Mechanical

Free Online Course on Basics of Electrical Theory for Solar Applications

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From residential rooftops to utility-scale solar systems, all PV systems share one purpose: generating electricity. This course provides the foundational electrical knowledge needed to understand how these systems function across all scales. You’ll master the relationships between voltage, current, and resistance, learn how electricity is generated and distributed, and understand the critical differences between power … Read more

Using Prickly Pear Cactus as a Sustainable Materials Component

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Researchers from the University of Bath’s Department of Mechanical Engineering have shown that agricultural waste from prickly pear cactus plants could be used as a low-cost, low-carbon reinforcement for construction materials, offering a more sustainable alternative to conventional composites. Composite materials combine strong reinforcing fibers with a lightweight base material, known as a ‘matrix’. Widely … Read more

The Resilience and Ecological Advantage of Bamboo

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In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Colombia’s coffee region. Concrete buildings collapsed. Brick houses turned to rubble. Bamboo constructions stood firm. The phenomenon was so perplexing to Colombian engineers that, in the following years, the country did what no other had done before: it included bamboo in its national seismic code as an official … Read more

Living Off-Grid on a Remote Island in British Columbia

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Mark Young has been living a self-sufficient lifestyle on a remote off-grid island in British Columbia for the past 21 years. He has built 9 experimental buildings on his 20-acre property using local and natural materials like wood, stone and cob, including: a cabin for himself, utility buildings for his solar power systems, a sauna … Read more

How Prefabricated Green Buildings Are Shaping Climate-Resilient Cities

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A climate-resilient city can predict, withstand and recover from climate-related hazards — storms, heatwaves, floods — while maintaining its essential functions and keeping its population safe.  Key attributes include a robust infrastructure, renewable energy integration, natural buffers like parks and wetlands, and proactive city planning. These are some of the factors that cities use to anticipate, … Read more

Natural Building Engineer, Anthony Dente, Talks About His Work

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Anthony Dente is a licensed engineer and principal at Verdant Structural Engineers and Verdant Building Products and is the vice president of the Cob Research Institute, where he is committed to appropriate material use for all structural building systems. Anthony graduated from the Architectural Engineering program at Penn State University and moved to Berkeley, CA … Read more