Carlo Ratti’s pioneering proposal for Helsinki featuring an archipelago of heat-storing basins with the dual function of storing thermal energy and providing space for recreational activitiesThere is an increasing awareness that design can play a vital role in the transition away from fossil fuels and carbon emissions, as we seek to reduce humans’ harmful impacts on the natural environment.
Solar Shirt, by Dutch fashion designer Pauline van Dongen, integrates photovoltaic cells into a T-shirt, generating electricity to charge the wearer’s smartphone. Photovoltaic cells are also used on the Covestro Sonnenwagen, a solar-powered race car, while Sono Motors installs solar panels on large buses and trucks in order to help reduce their carbon emissions.
The Powerhouse Brattørkaia in Trondheim, Norway, designed by architecture practice Snøhetta, is an energy-positive building, producing more energy than it consumes over its lifespan, feeding the surplus back into a local microgrid. This is achieved by designs including extensive solar panels, optimisation of natural daylight, efficient insulation, high thermal mass, heat recovery systems, and using seawater for heating and cooling.