This paper showed how academics can benefit by using Appropedia to do open source research in sustainability.

A RecycleBot is a waste plastic extruder that creates 3-D printer filament from waste plastic and natural polymers.

As the solar photovoltaic (PV) matures, the economic feasibility of PV projects is increasingly being evaluated using the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) generation in order to be compared to other electricity generation technologies. Unfortunately, there is lack of clarity of reporting assumptions, justifications and degree of completeness in LCOE calculations, which produces widely varying and contradictory results.

There have been a number of open source 3D printers, such as the Rep Rap developed. The basic idea for this project is to use them as tools to create OSAT in the field to help the goals of sustainable development.

This project details an open-source colorimeter, which is made from open source electronics and 3-D printable components. This is part of a larger project to reduce the cost of scientific equipment using open-source hardware.

Just as the power of the open-source design paradigm has driven down the cost of software to the point that it is accessible to most people, the rise of open-source hardware is poised to drive down the cost of doing experimental science to expand access to everyone.