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Solar-powered Architecture designed to help you master that sustainable + off-grid life!

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Solar power is an amazing source of energy and a sustainable and cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Today solar energy is being used to power almost everything – from tiny battery packs to whole houses! There are no exceptions. And solar-powered architecture seems to be the new craze these days and a very green one too! From holiday cabins to tiny homes, solar energy is being used to power and support all kinds of architectural structures. And we’ve curated a collection of cozy, functional, and solar-powered architectural homes that are comfortable to stay in, aesthetic to look at, and also a boon to the planet. These structures coexist in harmony with their surroundings and do not drain but in fact, respect the natural environment around them! From a tiny home that features a solar system for off-grid living to a 40sqm home with a 30-degree solar-paneled roof – I wouldn’t mind living in one of these homes!

1. E-glamp

E-glamp is a product/service that has been designed to boost economic and tourist development in rural areas. Think of it as an Airbnb-style tiny house merged with a biking network like Bird or Lime. It is an integrated system of modern cabins that are all independently powered by solar panels. These tiny homes are also fitted with smart tech and are connected to the e-bike system which encourages carbon-neutral exploration of the landscape. Biking not only helps to maintain the pristine air quality of the rural area but also helps in getting an enjoyable workout in. All the E-glamp houses are modular, movable, and constructed with sustainable materials like timber. Along with solar panels, it will be interesting to see how the design is able to also repurpose and reuse rainwater for the guest’s needs.

2. The PowerHYDE housing model

Net-zero architecture is what will reduce emissions from the construction industry on a large scale. But make it inclusive as well as scalable and you also get a solution that can lift homeowners out of poverty while building a community! Created for that very purpose, these solar homes are aiming to help solve both the global housing and climate crises with one design. The houses produce their energy, harvest 100% of the rainwater, clean their sewage, and also have the potential to grow their own food! It is called the PowerHYDE housing model and was created by Prasoon Kumar and Robert Verrijt of Billion Bricks from India and Singapore.

3. Kingfisher

Measuring 8m long x 2.4w x 4.2h, Kingfisher keeps an average, approachable size. From the outside, Kingfisher sports a steel frame clad in vinyl with a cedar feature wall to the side that’s lined with vertical timber panels. The aluminum windows are double glazed to provide ultimate thermal insulation during the colder months. Placed on top of the pitched roof, Build Tiny provided Kingfisher with a solar system for off-grid power, consisting of ​​6 x Trina 270w Honey Poly Module panels.

4. Electric Bungalow

Salmela Architect designed a solar-powered house called ‘Electric Bungalow’. It’s a new style of single-family housing, and a really eco-friendly one. The residents “envisioned a new home that could serve as a prototype for building environmentally friendly, self-powered infill housing that was sensitive to the existing neighborhood form within a relatively modest budget,” said the firm.

5. The Off Grid House

Operable without a backup generator, the Off Grid House is a bi-level home that’s essentially split into two sections. The two sections of the Off Grif House appear as two steeply pitched skillion-roofed boxes facing opposite directions and providing entirely different functions for passive insulation and energy generation. One of the roofed boxes, the sun-lit box, serves as the home’s sleeping quarters, storing the ample sunlight and heat during the day to keep the bedroom warm at night. Then, the escarpment-facing box is on the other side of things, receiving little to no direct sunlight during the day. These opposing orientations leave room for the roof’s 6.7KW solar system that generates power for everything from the underfloor heating and general electricity.

5. Rosie’s Tiny Home

Composed of five shipping containers, Rosie’s tiny home benefits from natural eco-insulation and an industrial build that’s long-lasting and durable. Four of the five shipping containers are dedicated to actual living space, while the fifth shipping container only keeps the home’s mudroom. The mudroom primarily functions as a transitional space between the outdoors and indoors. Inside, Rosie houses the batteries, inverter, and power board for the solar panels that line the roof, keeping the hum of the inverter an appropriate distance away from the bedroom.

6. O-asis

The Ranch Mine designed a courtyard house called ‘O-asis’ in the Arizona desert. The home is designed to be a “respite from city life”. O-asis features a rooftop solar array and Tesla Powerwall batteries. The home lies pretty low to the ground, with a height of only 12.5 feet. “Its strong horizontal form was designed as a datum for highlighting the dramatic shapes of the desert landscape,” said the firm.

7. Gawthorne’s Hut

Gawthorne’s Hut is stationed on an expansive plot of Wilgowrah’s farmland, right beside a small, quaint pond. The tiny home was born out of Wilgowrah’s desire to introduce the possibilities of alternative income sources for farmworkers. Designed in a similar form to other farmland structures like hay sheds and outbuildings, Gawthorne’s Hut’s 30-degree roof hosts an array of north-facing solar panels to provide the farmhouse with internal and external power.

8. Ohariu

Built to be net-zero through several sustainable features and compact enough to meet all NZTA regulations for mobile homes, Ohariu was built by First Light Studio and Build Tiny from a client’s brief calling for, “a refined tramping lodge on wheels.” That’s code for hiking, for all us Americans. Since the tiny home would primarily be used for hiking trips and traveling throughout the outdoors, Ohariu was built to be adaptable and versatile above all else. Inside, the living spaces are described by the architects at First Light Studio as being, “more a large and very detailed piece of furniture than a traditional house build, the fit-out [focusing] on the things that are important and necessary.”

9. Garden House

The architects behind Garden House ensured that the home utilized passive building techniques, filling out the roof with solar panels in addition to outfitting the inside with double studded wall insulation, underfloor insulation, formed from an insulated concrete slab. Even the building materials used were chosen for their sustainable edge, opting for recycled bricks to build the home’s linked pavilions behind its shingled white garage. Inside, the home does not require any gas for internal insulation of any kind–hot water, space heating and cooling, hydronic heating, and pool heating is all supplied through highly efficient heat pumps. In addition to being a fully automated smart home that runs on two Tesla power walls, the designers also did not disrupt the lot’s original landscape and natural greenery in building Garden House.

