CIRCADIAN BEACONS (2016)
Design/Sustainability
Concept and 3D visualization for a clean-energy generating installation that displays a daily cycle of light and movement dependent of the environmental elements that it is placed in.
The concept is inspired by novel technologies that enable photovoltaic water electrolysis. By using the power of the sun, water (H2O) can be separated into oxygen (O2) and the clean fuel hydrogen gas (H2).
A number of hydrogen producing units are placed inside the water along the shore. As the sunlight hits the objects during the day, water from the sea is transformed into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is stored in balloons to be later used as fuel. The oxygen is released into the surrounding air. Since hydrogen is lighter than air, the balloon floats up as it gets filled during the day. When the production of hydrogen stops during the night, the collected hydrogen in the balloons is used to fuel a hydrogen generator. Part of the energy coming from the generator is used to power lights inside the balloons, the rest of the energy is transferred to the city's power grid. As the hydrogen is being used up in this process, the balloons slowly float downwards during the night, acting as beacons of light that illuminate the street along the shore. Each beacon has its own circadian rhythm that is dependent on the sunlight it receives during day and the power that it uses during the night. This composes a setting where, during daytime, the focus is on the environment that surrounds the installation. At night, the focus shifts to the light and movement of the installation itself, displaying the power that was harvested from the environment during the day.