CLEAN ENERGY CHALLENGE

HOW CAN DESIGNERS SOLVE URBAN ENERGY ISSUES?

In September 2018, What Design Can Do launched the Clean Energy Challenge in collaboration with the IKEA Foundation. This global design competition asked designers to rethink how we use energy in our cities.

 

The 20 winners present local solutions to generate cleaner energy — meaning renewable, passive, kinetic; anything but fossil fuels.

LEARN MORE

FIVE CITIES, FIVE OPPORTUNITIES

Cities emit 70 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide — likely even more when consumption-based emissions are accounted for. Cities offer a huge opportunity to transform the way we generate and use energy.

 

That is why the Clean Energy Challenge worked closely with partners in five major cities. In the end, the competition received 452 entries from 52 countries.

20 winning projects

project

SOLAR VISUALS

The Netherlands

High-tech solar power on a larger scale

project

ROOTS ARE THE NEW WIRES

The Netherlands

Clean electricity from living plants

project

ICONIC ENERGY STORAGE

The Netherlands

Preserving energy through higher altitude water storage

project

BOAT BATTERY SWAP

The Netherlands

Making the switch the clean energy easy & efficient

project

BLOCK E

The Netherlands

A new green currency

project

MFUKO-FRESH

Kenya

A lightweight container to keep produce fresh on the journey from farm to market

project

NAIROBI’S ENERGY-FOOD NEXUS

Kenya

Vertical farm systems for nairobians of all income levels

project

SOLAR FREEZE

Kenya

Solar-powered cold storage solutions for farm produce

project

THE WASTE TRANSFORMER IN NAIROBI

Kenya

Flat-packed urban furniture that nurtures the community

project

MILÊNIO BUS

Brazil

A smart app for fleet optimization and passenger management on buses

project

PEDIVELA CYCLELOGISTICS NETWORK

Brazil

A network connecting cargo bike riders with parcel delivery companies

project

BEEHIVE

India

A biomimetic cooler and air purifier made from earthenware pots

project

PRAANAM

India

Portable window attachment to which cools and purifies incoming air

project

AGROCRETE

India

Transforming agricultural waste into carbon-negative building materials

project

ELECTRIC WATER HEATER RETROFIT FOR GRID SERVICES

India

A retrofit for electric water heaters to act like batteries to store energy

project

ECOLANA

México

Transforming fruit and vegetable peels into bioplastic and leather

project

ECOPLASO

México

An ecosystem of sustainable products and services for preventing food waste

project

BIOGRÜN

México

Cheap and sustainable building blocks made from local plastic and glass waste

project

CIRCULAR COMMUNITIES FOR HOUSING

México

A system of aquaponics urban farms on the rooftops of sao paulo