Lunar Resonant Streetlights Are The Future

The winner of the fourth annual Next Generation Design Competition went to a trio of San Francisco based designers for their Lunar Resonant Streetlights project. The contest challenges designers to create solutions to problems of their choosing that speak to one of 6 disciplines; architecture, urban planning, landscape design, interiors, product design and graphic design.

Streetlights account for 38% of all electricity used in the U.S. and that produces an estimated 300 million tons of carbon emissions per year. The Lunar Resonant Streetlights project proposes a way for cities to conserve up to 95% of that energy by simply looking at the moon. The moon goes thru different phases and reflects varying amounts of light on Earth. LED bulbs with built-in photo sensitive sensors could replace current bulbs in streetlights. These sensors detect which phase the moon is in and adjusts illumination accordingly. By working in tandem with the natural cycle of moonlight, we create far more energy efficient cities. No major infrastructure changes are needed since it's all in the bulb.

Congratulations to the three designers, Anton Willis, Kate Lydon and Christina Seely on their $10,000 prize.

via ArchNewsNow

More pictures after the jump.