May 15, 2007

How would you power a city block? We had some incredible thinkers answer that question with their entries to our first competition, Re:Volt.

The ideas were—to put it in energy terms—electrifying. People from all over the world shared their vision for a sustainable urban environment. From gravity power to piezoelectricity, there were plans and designs that creatively and thoughtfully took on our challenge. Some were beautiful in their simplicity. Some were mind-blowing in their complexity.

As four of the leading alternative energy experts began to review the entries, some interesting themes emerged. Many entrants took a multi-disciplined approach, combining wind with solar with other forms of energy. Several explored innovative energy systems. And most entries defined an entire system design approach rather than a single object.

But as hard a decision as it was, our judges gravitated to three entries, not just for their innovation, insightfulness and high-level thinking, but because the ideas are actually feasible today.

The Re:Volt event was held at
San Francisco's newest and "greenest" hotel, The Orchard Garden Hotel.


Taking time to talk energy, (from left) Eric Corey Freed, Dan Chiras, Stacey Frost, Justin Gerdes and Bob Thresher.

THE ACTIVE ENERGY PLAY SPACE
Sarah Attwood
San Diego, CA
$2000

Kids are bundles of energy. And Sarah took that idea to heart.

The Active Energy Play Space harnesses the power of children by using dynamos as part of the play elements. Energy is generated that will not only educate and entertain kids, but can also be stored in batteries to power LED lights for evening Play Space time. 

RECHARGE
Brian McLaughlin
Hermosa Beach, CA
$2000

More than a place to live, Brian created an urban environment to thrive.

Going beyond just power, ReCharge is a zero emissions city block where vital resources are produced and energy is always reusable.

From the rooftop solar and wind energy to the Rasta walls and bamboo floors, ReCharge creates a harmonious community that gardens, composts, produces energy at the gym and charges their electric cars, together.

CELL BLOCK
Adam Cornelius
Steve Puma
Kate Randolph
Joy Rios
Robin Connell
Sheila Samuelson
San Francisco, CA
$2000

From simple steps to bold moves, this team envisioned the evolution of a city block from typical inefficiency to zero impact over time.

Examined in three stages, each focusing on energy, transportation and water, this bold plan sees this block as a cell that can permeate and replicate throughout the city.

An 80,000 square-foot mixed use building that would house retail, residential, offices and a ‘living lab’ able to create energy its own energy, purify rainwater and monitor energy consumption across various internal environments.

THE AMERICAN GAS STATION
Shauna Achey

Rethinking the filling station, this idea answers the question: as we embrace alternative fuels like biodiesel, ethanol and electric, how can we transform the gas station?

GRAVITY POWER
Clay Moulton

Lighting a room with the power of people and gravity, Gravia is an LED-lit floor lamp. A user places a mass approximately 48" above the ground, that, in falling, powers a mechanism, generating electricity.

MICROFINANCE FOR CITIES
Kelly Green

A greener financial plan for cities that invest in opportunities that reduce their energy usage, funded by individuals and entities and repaid by increased cash flow realized by lower energy costs.

HARNESSING THE SEASON
Aaron Nelson

Using methods of renewable energy generation: wind power, hydroelectric power, solar power, and biomass harvested on site, this city block’s landscape and building components react and transform according to the weather conditions of the season.

URBAN GREEN
Jessica Tennill

Including basic design intentions such as connection to the surrounding areas, balance of open spaces with structure and the reuse of existing buildings on site, this block has the capability to sustain itself without consuming or wasting energy.

A lighter-than-air helium-filled platform containing embedded photovoltaic arrays (PVA) in order to extract electrical power from the incoming solar radiation.

STEP
Hazel Go

A human takes thousands of steps each day. Imagine if the surfaces on which we walk could convert the power of these footsteps to energy. The technology of piezoelectricity makes this possible.