The heatwave surging across the US is putting a serious drain on the nation's grid, but what if your air conditioner actually generated energy instead of just sucking it up? That's the idea behind the BeCool, a new HVAC system that cools or heats the air while charging up a fuel cell at the same time. In other energy news, Facebook just launched its solar-powered internet drone for the first time and Obama set a target of 1 gigawatt of solar energy for low-income homes by the year 2020. A team of researchers developed a new osmosis technology that generates electricity from saltwater, and California shattered a solar power record by hitting 8,030 megawatts -- enough energy to power 20 million households.



The best emergency shelters can be quickly deployed and constructed -- like the uLite, a modular, inflatable dwelling that can be set up in 30 minutes flat. In other design developments, Conceptos Plásticos has developed a set of LEGO-like building blocks that allow anyone to build a home for just $5,200. WASP launched a 3D printer that uses dirt to build durable, affordable homes. Morocco debuted the longest cable-stayed bridge in Africa, which is lit up with LED lights. Mexico City unveiled a high-tech LEED platinum skyscraper that's built to last for 2,500 years. And Denmark transformed a century-old lighthouse into a gigantic kaleidoscope that collects light instead of sending it out.