10. Nolla

Robin Falck created an A-frame mirrored holiday house, ‘Nolla’. Literally meaning ‘zero’ in Finnish, Nolla was designed by Falck for Finnish renewable energy company Neste’s ‘Journey to Zero’ campaign, in an effort to build a world with minimal emissions. Functioning entirely on renewable energy, the cabin is located on the Vallisaari island, near Helsinki. It has been built entirely using sustainable materials such as local plywood and pine. In an attempt to encourage visitors to maintain a ‘zero waste lifestyle’, every element has been designed with the hope of not leaving behind any carbon footprint. Covered by mirrors and supported by wooden stilts, it excludes modern commodities. Nolla is powered by emission-free solar panels, and a Wallas stove that runs on Neste’s MY renewable diesel is provided for heating and cooking purposes.

The post Solar-powered Architecture designed to help you master that sustainable + off-grid life! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Solar-powered Products designed to help you switch + upgrade to that eco-friendly lifestyle!

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It’s 2021 and we need to get as eco-friendly as we can! We can no more continue living the way we always have, ignoring the needs of the environment and being insensitive to Mother Earth. Living a more conscious life also includes taking into consideration our energy sources. Curbing fossil fuel consumption has now become a priority, and we have a more positive energy source in mind as an alternative – the Sun! Solar power is taking the world by storm. Designers and architects are coming up with solar-powered products, homes, hotels, offices, and automobiles! Solar energy can be used to power almost every object we use in our day-to-day lives. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of product designs backed up by the sun for you – from a fleet of autonomous sail drones powered by the sun to a backpack with its own solar panel!

The Generark HomePower 2 is a backup battery for your home that’s cheaper than setting up a generator or shelling $12,000 on a Tesla Powerwall, it’s also classier and less noisy than those gas-powered generators that definitely seem archaic. Recharging the HomePower 2 can happen in multiple ways. The backup battery kit comes with an optional set of solar panels that can be set up anywhere, replenishing your HomePower 2 in hours… or you could just traditionally plug the generator into a socket in your house and juice it up for a rainy day. Once recharged, the HomePower 2 can hold onto all that energy for an entire year, making it much more affordable and easy to maintain in the long run.

For eco-conscious travelers and adventure seekers who want their environmental footprint to be minimal, this collection of mindful camping accessories is the way to go. Made with the idea to give your camping a glamping lift – sans environmental impact, the glamorous camping accessories have a sensory appeal and are all powered by clean energy. Yes, everything from the tripod-style fire pit to the drip coffee brewer and the hanging pendant lights to tableware is powered by the sun. The reimagined camping gear is made in a way that it can charge by the day and emit by night providing you an exciting experience out in the wilderness.

This fleet of sail drones is comprised of solar and wind-powered USVs that acquire data on climate change and weather conditions through AI technology and over 20 advanced sensors, leaving a minimal carbon footprint while exploring international ocean waters. Amounting to around 1,500 pounds, each sail drone comes equipped with a photovoltaic sail that’s designed to keep each sail drone powered up as it sails right into the eye of a hurricane. All in an effort to understand hurricanes and global weather events, for years Saildrone has been developing the technology necessary to map the ocean floor while measuring water temperature, salinity, and chemical composition. Once programmed for navigation, the said drones can sail autonomously from waypoint to waypoint.

The Seeon 180° backpack is easily the most advanced bag I’ve ever seen… and I’ve been writing about innovative bags for 6 years now. The fact that it carries your luggage from point A to point B is an incredibly small part of what the Seeon 180° backpack does, but an incredibly important one too. The bag even has solar panels and a built-in power bank to allow these features to operate, as well as to charge your gadgets… and if that wasn’t enough, the bag has its own light-strip that automatically illuminates in the dark, allowing cyclists and other pedestrians spot and avoid you while you’re walking on the pavement or crossing roads.

Rather than heading to the pharmacy to get the medicines, this autonomous robot brings home the needed supplies in a safe and secure manner. Even more vital for the elderly or patients who cannot visit the pharmacy due to underlying medical conditions. The robot has a large screen to display the instructions about the medical product that’s being hauled for a smooth and informative process. The USP of this medicine delivery robot is its onboard drone that attaches to the back. When it is time to deliver the medicines, the drone attaches to the delivery compartment courtesy of the rails and flies straight off to the patient’s window for a hassle-free and safe hauling of vital medicines. The drone has solar panels on top to soak up the sun’s power for a flight anytime, anywhere.

This beach umbrella comes with an origami-inspired design that unfolds to display a photovoltaic array that generates electric power which gets used for further refrigeration and cooling for the beach people. Measuring 2.5 meters high and a 3.2-meter diameter, this umbrella’s transformation brings to mind the mechanisms we see on the NASA spacecraft. The entire setup can be used individually or be rigged together to generate electricity that can even run an ice cream freezer on the beachside. It’s perfect for a private beach or even a luxury beach resort where these umbrellas can be deployed to keep the machines churning.

This sustainable energy producer basically depends upon a plug-and-play system. The system works perfectly with WZHM Architects’ Sunrider bike (a solar bike). You connect mySUN to the bike, and generate your energy, as you ride the bike! The energy is created via biomechanical power and is even stored. Since an average person generates almost 100 to 150 watts of power while riding a stationary bike, by combining mySUN to the Sunrider bike, you can produce enough energy to power the lights of a 300-square-foot space for a whole day! How cool is that? It’s the perfect combination of human and solar energy!

