Tesla nears halfway mark with world's largest battery installation in South Australia

Never one for small talk, Tesla announced that one of its most significant projects, apparently the world's largest battery installation, is just about halfway finished. The 100MW/129MWh utility-grade battery bank near the site of the 100MW Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia will be the largest system connected to an energy grid. This massive undertaking was inspired by a bet between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Australian software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, who could not believe that Tesla...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/tesla-nears-halfway-mark-with-worlds-largest-battery-installation-in-south-australia
via Inhabitat

Renault's Trezor is the electric car of the future

Electric cars will soon be the norm with several countries and cities pushing for fully electric transportation and with almost nearly every automaker committing to electrified models. Electric cars will not only change the way cars move down the road, but also how they look. Renault is giving us a preview of what future sports cars could look like with the debut of the two-seater Renault Trezor concept. The Trezor concept is unfortunately just a concept car, but it does explore the potential...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/renaults-trezor-is-the-electric-car-of-the-future
via Inhabitat

London considers banning wood-burning stoves to tackle air pollution

Wood-burning stoves could be producing up to one third of London's fine particle pollution, according to figures cited by the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan. He aims to ban the stoves in some areas to address air pollution, which the capital has been grappling with for a while. Last week, the mayor triggered the emergency air quality alert for the seventh time in 13 months. Related: London breaks legal limits on air pollution in just five days in 2017 Via The Guardian Images via

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/london-considers-banning-wood-burning-stoves-to-tackle-air-pollution
via Inhabitat

Couple builds tiny A-frame cabin in three weeks for only $700

Anyone dreaming of building their own affordable tiny cabin should check out this solar-powered cozy retreat photographer Alla Ponomareva and her husband Garrett built in Missoula, Montana, for around $700. They bought plans for the A-frame cabin from well-known tiny house enthusiast Derek Diedricksen and customized the design to fit their needs. The couple built the 80-foot cabin by themselves in only three weeks. They slightly modified the original plan and relied heavily on reused...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/couple-builds-tiny-a-frame-cabin-in-three-weeks-for-only-700
via Inhabitat

Nestl pays $200 per year to bottle water near Flint, Michigan - while residents go without

For three years, residents of Flint, Michigan, have had to rely on sub-par bottled water to meet their daily needs. Though the crisis attracted national attention and inspired cities elsewhere to check their own water supplies for lead, little has changed in Flint in terms of the poor water supply. Adding insult to injury, it has now been learned that just two hours away, Nestlé pumps nearly 100,000 times what the average Michigan resident uses into bottles, that are later sold for $1 each. And...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/nestle-pays-200-per-year-to-bottle-water-near-flint-michigan-while-residents-go-without
via Inhabitat

Stunning Lake Michigan home is built from dying ash reclaimed onsite

This stunning timber home by the lake sensitively embraces its Midwestern landscape with its design and use of local, reclaimed materials. Designed by Desai Chia Architects in collaboration with Environment Architects (AOR), the Michigan Lake House boasts stunning lake views and a striking folded roof. The site-sensitive home features a native plant palette and stormwater management in addition to locally sourced and salvaged materials. Located on a woodland bluff, the 4,800-square-foot...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/stunning-lake-michigan-home-is-built-from-dying-ash-reclaimed-onsite
via Inhabitat

OMAs MPavilion 2017 with a floating roof opens today in Melbourne

Melbourne is heating up for the summer with a new OMA-designed amphitheater. OMA founder Rem Koolhaas and colleague Daniel Gianotten just completed MPavilion 2017, a temporary pavilion that opened today in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens. Commissioned by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, MPavilion 2017 is the fourth annual architect-designed summer pavilion for the city and is OMA’s first Australian commission. The multifunctional amphitheater will host hundreds of free events throughout the four-month...

from Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building http://inhabitat.com/omas-mpavilion-2017-with-a-floating-roof-opens-today-in-melbourne
via Inhabitat