Furniture megastore IKEA has really been hammering down on sustainability — from the launch of its eco-friendly food menu to Space10's clean energy community concept. The business' research lab worked alongside architecture practice SachsNottveit, as well as a number of blockchain experts, to realize a miniature wooden prototype of the idea.
The scheme operates on the notion of circularity via a "neighbor-to-neighbor trading scheme," referencing blockchain technology and making use of solar panels. Basically, each house will generate its own electricity via the solar panels and any excess power will be shared to neighboring houses via blockchain tech. The clean energy community prototype — which is aptly titled 'SolarVille,' is built to a 1:50 scale.
Photo Credits: Irina Boersma
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Circular Economy
- The concept of circularity, as seen in IKEA's clean energy community prototype, presents opportunities for businesses to create sustainable and self-sufficient systems.
- Blockchain Technology
- The implementation of blockchain technology in the neighbor-to-neighbor trading scheme opens up disruptive innovation opportunities in sectors aiming for secure and transparent transactions.
- Renewable Energy
- The use of solar panels in SolarVille highlights the increasing demand for renewable energy solutions, prompting innovation in the clean energy industry.
Where This Applies
- Furniture Retail
- Furniture retailers can explore opportunities to integrate renewable energy solutions into their offerings, following IKEA's focus on sustainability.
- Architecture
- Architects can leverage the circular economy model to design eco-friendly and self-sufficient communities, as exemplified by SolarVille.
- Blockchain Development
- Blockchain experts can further develop secure and decentralized platforms for neighbor-to-neighbor trading, inspired by the clean energy community concept.