Designed for use by the public, both the Fluid Cube and the City Snake primarily function as city benches with the same technical attributes. The Fluid Cube is a 9 cubic meter cube structure that partially encloses two parallel benches with an overhead roof for shelter during bad weather. The City Snake, a 7.5-meter outdoor bench that curves and bends to provide unique sitting options to travelers looking for a bit of respite. While the two structures provide seating for the public, they also come equipped with solar panels that generate power for some of the structure’s more technical features. Raised parts of the City Snake accommodates traditional solar panels, while solar cells are overlaid on the Fluid Cube’s glass roof. The solar panels on both of the structures yield power to use the built-in USB charging outlets, the WiFi hotspots, as well as the benches’ lighting systems.

Satechi portrays the Cybermouse as a super tough mouse for professionals and people who are hooked onto their screens all day long. It doesn’t stop at that, the mouse comes with solar and wireless charging making it a next-generation accessory – ready to top the charts selling like hotcakes. The next level 20,000 dpi speed ensures it is suitable for gaming or editing tasks – making it perfect for any user type. Oh yes, and if I just forgot to mention, you’re not alone if you see a stark resemblance to the Tesla Cybertruck – even the color seems to be inspired by the upcoming beastly EV. Yes, the name also gets the ‘Cyber’ alright, so nothing stops me from reimagining this as the Cybertruck of the mouse world.

Christened the Stella Vita, the curvacious camper is the work of 22 student teams at the prestigious university in the Netherlands. Unlike another solar-powered house on wheels, that rely for the most part on external electric power, this one is purely powered by the sun’s energy without any external assistance. It’s made possible with the 8.8-meter square solar array on top of the roof – capable of generating power for the 60-kWh battery. In the parked mode the slide-out panels span out for an impressive canopy area of 17.5 meters square. To add to the goodness, the pop-up roof expands the vertical area for two people to move around comfortably. They can cook comfortably in the kitchen or take a shower too with this feature.

This self-sustainable cloud server is powered by the energy of growing tomatoes indoor!

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Picture a post-apocalyptic future where human beings don’t have the liberty of dependence on power stations. Self-sustainable systems are the norm and utilizing every ounce of available energy is vital for survival. A dystopian tech-infused future world where computing systems don’t have any external source of abundant energy. Straight out from that sci-fi futuristic scenario is the Warm Earth server system by Ilja Schamle, a Design Academy Eindhoven graduate.

The DIY cloud server system embodies the symbiotic relationship between technology and nature. This project is all about utilizing the renewable energy extracted out of tomato vines to solely run the cloud server. In turn, the energy produced by the heat dissipation is cyclically used to maintain the optimum temperature for the vegetables to grow. As concept-like this might seem, the project was a part of the Missed Your Call graduate exhibition at the Milan design week.

The DIY project houses the tomato plants within the server racks and the server is mounted on the exterior of the rig. The ventilation shaft equipped with fans, channels the hot air to the interior of the cabinet – essentially turning it into a greenhouse. Tomatoes power the server courtesy of the plant-microbial fuel cell technology developed by researchers at Wageningen University, Netherlands. This turns vegetables into batteries – literally!

Nothing goes to waste as the plants perform photosynthesis – turning sunlight into chemical energy, and storing the sugars and proteins. The excess nutrition is excreted via the roots as waste, where the bacteria break it down to release energy. This energy is then leveraged as electricity. Since the servers are indoors, the solar-powered grow lamps act as a source of sunlight. The electrons released by microbes are attracted to iron and the activated-carbon grid functioning as a conductor is placed at the bottom of the pot. For now, the system can produce energy to sustain a single website, and we can expect this to develop into a massive system with more research and development.

Warm Earth is a self-sustainable geeky mashup that not many could think of before this. According to Schamle, the amount of content consumed at present and in the future is destined to rise and the energy required to run such systems is going to be colossal. The artificial ecosystem will change the perception of data centers as being mere dungeons for hosting servers. They will become an important entity of future homes, where they aren’t kept hidden from sight!

Designer: Ilja Schamle

This off-grid cabin is a solar-powered, uses locally sourced timber and features a triangular roofline!

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Inspired by the local area’s shingled roofs and facades, Thorpe clad Canton House’s trio of cabins, from top to bottom in blackened, locally sourced timber.

Hotels are designed to immerse us in unfamiliar worlds. Bringing us to tropical coastlines and jagged cliff sides, hotels are meant to enhance the local area’s best-known features. Marc Thorpe, architect, and designer extraordinaire, recently unveiled his design for Canton House, a cluster of off-grid cabin hotels in the forest of Romania’s Carpathian Mountains that are built from locally harvested timber and inspired by the surrounding area’s vernacular architecture.

In Romania, rural towers and spires of religious centers are often defined by their fully-shingled wooden construction. Inspired by the local area’s shingled roofs and facades, Thorpe clad Canton House’s trio of cabins, from top to bottom in blackened, locally sourced timber, wrapping the exterior facades in uniform wooden shingles. The triangular roof stems from Canton House’s rectangular front facade.

From the front, Canton House appears as a simple, rectangular cabin framed with wooden shingles. Whereas from the side, a triangular roof gives Canton House some height and a dramatic facade. Uniform in design, the Canton House comes outfitted with a kitchenette, bathroom, bedroom, utility closet, and storage rooms finished in plywood. Evoking the spire’s reach for the high heavens, Thorpe built each cabin with an elongated triangular roof that gradually pitches upward from the cabin’s rectangular side facade. Marc Thorpe describes the cabin’s triangular profile, “The cabins are grounded into the terrain with their low horizontal profile to pronounce themselves with a sharp, vertical, [and] triangulated roofline.”

