Solar Fuels

The consumption of fossil resources has reached record levels, threatening the climate, human health, and biodiversity. Air, water, and soil pollution are causing economic and geopolitical risks. Solar fuels represent one of the technological solutions that can facilitate sustainable transitions. This project explores their potential and envisions new forms for their storage and transport.

Open­ing day on Saturday, 21 June

13:00–13:15 Welcome by Professor Sophia Haussener from the Laboratory of Science and Engineering of Renewable Energies (LRESE / EPFL), the curator of mudac Scott Longfellow, Lukas Franciszkiewicz, head of the Master in Industrial Design at ZHdK, as well as representatives from Wint Design Lab and Notter + Vigne studios
13:15–13:45 Introduction and discussion in English about the Solar Fuels project
13:45–14:15 Guided tour with the project participants

Rethink­ing the Future Beyond Fossil Fuels

Glob­ally, the consump­tion of fossil resources (gas, coal, and oil) has reached unpre­ced­en­ted levels. Their combus­tion for energy produc­tion and use, along with their trans­form­a­tion in indus­tries such as the chem­ical, steel, agro­chem­ical, and cement sectors, contrib­utes to climate change, air, water, and soil pollu­tion, public health issues, loss of biod­iversity, and economic and geopol­it­ical risks.

Trans­itions to a post-fossil era are possible. They require redu­cing the energy intens­ity of our every­day lives. This soci­etal and polit­ical aspect is neces­sary but not addressed in this project. Tech­no­lo­gic­ally, it depends on decar­bon­iz­ing the power sector, elec­tri­fic­a­tion of energy services, clean fuel gener­a­tion, and circu­lar­ity and energy effi­ciency.  With current tech­no­lo­gies, certain indus­tries, such as aviation, steel­mak­ing, or cement produc­tion, cannot easily oper­ate without energy-dense fuels. On the mater­i­als front, petro­chem­istry, agro­chem­istry, and steel­mak­ing util­ise fossil resources as raw mater­i­als. Beyond essen­tial recyc­ling, these altern­at­ives rely on biosourced mater­i­als that present ecolo­gical chal­lenges.

This project, suppor­ted by the Agora programme of the Swiss National Science Found­a­tion, focuses on tech­no­lo­gies that could play a crucial role in redu­cing green­house gas emis­sions and pollu­tion: solar fuels and mater­i­als. These provide an altern­at­ive to fossil fuels, partic­u­larly where elec­tri­fic­a­tion is diffi­cult.

Collab­or­a­tions with a Labor­at­ory at EPFL and the ZHdK in Zurich

The exhib­i­tion explores the tech­no­lo­gies developed by the LRESE labor­at­ory at EPFL, direc­ted by Sophia Haussener, which create solar fuels and mater­i­als directly using the sun’s rays. Simul­tan­eously, the ZHdK Indus­trial Design­Mas­ter and Research programme led by Lukas Fran­ciszkiewicz together with WINT Design Lab, spec­u­lates on the forms and applic­a­tions of objects that facil­it­ate the stor­age and trans­port of hydro­gen, the simplest solar fuel and solar mater­ial. Were you accus­tomed to the jerry­can and the gas bottle? We invite you to discover the unique char­ac­ter­ist­ics of this gas, espe­cially its low volu­met­ric energy dens­ity, which suggests new forms of stor­age.

Partical inform­a­tion

Scientific consultant Sophia Haussener – EPFL STI IGM LRESE
Speculative objects Lukas Franciszkiewicz (ZHdK – Master industrial design) & WINT Design Lab (Robin Hoske, Felix Rasehorn)
Graphic Design Notter + Vigne
Project Management Romain Carré
Strategic Committee Lukas Franciszkiewicz, Sophia Haussener, Jolanthe Kugler, Scott Longfellow, Julien Notter, Robin Hoske, Felix Rasehorn

Solar Fuels is made possible with the support of the Agora program of the Swiss National Science Foundation.