Sheds, backyard offices and garden houses all add an extra bit of comfort and enjoyment to our natural spaces; sometimes they are almost like an extension of our homes. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the oddball to the futuristic. In Utrecht, this fetching new garden house was built out of wood, on top of the foundation of an old structure, and features a full wall of shutters that can open up to an peaceful outdoor view.

The Galapagos Islands are most famous for the unique animal species studied by Charles Darwin and it's those species that have been the driving force behind the archipelago's quest to derive all of its energy from renewable sources instead of imported diesel fuel which still meets the majority of its energy needs.

Back in 2001, a fuel tanker bringing diesel fuel to San Cristóbal, the provincial capital, struck a reef and spilled about 570,000 liters of diesel oil which threatened the plants, birds and marine life that only call the Galapagos home. After that event, an international group created the $10 million San Cristóbal Wind Project which saw the installation of three 51-meter-tall wind turbines and two sets of solar panels in 2007.

That project, operated by the energy company EOLICSA, has managed to cover 30 percent of the electricity needs of San Cristóbal, the second largest island in size and population, and replaced the use of 8.7 million liters of diesel fuel since it began operation. A new planned expansion would boost renewable energy to covering 70 percent of the island's electricity needs on the way to hitting 100 percent. The new project would also serve as a blueprint for how to get the rest of the island chain to catch up. Currently, renewable energy only supplies 20 percent of energy demand for the other 18 islands, most of which are uninhabited.