The sharp vertically pitched roof contrasts nicely with the rough and rugged terrain of the Carpathian Mountains. Careful not to disrupt the area’s wooded landscape and to maintain the cabin’s initial off-grid aspirations, Marc Thorpe equipped each cabin hotel with a solar kit and roof to ensure the cabin has plenty of renewable energy available for power. Each solar kit comes with a 1800W solar generator to provide backup power for the four 100W 12V mono solar panels that line the cabins’ roofs. Inside, guests enjoy a minimal interior that’s lined and finished in plywood. Built as supplementary retreats for guests of the area’s main hotel, Tara Luanei, Canton House offers a respite in nature that’s unique to the Carpathian Mountains.

Designer: Marc Thorpe Design

These Solar-powered Cabins + architectural designs use green energy storage system to be eco-destinations!

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Solar power is an amazing source of energy and a sustainable and cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Today solar energy is being used to power almost everything – from tiny battery packs to whole houses! There are no exceptions. And solar-powered architecture seems to be the new craze and a very green one too! From holiday cabins to tiny homes, solar energy is being used to power and support all kinds of architectural structures. And we’ve curated a collection of well-designed, functional, and solar-powered architectural designs that are comfortable to live or work in, aesthetic to look at, and also a boon to the planet. These structures coexist in harmony with their surroundings and do not drain but in fact, respect the natural environment around them!

Pekka Littow’s Majamaja concept was born from life on Finland’s archipelago and essentially speaks to a building tradition that prioritizes harmony between humans and nature. Majamaja Wuorio units are prefabricated, transportable, and by making use of off-grid technologies such as solar panels and a recirculating water treatment system, the units can be situated anywhere. The tiny cabin’s closed-loop water treatment system collects both rainwater and air humidity in order to store it, then sends it to the integrated water purification system for residents to use in the shower, kitchen, or bathroom. Waste from dry toilets is also composted and reused as fertilizer. The water purification system is powered by solar panels and a fuel cell, which also provides green energy storage for additional household appliances such as stovetops, air conditioners, and light fixtures.

Designed by Mexico-based Sanzpont Arquitectura, ‘Living In The Noom’ puts you in the lap of nature and luxury. Its sanctuary-esque design focuses on three broad pillars – Wellness, Sustainability, and Flexibility. The community features multiple 4-storeyed houses with a uniquely alluring triangular shape, characterized by vertical bamboo channels and a vertical forest growing on the outer facade of the building. Finally, the structure culminates in a terrace on the fifth floor that has solar panels for harvesting energy, and an urban garden where the residents can grow their own food.

Catering to the necessities and casual family pastimes, the tiny home is doused in modular and multifunctional design that’s surrounded by creamy poplar plywood walls and silvery fittings that add a touch of refinement to an otherwise bare interior. Ohariu’s roof is asymmetrical with six solar panels lined up on its longer side and a mezzanine bedroom cozying up beneath its sloped short side. Entirely powered by the solar panels that make a grid on the roof, Ohariu is net-zero, featuring amenities like an LPG gas cylinder, LED lighting, low-water usage fittings, as well as a composting toilet. Enhancing the tiny home’s sustainable build, the materials used to construct Ohariu are recyclable for the most part and low-maintenance, durable, and locally sourced.

Offering their own solution to the unpredictable circumstances of today’s world, furniture studio Duffy London debuted the Minka Solar Pod, an outdoor companion to their indoor office pod. The Minka Solar Pod operates primarily as an alternative to meeting places and WFH spots like WeWork and cafes with WiFi. Unlike their indoor counterpart, the Minka Solar Pod and its amenities are entirely powered by photovoltaic panels and lithium-ion batteries. Using solar energy for power allows Minka Solar Pods to be placed anywhere, from busy city plazas like Union Square or public grounds like Hyde Park. Designed to be an outdoor working space, Minka Solar Pods come complete with four USB ports for charging and acoustic panels to quiet outdoor noise while amplifying the conversations taking place inside the pod.

Primarily conceived of as a cluster of research stations, Moon Village would host an array of functions spanning from sustainability research opportunities to the future prospect of Moon tourism. The south polar region of the Moon supports the possibility of a self-sufficient settlement, receiving near eternal sunlight that could be harnessed and stored for energy. This part of the Moon also hosts a variety of untouched matter that could offer insight into the Solar System’s early history as well as the general emergence of our larger universe. Above all else, the structure of each individual hub comprises a modular frame and protective exterior to cater to the varied projects taking place inside.

Bjarke Ingels designed a student center for John Hopkins University’s Homewood Campus in Baltimore, Maryland. The 150,000 square foot building will function as a social engagement hub for all the students, with spaces for relaxation, performing arts, support services, lounges, and more. It will be a mass timber structure with photovoltaic roof panels, creating a warm, comfortable and sustainable space!

On average, the Australian home uses 19 kWh of energy on any given day. Turning that statistic on its head, Garden House produces 100kwh of energy with help from a 26 kWh Tesla battery. Finding the future of home sustainability through this sharing of energy, Garden House is powered by solar energy and powers the block’s shared energy grid. Since many Australians utilize solar panels to power up their homes, Garden House is in good company on a narrow street filled with garden oases and blooming greenery. Careful not to disrupt the natural terrain in and around the house’s lot, AMA developed Garden House’s layout and connected pavilions based around the network of pre-existing garden spaces and trees. This set the stage and literally the foundation for the home’s commitment to producing more sustainable energy than it requires to run.

E-glamp is a product/service that has been designed to boost economic and tourist development in rural areas. Think of it as an Airbnb-style tiny house merged with a biking network like Bird or Lime. It is an integrated system of modern cabins that are all independently powered by solar panels. These tiny homes are also fitted with smart tech and are connected to the e-bike system which encourages carbon-neutral exploration of the landscape. Biking not only helps to maintain the pristine air quality of the rural area but also helps in getting an enjoyable workout in. All the E-glamp houses are modular, movable, and constructed with sustainable materials like timber. Along with solar panels, it will be interesting to see how the design is able to also repurpose and reuse rainwater for the guest’s needs.

