SIMBY – Sun in My Backyard

What will the future of sustainable energy look like?

Solar panels are becoming increasingly common in people's lives. However, what many think of as a solar panel could actually be described as the tip of an iceberg of a large system that includes considerations for plant and animal life, raw material extraction, production chains, legal requirements, employment conditions, cultural, aesthetic, and philosophical values, as well as notions of how the world is constituted.

Even though solar energy is one (of many) proposed technical solutions for sustainable change, challenges remain regarding the climate. There is often talk of a "not in my backyard phenomenon." What would happen if, at the very beginning of the development process, we designed energy technologies in such a way that they also meet other human needs and desires beyond just energy supply, such as the need for shade or a relaxing view?

Since the earliest known civilizations, the sun has shaped our lives. People have built and adapted their ways of living to harness its power. The sun's movement has shaped our perception of time and has been the central factor in designing the first homes of our civilizations (van Aubel, 2022). However, the Western way of living and designing has evolved throughout history and, since the mid-1980s, has been dominated by a human- and user-centered paradigm. Currently, technical and environmental changes challenge designers to focus on complex sociotechnical systems (Forlano, 2017).

In the SIMBY project, we aim to contribute to the current technology-heavy Western energy discourse with a value- and relationship-driven perspective. As solar energy designer Marjan van Aubel puts it: "Solar energy needs a new narrative - one that says goodbye to old perspectives that only talk about efficiency and payback time" (van Aubel, 2022). Design has the ability to shift this narrative to a conversation about how we can live in harmony with the sun's almost infinite energy.

By developing methods for creating solar energy solutions, building speculative and new solar panel constructions, and inviting network activities on the theme, SIMBY creates a more holistic solar panel perspective. This is presented at Vandalorum in the form of prototypes and innovative projects gathered to open up new solar solutions and energy possibilities.

The project is funded by the research and innovation program Design for an Energy-Efficient Everyday Life, which is managed by the Swedish Energy Agency and coordinated by SVID, the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation.

The SIMBY project is led by the research institute RISE and partners include Vandalorum, Värnamo Municipality, Svensk Form, the Röhsska Museum, Linköping University, Lund University, and Dalarnas Paraplyfabrik. Solar panels are provided by Ephisine and Heliatek. Collaborative project with SIMBY are Regenerative Energy Communities, Solar Internet and Holding Surplus House.

^{Photo: Patrik Eriksson}