Hasta La Ideas

The Royal College of Art is hosting the Sunny Memories exhibition during the London Design Festival. On display in the nicely designed show are the results of an international design workshop initiated by the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Ecole Cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL) Lab in Switzerland to explore the potential of a recently invented technology: dye solar cells. Inspired by photosynthesis in plants, the technology harnesses solar energy with flexible, colored and even see-through surfaces.

The RCA Design Products Department were invited to explore the technology, alongside three other design schools: the California College of the Arts (CCA), the Ecole Cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL) and the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Creation Industrielle in Paris (ENSCI). In total, over 80 students shared their vision of the future of solar energy under the guidance of top-level designers.

Featured above are Dirk Winkel’s (RCA) Faro Lantern and Ming Kyu Choi’s (RCA) Insect Killer (the solar powered UV diode attracts the insects which then get caught and eaten by the plant) as well as Bubs – a simple and very resistant solar cell device for the homeless, designed by Alban Sommer and Marc-Olivier Metrailler (ECAL).

Pictured above are Jenny Redd’s (CCA) Solar Wall, a power-producing office furniture system, and Lea Longis’ (ENSCI) Helio radio.

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