Reimagining the garage space as an interactive family space and biophilic greenway, Montreal designer Tiam Maeiyat’s Parking Parc was chosen as the winning concept for merging clean design with sustainability. Parking Parc was inspired by the pun in its own name– Maeiyat reinterpreted the garage as both a space for parking the vehicle and as an actual greenway that resembles a children’s park. Shaped like a rolling hillside, Parking Parc provides a storage area for parked vehicles that rests beneath the garage’s grassy, recreational exterior. As currently conceptualized, photovoltaic panels punctuate the taller regions of the garage’s exterior, providing clean energy for Volvo’s XC40 Recharge to well, recharge, and enough energy to sustain the rest of the garage’s inside operations.

Many people who live in cities are taking to biking for their preferred mode of transportation, prompting designers and city officials to reimagine bike paths and public transport. Bike roads, also known as Veloroutes are steadily becoming city staples, even mainstays for commuters on foot or bike. With the demand for Veloroutes increasing, Kuczia created a Solar Veloroute that comprises a photovoltaic tunnel structure that serves as a solar canopy for cyclists and pedestrians as well as a public facility where commuters can enjoy lit pathways at night and charging stations for bicycles or smartphones. Solar Veloroute presents as a partly-enclosed, rounded archway constructed from overlaid non-reflective glass-glass solar panels, which are attached to round tube steel purlins.

These eco-friendly meeting pods use solar energy to power up charging ports so you bring WFH outdoors!

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In recent months, cafes and outdoor workspaces have limited their public amenities to avoid crowding. No more WiFi, the bathrooms are always locked, and time limits for tables are used to control foot traffic. Even still, with pandemic mandates resurfacing, the first taste of bringing our laptops to our favorite cafe to get our work done is hard to kick. Offering their own solution to the unpredictable circumstances of today’s world, furniture studio Duffy London debuted the Minka Solar Pod, an outdoor companion to their indoor office pod.

The Minka Solar Pod operates primarily as an alternative to meeting places and WFH spots like WeWork and cafes with WiFi. Unlike their indoor counterpart, the Minka Solar Pod and its amenities are entirely powered by photovoltaic panels and lithium-ion batteries. Using solar energy for power allows Minka Solar Pods to be placed anywhere, from busy city plazas like Union Square or public grounds like Hyde Park. Designed to be an outdoor working space, Minka Solar Pods come complete with four USB ports for charging and acoustic panels to quiet outdoor noise while amplifying the conversations taking place inside the pod.

Each Minka Solar Pod also accommodates up to four people, which means work meetings that would typically remain indoors could be taken outdoors for some fresh air and a change of scenery. Minka Solar Pods were also built to be weather-resistant, with high-grade walnut and oak veneers finished with powder-coated mild steel. So come drizzle or shine, there’s always an excuse to bring work outdoors. Describing his own inspiration behind the Minka Solar Pod and its indoor companion, Duffy London founder, and director, Chris Duffy says,

“We wanted to design a piece of communal furniture that can meet the needs of the modern working and municipal environment. Indoor or outdoor, our Minka PODs serve as highly adaptable, non-defined spaces that act like mini-hives for human interactions.”

Designer: Duffy London

Clad with powder-coated mild steel, Minka Solar Pods are built to brace the weather.

Minka Solar Pods were initially designed to provide an outdoor workspace for small business meetings or a change of scenery for those of us still working from home.

Outside of work, Minka Solar Pods can function as social meeting hubs for friends and coworkers alike.

Developed in varying structures, Minka Solar Pods embrace the same open-air, collaborative environment.

Each Minka Solar Pod comes equipped with four USB ports and photovoltaic panels to stay powered and charge your devices.

With acoustic panels, Minka Solar Pods quiet the outside noise while amplifying the conversations taking place inside of the pod.

The pod’s high-grade walnut and oak veneers were derived from sustainably sourced forests under the supervision of the Forest Stewardship Council.

This tiny house is actually a clean energy powered, self-sufficient, repurposed shipping container!

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We are adding Gaia by Pin-Up Houses to our list of the most incredible tiny houses! Gaia is a discarded shipping container turned into a cozy, self-sufficient home fitted with the latest technology to match your modern lifestyle. It was designed to be an alternative solution to traditional housing and reduce the negative impact on the environment.

One of the main features of the experimental off-the-grid housing project is that it harvests solar and wind energy. Gaia doesn’t rely on external sources of energy or water which is vital in the current climate crisis as well as the future. It comes equipped with solar panels and a wind turbine so the batteries will be fully charged at any time of the day and during all seasons. You can monitor the battery levels through a mobile app even if you are on the go. The tine home has been designed inside a marine HC 6 m container featuring wooden studs and spruce plywood in the interiors. Another clever detail is the container’s roof which covered with a galvanized corrugated metal sheet that extends out beyond the structure. This increases the rainwater collection and is stored in a 1000-IBC tank

The rainwater is then filtered and distributed to the bathroom and kitchen through the house’s systems. Gaia comes with a refrigerator, water heater, and other 12 V and 24 V appliances based on your needs. If your appliance needs a higher voltage of 110 V to 230 V, it can be generated using an inverter. Pin-up Houses has also maximized the limited area by including compact storage, a convertible sofa-bed, space-saving stools, and tables. The outdoor terrace can also be folded to close the container using the winch, this way you can have your privacy.

All the walls inside are sprayed with thermal insulation (spray foam) making sure it is habitable all around the year and not just treated as a summer cabin. However, spray foam is also highly combustible fossil fuel. But to ensure safety, the woodstove is properly shielded with steel on the floor and behind. The team has also made sure to include a lot of exit points. Another point to note for the environmentally cautious residents is that the bathroom is a bathroom – a Porta-Potti style chemical toilet where the bottom half is a suitcase full of waste and formaldehyde chemical which has to be taken elsewhere to be safely discarded.  This could be fixed up by swapping it for a small compost-friendly toilet to further reduce the environmental impact of the house.

