Yiqian Bao

Department: Social Design
Website: electricalparasites.com

Electrical Parasites

What: ‘Electrical Parasites’ are objects designed to collect and convert waste energy in the home into usable electricity.

Why: While public awareness of the global energy crisis has increased substantially, individuals still have difficulty finding ways to contribute to the solution. Meanwhile, in a typical urban household a lot of energy is lost.

How: Most household appliances generate waste heat as a by-product of their functions. Using generic parts and universal DIY production methods, Yiqian Bao created small ‘parasites’ that convert this heat into free power that can be used to charge various devices. At the same time, the project might inspire manufacturers to improve the energy efficiency of their products by including simple mechanisms in their design process.

“These parasites will help people to save electricity without changing their lifestyles”