How can we rethink our relationship with solar energy to encourage more conscious and sustainable energy practices? In Energy Ecologies, Designing relational technologies to support sustainable energy practices we explore how design and technology can help people develop a more direct relationship with solar energy. By making energy more visible, tangible and understandable, we aim to encourage new ways of engaging with energy more consciously and sustainably.
The energy transition is not just about solar panels, wind turbines and more efficient energy systems. The way we use and interact with energy also needs to change. We are accustomed to energy being available whenever we need it, while renewable energy depends on the sun, weather conditions and the seasons. How can we better align our daily energy consumption with these natural rhythms?
The challenge
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy requires more than technological innovation. Our behaviours and expectations also need to change. Solar and wind energy are not always available when we need them, yet our daily energy consumption often takes little account of this fluctuating supply. This can put pressure on electricity grids and increase demand for batteries and other technologies that rely on scarce raw materials.
However, changing energy habits is not easy. Most people take energy for granted: we switch on a light or charge a device without considering where the energy comes from. Advice to reduce energy consumption can also be perceived as a threat to comfort and personal freedom.
The challenge, therefore, is to encourage people to think differently about energy. Not simply by providing information or promoting energy conservation, but by helping people directly experience the relationship between their energy use and the natural environment.
How can designers create new experiences of solar energy that encourage more conscious and sustainable energy practices?
Our approach
In this project, we combine research-through-design with participatory design. This means conducting research by developing, testing and refining new designs together with users.
At the heart of the project is the concept of relational technologies: technologies that help people better understand and experience their relationship with the natural environment. These might include designs that make the availability of solar energy visible or tangible, or encourage people to align their daily activities with the rhythms of the sun.
We build on insights from More-than-Human Design, a design approach that looks beyond human needs and recognises our interdependence with nature and the environments we live in.
Together with designers and households, we develop prototypes that create new ways of experiencing solar energy. By testing these in everyday settings, we investigate whether and how they contribute to changes in energy habits and a stronger connection with renewable energy sources.
Our contribution to the challenge
Through Energy Ecologies, we develop new design knowledge and practical examples for designers and organisations working on the energy transition.
While many energy innovations focus on technical efficiency, we explore how design can contribute to cultural change: new ways of thinking about, interacting with and living with energy.
The project demonstrates how relational technologies can be applied within Solar Design, an emerging design field that explores new relationships between people and solar energy. We develop and test tangible designs that help people become more aware of the availability and origins of energy.
The resulting insights and prototypes offer designers and the energy sector new opportunities to develop products and services that are not only sustainable but also encourage more sustainable behaviour.
The plan
The research consists of three phases, in which we work with designers and households to develop, test and translate new ideas into practical design knowledge.
1. Co-developing prototypes
We investigate how designers can use relational technologies to create new experiences of solar energy. Together with designers and future users, we develop prototypes that invite people to think differently about energy and explore their relationship with energy sources.
By actively involving households in the design process, we ensure that the designs reflect their everyday experiences, needs and habits.
2. Testing in everyday life
The prototypes are tested in households through so-called living labs. Here, we investigate how people experience the designs and whether they influence their awareness, attitudes and energy use.
For example, we explore whether people become more aware of the availability of solar energy and whether the designs encourage them to align their daily routines more closely with natural rhythms.
We use participants’ experiences to further develop and improve the prototypes.
3. Developing and sharing design knowledge
We translate insights from the design process and real-world testing into practical knowledge for designers, the energy sector and other stakeholders.
We also present the prototypes and research findings to a wider audience through exhibitions and events. In doing so, we aim to spark new conversations and ideas about our relationship with energy and the role of design in a sustainable future.
Deliverables
The project will produce tangible designs, practical insights and new design knowledge:
- 5 co-developed and tested prototypes of relational technologies that enable new experiences of solar energy.
- Real-world testing in households to investigate how the prototypes influence people’s relationship with energy.
- Design insights and practical guidelines for designers and organisations in the solar energy sector.
- Presentations and exhibitions showcasing the prototypes and research findings, with Dutch Design Week, Warming Up Festival 2027 and 2028, and other relevant events as potential platforms.
- A foundation for future research, focused on expanding collaboration between designers, researchers and partners in the energy sector.