The container is pretty spacious despite its size and doesn’t feel cramped or claustrophobic for the residents with how well each corner has been utilized for maximum functionality. Gaia is modern, self-sustaining, and economical for those looking to lead a more sustainable lifestyle while also being homeowners with enough savings leftover after their investment. It is still a prototype so a lot of the systems can be improved to make them more sustainable. Ten extra points for the wonderful draw-bridge style deck!

Designer: Pin-Up Houses

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Solar-powered cabins that serve as green homes, and help you live sustainably!

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Solar power is an amazing source of energy and a sustainable and cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Today solar energy is being used to power almost everything – from tiny battery packs to whole houses! There are no exceptions. And solar-powered cabins seem to be the new craze and a very green one too! From holiday cabins to tiny homes, solar energy is being used to power and support all kinds of architectural structures. And we’ve curated a collection of cozy, functional, and solar-powered cabins that are comfortable to stay in, aesthetic to look at, and also a boon to the planet. These cabins coexist in harmony with their surroundings and do not drain but in fact, respect the natural environment around them! I wouldn’t mind living or holidaying in one of these little homes.

E-glamp is a product/service that has been designed to boost economic and tourist development in rural areas. Think of it as an Airbnb-style tiny house merged with a biking network like Bird or Lime. It is an integrated system of modern cabins that are all independently powered by solar panels. These tiny homes are also fitted with smart tech and are connected to the e-bike system which encourages carbon-neutral exploration of the landscape. Biking not only helps to maintain the pristine air quality of the rural area but also helps in getting an enjoyable workout in. All the E-glamp houses are modular, movable, and constructed with sustainable materials like timber. Along with solar panels, it will be interesting to see how the design is able to also repurpose and reuse rainwater for the guest’s needs.

The Lilypad is a luxury villa designed by Chuck Anderson and is anchored just north of Sydney’s Palm Beach. Anderson is a boat enthusiast so it is no surprise that he created a floating house! This beautiful Airbnb is also eco-conscious, it is completely solar-powered and is slowly helping us pivot towards sustainable travel. The exterior of the house is made from timber and includes an open living area, a wine cellar, a sleeping loft, and, of course, a bathroom (for all that wine that we will consume post quarantine on our holiday!). To feel fancy, you have an al fresco dining (means you can eat your food while enjoying the breeze and sun when going outside is cool again) and sunbathing area on the lower level which also boasts of an expansive terrace.

The Opperland cabin offers 45 liters of freshwater storage along with a wastewater tank and also features a Truma water heater along with a Victron inverter to provide essential amenities for inhabitants. It also has solar panels that provide the owners with endless power and let them travel for days. The tiny structure includes a kitchen with a sink, an induction cooktop, and an 81-l fridge/freezer. this is all powered by a 360-ah lithium-ion battery onboard. Large windows flood it with ample natural light and ventilation. The idea was to enable people to feel at home in the camper and make most of the gift of freedom that comes with it. “The Haaks camper is proof to me that durability, comfort, and beauty can go well together. A bold and innovative design that you want to be seen with,” says lberic Pater, Sustainability Manager at IKEA Netherlands.

Robin Falck created an A-frame mirrored holiday house, ‘Nolla’. Literally meaning ‘zero’ in Finnish, Nolla was designed by Falck for Finnish renewable energy company Neste’s ‘Journey to Zero’ campaign, in an effort to build a world with minimal emissions. Functioning entirely on renewable energy, the cabin is located on the Vallisaari island, near Helsinki. It has been built entirely using sustainable materials such as local plywood and pine. In an attempt to encourage visitors to maintain a ‘zero waste lifestyle’, every element has been designed with the hope of not leaving behind any carbon footprint. Covered by mirrors and supported by wooden stilts, it excludes modern commodities. Nolla is powered by emission-free solar panels, and a Wallas stove that runs on Neste’s MY renewable diesel is provided for heating and cooking purposes.

Coming in at 8 x 2.7 m, with a steel frame and aluminum exterior, the Cyril House is a double-decker one-bedroom with a full-size kitchen, lounge area, bathroom, and home office. Resting on a double-axle trailer, this tiny home comes with a high ceiling that opens up the tiny home even further for you and your feline friend. Mounted between the office and the loft bedroom, carpeted shelves stagger between one another for your cat to traverse while you study or get work done in the home office upstairs. Across the way, you’ll find the main queen-sized bedroom with plenty of storage space and even a hollowed-out rectangular space so that you can get ready for your day without hitting your head against the ceiling. Moving down the ladder to the living area of the tiny house, the full-sized kitchen is outfitted with a built-in gas heater, dishwasher, four-burner gas stovetop, oven, full-sized refrigerator, and plenty of storage space and pantries.

The architectural CMF for this cabin has been inspired by the spruce trees that surround it, so there are a lot of shades of gray and dark green. Weekend House Nové Hamry features connection points for solar panels and vertical wind turbines to make it energy self-sufficient. The roof and most of the exterior are covered in the durable, anthracite-colored aluminum cladding. This resembles oiled black wood and adds to the minimal, modern, elegant aesthetic of the cabin. The area gets a lot of heavy snow so to manage the load, the angular design also features a steeply sloped roof. The structure is constructed from cross-laminated timber panels.

Built by architect Pekka Littow, Majamaja is a seaside cabin constructed from Finnish spruce and birch plywood. Located just outside of Helsinki, the cabin has been equipped with solar panels on the roof to provide electricity. You can reach the little black cabin via a narrow wooden deck that connects the forest and the main door. Majamaja is the perfect example of a small and sustainable architectural structure that is supported by green technology.

