The idea is to create a microturbine able to harness the rainwater runoff from roofs to generate electricity. The system will feature a microturbine measuring about 2 inches wide by 10 inches high designed to be placed in half-inch pipe. As the turbine is spun by the flowing water from rooftop gutters, it will generate enough energy to charge 12-volt batteries that can be used to power small household devices. As an added benefit, the water flowing through the turbine will...

New sunglasses will do more than protect your eyes from UV rays - they will also harness power from the sun to top off mobile gadgets. The sunglasses will be made from a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses that have been fitted with photovoltaic cells on the plastic ear pieces. The cells will collect solar rays to charge a battery embedded in the frame, and the ear pieces can be removed to reveal a microUSB or Lightening connector that can be used to charge an iPhone.

Taking inspiration from nature, I suggest developing a self-healing solar cell that will repair itself with its synthetic vascular system. The self-regenerating solar cell will be designed with a network of channels that will mimic the vascular system of leaves, and will be composed of a water-based gel core, electrodes and light-sensitive, organic dye molecules. The dye molecules will produce electricity when they are "excited" by the sun's rays, but they will eventually degrade...

The generator will be designed to capitalize on the energy potential available both in the winds above the ocean, and in the currents flowing beneath the waves. The device will use an omnidirectional wind turbine sitting 47 meters above the sea on one end of a vertical shaft, with a different type of omnidirectional turbine design, a 15 meter diameter, spinning at the other end under the surface. The floating unit is supposed to be stable and self-righting, thanks to a...

A new take on the transparent solar cell screen cover could bring solar powered screens to the market sooner than anticipated. The new, lower tech method will involve alternating stripes of thin-film solar cells with transparent film and then adding a layer of tiny lenses. The layer of lenses will help to spread the image on the screen, causing the stripes to become invisible while also concentrating the sun's rays. The technology could extend the battery life of a mobile...

By building wind turbine towers from concrete instead of steel, the top height of a turbine column could be increased by 20 meters. To determine if concrete would be a viable replacement for steel, hydraulic equipment was used to test the load-bearing capabilities of three column-and-panel segments connected in different ways. All three versions were able to withstand 150,000 pounds of lateral load, with is 20 percent more than the maximum load of current turbine columns of the...

By building a power plant deep beneath the ocean, researchers hope to generate energy by harnessing the pressure of the ocean water. The plan would involve placing large tanks in the water at depths between 1300 and 2600 feet. Valves on the tanks would allow them to be opened, exposing the connected turbines to the pressure of the water as it rushes into the tanks. When full, the turbines could pump the water to the surface as saved as a sort of battery, a method known as 'pumped...

Featuring a wide-mouth funnel design, a new wind turbine could lower the cost of wind power to a price that is competitive with natural gas. The new design will capture the wind with its wide-mouthed funnels, directing the wind though narrow passages that will naturally speed up its flow. The accelerated wind will then be sent to a ground-level turbine, which will make maintenance both easier and safer while also reducing noise and vibration. The new technology will generate...

The sleek and intuitive window socket concept will be a portable, solar powered socket designed to be easily attached to a window. Meant to be easy to use with no special training, the small, round window socket will feature a solar panel surrounded by a suction plate and a converter that will convert the energy to electricity. A battery on the device will store the power for later use, and it will provide up to 10 hours of continuous power when fully charged.

Instead of the conventional roof-mounted solar panels, the new design concept will feature a flexible, solar cell-embedded façade able to move with the sun and shift positions for maximum energy efficiency. The façade of the house will made up of a network of textile strips embedded with photovoltaic cells. With its two axis solar tracking system, the façade will be able to move to follow the sun and gather the maximum amount of energy. The flexible façade will also be altered to...