Photovoltaics for product designers. How designers deal with complexity of PV powered product design

D. Geelen1 , S. Y. Kan1, J. C. Brezet1

1 Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Design for Sustainability
Landbergstraat 15, 2628CE Delft, The Netherlands

* Corresponding Author, d. v.geelen@tudelft. nl

Abstract

How do product designers apply photovoltaic solar technology in consumer products? That question is addressed in this paper. Six design projects were analysed for the application of guidelines from the Delft Design Approach. This is a generic design approach for the design of renewable energy powered products, based on a phase model for product design, the Energy Matching Model and a Design for Sustainability benchmark. The analysis indicates that structural application of the guidelines facilitates the design process, and makes it more transparent. Further research and development for the Delft Design Approach is desirable in order to improve the development of PV powered products.

Keywords: PV powered consumer products, product design guidelines, energy matching.

1. Introduction

Imagine you are an industrial designer, and not an expert in solar energy technology, such as photovoltaics (PV). How would you design a PV powered consumer product?

This paper addresses the research question how young product designers deal with the application of PV technology in consumer products and to what extent they make use of the Delft design approach for the creation of successful PV powered products?

The Delft design approach is a generic design approach for the design of renewable energy powered products, taught at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of the Delft University of Technology. The approach is based on the phase model of the design process presented by Buijs and Valkenburg [1], the work on energy matching by Kan [2] and the Design for Sustainability (D4S) manual [3].

Six design projects were analysed to answer the research question. The projects discussed in this paper are recent master graduation projects executed at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of Delft University of Technology. All design projects were aimed to create a PV powered consumer product. All involved designers were familiar with the basis of the Delft design approach.