ZeroCabin wants to change the habits of its occupants by providing the tools to live sustainably. “It is not about ‘what happens if the water-scarce,’ the questions these days should be ‘if the waters scarce, are my habits according to the water available in the place where I live? If the solar energy is not enough, are my consumption habits according to the energy available?” adds the team when talking about the thought process behind the design. All ZeroCabins regardless of the modality you buy (turnkey or DIY) have a structural base that allows optimal capture of their only two inputs, just like trees: sun and rainwater. The cabin maximizes functionality oversize but includes a wide range of modifications you can do based on the land you want to put it on and as long as it is aligned with their environmental guidelines.

Meet the Cyberlandr, a telescopic pop-up camper attachment for the Cybertruck which almost pans double the height of the truck when fully retracted vertically. Similar to the Cybertruck, the Cyberlandr does away with external door handles and opens when an authorized person puts the foot on the steps or gains access via the compatible app. On the inside, the minimalistic pop-up camper has a very airy feel to it, thanks to the dual-pane windows with electrochromic dimming when required. To ensure you have a comfy space to relax, the compact all-season camper comes with heated floors, a voice-activated faucet, 32-inch TV, and a 4-stage water filtration system. All this equipment is powered by the 500-watts of slide-out solar roofs, one on top of the other. One of them extends beyond the edge of the camper, doubling as an overhead shade for the entrance section.

These capsules are crafted from timber and steel which are resilient and protect against harsh weather. Ulmer Nest pods are fitted with solar panels and a set of sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, smoke, and carbon dioxide levels. It also has a heat exchanger to supply fresh air and maintain circulation. Motion sensors also replace the need for cameras while protecting privacy but also making sure that social workers can be alerted in case the situation demands it because overnight stays are not allowed. Two people can sleep in the pod at a time and take cover from rain, frost, and humidity. It is also connected to a radio network so the person using the pod can get in touch with the team managing it if needed.

This 100% self-sustaining cabin is was placed in the forest without a trace of fossil fuels!

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You know my love for cabins and sustainability, I am always searching for the best cabins to go live in once the pandemic is over and sustainable designs that can help slow down the climate crisis. I finally found a design that marries them both and this is the most perfect cabin to exist on my list – a 100% self-sustaining and sustainable off-the-grid cabin that focuses on enjoying as well as preserving the environment it is in! They invented an assembly architecture that is fully adaptable to the environment and doesn’t even need a boom truck to be transported because of the construction technology (through assemblies) – the team takes the materials anywhere even when the construction site is far from the car path.

The latest cabin by the company is called Krul and is developed to perform independently of passive systems. The interiors are designed in a way to allow maximum natural sunlight, especially during winters to keep it naturally warm as much as possible. The orientation of the structure also maintains breezy natural ventilation even during summers. The water harvested or used is naturally treated through a worm-based Lombrifiltro system – think of it as biomimicry of our natural ecosystem. It provides enough for reuse (shower to WC), sanitation, drinking water, and sewage system. The wood used is treated with the best product on the market, certified without chemicals, and the best sealing technology in the world Rothoblass. The cabin completely eliminates the need for fossil fuels, external services, and bills!

ZeroCabin wants to change the habits of its occupants by providing the tools to live sustainably. “It is not about ‘what happens if the water-scarce,’ the questions these days should be ‘if the waters scarce, are my habits according to the water available in the place where I live? If the solar energy is not enough, are my consumption habits according to the energy available?” adds the team when talking about the thought process behind the design. All ZeroCabins regardless of the modality you buy (turnkey or DIY) have a structural base that allows optimal capture of their only two inputs, just like trees: sun and rainwater. The cabin maximizes functionality oversize but includes a wide range of modifications you can do based on the land you want to put it on and as long as it is aligned with their environmental guidelines.

Additionally, the company also encourages all cabin owners to be a part of their 100% ecological tourism network. Every cabin kit sold finances planting of native trees according to the reforestation campaigns. “We do not seek to make houses with character, spatiality, or identity … our architect is nature and its rules, and from there we create something for you. The result is a respectful mutualism that will not break the limits of the environment and in gratitude, you will be able to live without accounts happy of life for the rest of your life,” says the team with utmost love for their work and their efforts to help the environment. ZeroCabin is a home that adapts to you and the planet seamlessly.

Designer: ZeroCabin

Solar-powered products that improve performance, and help you achieve that eco-friendly lifestyle!

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It’s 2021 and we need to get as eco-friendly as we can! We can no more continue living the way we always have, ignoring the needs of the environment and being insensitive to Mother Earth. Living a more conscious life also includes taking into consideration our energy sources. Curbing fossil fuel consumption has now become a priority, and we have a more positive energy source in mind as an alternative – the Sun! Solar power is taking the world by storm. Designers and architects are coming up with solar-powered products, homes, hotels, offices, and automobiles! Solar energy can be used to power almost every object we use in our day-to-day lives. Hence, we’ve curated a collection of products backed up by the sun for you – from a solar-powered electric bike to a solar outdoor cooler!

CAKE has been on a quest to develop sustainable electric bikes with its first custom-built electric off-road motorbike introduced in 2018. Then the Swedish marque again surprised motorheads with the funky modular bike dubbed Ösa which could be personalized depending on the specific needs. Now CAKE wants to protect the African wildlife from the impending threat of poachers. They call this new version the Kalk AP (for anti-poaching), and it’s solar-powered for good measure. The clean energy-powered drivetrain means less noise which in turn means minimal disturbance for the native wild animals in their habitat, and also a means not to alert the poachers on the prowl. The bike doesn’t need to be hooked to the electrical grid for a charge, adding to its versatility in operation sans any time delays. This two-wheeler is based on the original Kalk bike that created quite a buzz when CAKE burst into the scene.

