Lets face it - we all know a lot of design press comes from an idea that the general public sees as a great idea and insiders know is terrible.
It’s not the first time it happened. Heck - look at the “solar powered glider” on the front page of Core today. My uncle is actually one of the few people around to be building electric aircraft and I know INSTANTLY that the amount of energy needed to power any kind of engine is vastly greater then what any photo voltaic panels could provide.
BUT
If the concept is nicely illustrated, the designer makes a point to explain themselves, and its something the jury hasn’t seen before, it’ll gain press.
I remember the Gravia lamp that won the greener gadgets contest a few months ago as well that was torn apart on here, slashdot, and tons of other forums for simply being impossible.
These blue sky projects will always happen, and seldomly (this isn’t the norm in design) they’ll get recognition. The best you can do is enter your own designs and hope that they win out over the crazy contraptions that work on unobtanium.