of this rechargeable battery is that it requires no A/C power to recharge. Instead, built-in solar cells absorb natural or electrical light through the product’s transparent body and bring it back to full power. The battery can also provide power to an external device via a 3.5 mm jack.
The Switch Battery
This design (not shown) addresses a common problem with rechargeable batteries: the natural current loss that occurs when the battery is unused. Each battery has a small switch that shuts off the anode, maintaining full electrical storage when not in use.
The Wind Up Battery
This battery is equipped with a hand crank designed to harness the kinetic energy of manual wind-up. Out of juice? No worries. Turn the crank and start over.
Some significant industry initiatives now in play may help move things along—most notably, the 2030 Challenge (
www.architecture2030.org). Adopted by the American Institute of Architects and the National Conference of Mayors, among other groups, the challenge directs that all new buildings and major renovations be designed to meet a fossil fuel, greenhouse gas-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 60% below average now, then eventually achieving fully carbon-neutral buildings by 2030.
Of course, almost any green building program includes long lists of steps in the right direction—toward lower energy consumption, greater durability, and more use of local materials. But homes built under those programs remain a small percentage of the annual construction footprint. Initiatives such as the 2030 Challenge (See the housing feature on page 16), have a greater sense of urgency; they ask the industry to act immediately.
Slow Progress is Still Progress
That’s not to say organizations such as the NAHB don’t see the green writing on the wall. They’re just moving too slowly, say the people who are crunching the energy numbers. Still, says builder Matt Belcher, one shouldn’t be too critical. Like many, in the trenches he’s not fully convinced that the age of fossil fuels will end so abruptly. “The day when the nation is wholly independent of fossil fuels may still be far in the future,” Belcher says, “but the building design and construction sectors are already making strides in reaching that goal.”
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