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A sustainable design that uses sunlight to illuminate spaces at night.
Amsterdam-based Marjan van Aubel sees herself as a Solar Designer. Working with scientists and engineers, she aims to make solar technology more accessible and ultimately ubiquitous. Her work has been included in the collections of MoMA in New York and the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. The award-winning designer has previously created solar tables and solar windows, but Sunne is her first product to reach a wider range of people. “I believe in solar democracy, solar energy for everyone, everywhere,” says Marjan van Aubel. Self-powered, this sustainable ambient light captures solar light during the day and stores it in an integrated battery.
The ingenious design is easy to use: simply hang it on a window where it can receive plenty of sunlight. At the evening approaches, Sunne will start to glow and brighten the room using the energy captured during the day. The user can adjust the light thanks to the three settings that recreate natural moments of the sun throughout the day: Sunne Rise, Sunne Set, and Sunne Light. The design has an elongated shape reminiscent of the horizon and comes with two steel wires for easy installation.
Developed in a collaboration with leading European energy research center ECN.TNO, the battery has solar cells that charge during the day and produce an ambient light at night. Launched on Kickstarter on the 3rd of March, 2021, Sunne marks the beginning of a new era in sustainable lighting design. In October, Marjan van Aubel will also present a new solar roof design as part of the Dutch Pavilion at World Expo Dubai. Photographs© Marjan van Aubel.
