T hey're washable. They're non-toxic. So why can't they make them square?

I'm talking about children's markers. If you're a parent, you know that when your kids are drawing or colouring, half your time is spent picking up markers and their caps after they've rolled off the table. Hence the need for roll-proof markers with square caps and shafts.

My point? There's always room for improvement in the way we do things and in the products we use. Below are three eye-catching "clean-tech" innovations that are aiming for the same goal.

• Bionic power: When some people exercise, they often say it gives them more energy. A Burnaby, B.C.-based start-up called Bionic Power Inc. is making sure it does. The company, a spinoff from Simon Fraser University, has developed a knee brace that generates electricity when a person walks or runs.

Obviously, this isn't the kind of "bionic" one might associate with Steve Austin and the Six Million Dollar Man. It doesn't give a person superhuman strength. Rather, the brace harvests kinetic energy that is normally wasted when a person moves. In fact, it's not the moving as much as the stopping. It captures the energy needed to slow down the knee joint at the tail end of a step, kind of like regenerative braking used to recharge the battery in hybrid-electric cars.

Company researchers say the device can so far capture enough energy to power several cellphones. If you're someone who exercises with an iPod, it's easy to imagine eventually having a portable music player that is powered by, well, running. Military applications are obvious, since soldiers in the field tend to carry a lot of electronics that need power.

Assuming the existence of lightweight, low-cost, high-capacity batteries for storing electricity, one can envision collecting enough energy in a day to power wearable, strength-boosting gear. Maybe then we'll see a true bionic man or woman or Bigfoot – though I'm sure the price tag will be more than $6 million.

• Magic paper: It wasn't supposed to happen this way, but in an age of digital everything, the reality is that we use more paper than ever in our "paperless" society. We like to print documents out, often several pages at a time even if we only need one page or paragraph. Think Google Maps – do we really need to keep directions after reaching our destination? Many times what we print gets tossed into the recycling bin the same day.

Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) has developed a new kind of reusable paper that, after being printed on with special light-sensitive chemicals, will fade back to its original state after 24 hours. The paper can then be reprinted on, potentially hundreds of times over, as long as a special printer is used.

PARC researchers say you don't even have to wait for text or images to fade. They are erased automatically when run through the printer. A good comparison is rewritable CDs and DVDs – it makes sense to pay a little more if you plan on storing information for short periods of time. Likewise, if you need to print something out only to use it briefly, it might make sense for some workplaces to have special printing areas set up for reusable paper. It will save trees, and is much more energy efficient than recycling.

• Sunshine online: We've seen interactive websites that allow us to show how certain paint colours or furniture might look in our homes. There are also sites that let us upload pictures of ourselves so we can try on virtual clothes and experiment with new hairstyles. Now there's a website, launched by a Berkeley, Calif.-based company called Sungevity Inc., which does the same for homeowners interested in solar technology.

All you have to do is enter your address on Sungevity's website. A few hours later, the company emails back a detailed quote that outlines several options. There's no need to send crews to your home to climb the roof and take measurements.

Instead, Sungevity uses satellite imaging and special software to analyze the size, shape and slope of your roof. It knows if you have a south-facing slope. It knows how well the sun shines where you live. The company then takes this data and suggests designs that combine lowest cost and best performance, based on the profile of your home.

The goal is to make solar technology more accessible to the masses. Actor Cate Blanchett is one of several angel investors in Sungevity, which was founded by a former Greenpeace manager.

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Unfortunately, it's only available at the moment for people living in areas in California, but it's just a matter of time before it – or something like it – hits a solar hot spot like Ontario.



Tyler Hamilton's Clean Break appears Mondays. You may email him at thamilt@thestar.ca.



