Solar Design from CASE also Purifies Water

SEWR from CASE
Solar Enclosure for Water Reuse, by CASE

The Center for Architecture, Science and Ecology (CASE), have just picked up another award for their Solar Enclosure for Water Reuse (SEWR) system, and this time they have won the SPARK awardsCASE conducts interdisciplinary research focused on the next generation of building technologies for a sustainable built environment.

Solar Enclosure for Water Reuse or SEWR consists of a series of modular glass blocks, configured to capture, refocus and intensify sunlight and form the sheathing of the exterior surface for a building. The cast-glass blocks have carefully calculated profiles and each block features a standard flat lite on the interior surface, followed by a stiffening frame. The external lite has solar concentrators and graywater flow channels embedded in a surface that is tilted to capture the maximum amount of solar energy.

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European Commission wants to help develop environmental technologies

Environmental Technology
European Commission Environmental Technology Verification pilot program

The 15 December 2011, the European Commission announced on their webpage that they’re launching a new instrument to help companies that are developing innovative environmental technologies. The Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) pilot program will provide independent verification of the performance of new environmental technologies, and this is intended to help manufacturers prove the reliability of performance claims, and help technology purchasers identify innovations that suit their needs.

“The Environmental Technology Verification pilot programme is the first, practical fruit of the Eco-Innovation Action Plan. Investors need objective and credible information about the performance of new technologies, so this initiative will have an important role to play. It should help companies at the cutting edge of environmental technologies make the most of the opportunities in the European Single Market.” said Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik

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