Created by research and design lab SPACE10, SolarVille is a miniature neighbourhood that is powered by solar power alone. The project aims to showcase the fully realizable vision for a future where all energy needs are fulfilled by clean, sustainable and self-sufficient methods.
Fitted with solar panels, households in the 1:50 scale neighbourhood are able to generate renewable energy. For the households that don’t have solar panels, electricity is purchased from producers using blockchain technology.
“The result is a model of a self-sufficient, community-driven microgrid where people trade renewable, affordable energy from one another according to their individual needs,” said SPACE10.
According to SPACE10, roughly 1.1 billion people around the globe have limited or no access to electricity. In today’s digital age, access to electricity is a necessity for any person and economy to thrive. “It’s an almost impossibly expensive task to reach these people with the centralised energy networks we have in place today, often because they’re too slow and economically adequate to reach those locked in energy poverty,” explained SPACE10.
By utilizing SolarVille’s concept, those in energy-poverty will be able to create their own micro-grid systems and have access to affordable energy.
“Solar energy is not a fuel that can be used up, but a technology that is constantly being developed. Because of that, we can expect a continuous fall in prices associated with relying on solar energy for our electricity needs. Ultimately, that will make clean energy cheaper and more accessible into the indefinite future,” added SPACE10.
