Cell - Vordiplom
Energy storage for small communities
Design Documentation
Cell is an energy storage unit for public spaces. During the day it stores surplus solar power from up to sixty households in an energy community and releases it again in the evening, so instead of every household buying its own expensive battery, the neighborhood shares one and runs it together.
That’s also why Cell stands in plain sight in the street. People can sit in it, use it and see what it does, and energy stops being something locked away inside a technical box.
I didn’t want Cell to look like a technical device. Through sketches, models and studies on use, scale and material, it developed into a concrete structure with a translucent inlay that follows the shape of the body, guides light and displays information.
Built-in charging points supply phones, market stalls or e-bikes, and a thin line of light shows the charging state. A companion app adds a digital layer that makes the energy data accessible to the whole community.
Design Process
Besides storing energy, Cell offers shelter and a place where the community can come together. Because the system is modular, it can be set up in different configurations and adapted to each location and to the way each energy community is organized.