You could call it a modern-age refrigerator with unique capabilities or a solar-powered mighty outdoor cooler with an amazing USP – it doesn’t require ice to keep the contents cold. The theory on which an outdoor cooler is built, that the insulated box melts ice at a very slow rate, and in turn chills your beverages and food. GoSun Chill Solar Cooler ditches ice completely and instead uses Solar Powered energy to keep the inside compartment cool – in many ways making it an ‘outdoor fridge’. To keep it going efficiently, GoSun Chill charges via multiple power source options. This includes Powerbank, AC Adapter, 12 Volt Cord (carport charger), Solar Table, or Flexible Solar Panels. Choose the most convenient power source, based on what’s available to you at that point. I like the fact that it can keep food frozen for hours, and keeps food items from getting soggy.

Segway has come a long way in changing the perception of personal mobility and how technology propels it forward for ultimate user satisfaction. The two-wheeled personal mobility vehicle has inspired many other designs that shape the future of mobility on the outskirts of urban spaces. This 100 percent electric-powered personal mobility scooter takes a step further – it is autonomous and is fueled by a sustainable energy source – the Sun. The brainchild of designer Alejandro Otálora, Creative Director, OneBot Design Studio – the Rolo is envisioned to be a future public transport vehicle that can be called on-demand via an app. The four-wheeled transporter makes use of advanced RP LIDAR navigation cameras to steer its way through the streets. The top panel of the stable ride is covered with solar panel cells that power the unit. The solar panel is lifted up to face the Sun and provides support for the commuter en route to the destination.

Everyone loves a bunch of pretty flowers and sunflowers are one of my favorites, I do wonder why I haven’t received any. Guess XD Design felt the same since sunflowers were the inspiration for their ‘Sunshine Solar Charger’. Yes, the charger looks like a bunch of sunflowers facing towards the sun, and they do so because they make use of solar energy and not electricity to charge your phones! Equipped with a 25000mAh rechargeable lithium battery that stores all that sun-sourced energy, the solar charger transfers it to your mobile device or tablet, boosting them up with some juice. Integrated solar panels at the center of the flowers and an impressive resound material combination make this charger like no other.

GoSun is a pioneer in the fuel-free industry and it is utilizing the best of clean tech to help you use more sun…to brew more coffee. “We love being outdoors, sharing our experiences, and staying connected, but we hate running out of power and we hate missing our morning coffee – that’s why we created both GoSun Brew and GoSun Power,” says the team who obviously gets good ideas only after their morning fix. You can brew fresh coffee in as little as 15 minutes: simply add water, plug in your flask to the solar-powered power bank, heat for 10 minutes (wait till auto shut-off and LED indicator) after which you add coffee grounds and steep. With the leak-proof lid, you can carry it on-the-go without having to stop through driveways or spilling it on your shirt when you are late for work. With the GoSun Brew, you don’t need the stove (gas, lighter, fire, etc.), kettle, pot, grid power, or any separate accessories to make your favorite drink.

The Solarpill is a pendant-sized solar-powered lighting device that can attach to your body or almost any surface in the wild. How? The white half of the pill has a hole where you can thread a rope through to make a keychain or necklace. That part is also a cap, that when removed, reveals a needle-like stake that can be embedded into trees or soft rocks along your path. Igneous isn’t it? This ability to poke the light into any surface comes especially handy when we need to work hands-free, be it to cut some rope or while relieving ourselves while outdoors. The adaptability and portability of this device make it invaluable for anyone traveling through remote areas at night, from causal hikers to search-and-rescue teams. It is such a convenient, useful product that I could even imagine it becoming a staple, not just in campers’ backpacks, but in every emergency preparedness kit.

Built to run on solar power (so that you don’t have to worry about electricity, batteries, or anything energy-related), the PediCurve Solar gives you a gentle-yet-effective, healthy, and hygienic pedicure, powered entirely by renewable energy. The PediCurve Solar’s waterproof design makes it the most ideal addition to your shower routine. Designed to work on wet skin, the PediCurve’s patented PediGlass discs gently remove any dead skin cells, revealing fresh, glowing skin underneath. Its light exfoliation action emulates the effect of getting a pedicure at the salon, but at home. The Danish-designed device is just a smidge larger than most hand-held scrubbers and comes outfitted with an internal battery, solar-panels, and interchangeable glass discs made in the Czech Republic from Bohemian Glass, known to be gentle and healthy on the skin (each glass disc additionally comes with a one-year warranty).

Designed by Bradley Brister, SunUp is a product designed especially for those outdoor lovers who love hopping off on adventures! SunUp is a solar-power solution that you can easily attach onto your backpack or any other surface such as the top of a canoe. Brister’s design is a combination of small polycrystalline solar panels held together by flexible joints. It provides the functionality of a rigid solar-panel, and the perks of a flexible one as well. It’s the best of both worlds basically! SunUp serves as the perfect sidekick on all your hiking, camping, and other outdoor expeditions.

At CES 2020, Wello presented a nifty electric tricycle that is powered by the sun! The design is a subtle combination of a bike and an electric car and serves as an eco-friendly solar-powered alternative to our usual means of transportation. The car-bike hybrid has been equipped with three wheels and an electric battery. It can cover up to 100 km a day and will work perfectly for short deliveries! It’s the perfect example of sustainable transportation in the modern world.

Six Mexican students kickstarted ‘The Solar Project’, wherein they created six hand auxiliary solar lamps. The low-cost solar-powered lamps were created from Mexican waste materials such as adobe, coconut, beans, wicker, agave, and collagen. Using these materials, LED technology, and solar panels, the students built these sustainable lamps. Besides being sustainable and eco-friendly, these lamps have a rustic aesthetic, and seem more like pieces of artwork rather than lighting objects!