The Power of Design

The Power of Design offers an introduction and a practical guide to product innovation, integrating the key topics that are necessary for the design of sustainable and energy-efficient products using sustainable energy technologies.

Product innovation in sustainable energy technologies is an interdisciplinary field. In response to its growing importance and the need for an integrated view on the development of solutions, this text addresses the functional principles of various energy technologies next to the latest design processes and innovation methods.

From the perspective of product applications, the book provides clear explanations of technologies that are significant for product integration, such as batteries, photovoltaic solar energy, fuel cells, small wind turbines, human power, energy saving lighting, thermal energy technologies in buildings, and piezoelectric energy conversions. The design processes and innovation methods presented in this book include various approaches ranging from technical, societal and creative methods that can be applied in different stages of the design process. 

Other features include: 

• a methodological approach, enabling readers to easily apply the theory to their research projects and to the actual design of sustainable products with energy technologies
• discussion on interaction design and smart grid interventions
• colour photographs that illustrate the final products
• numerous case studies of product development projects and concepts in practice, enabling readers to understand and design energy-efficient products in several different markets
• a companion website containing useful information about the cases and an additional design cases with sustainable energy technologies 

The Power of Design provides a comprehensive and visually-appealing opening into the subject for third and fourth year students, postgraduates, and professionals in the areas of energy, environment, product design and engineering

Professor Dr Angèle H.M.E. Reinders, TU Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Angèle Reinders has been Professor of Energy-Efficient Design in the Design for Sustainability section of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology since 2010. Previous to this she taught and conducted research in the Department of Design, Production and Management at the University of Twente. In 2001 Professor Reinders was a scientific advisor in the Asia Alternative Energy Program of the World Bank in Washington D.C. She has also been a guest researcher at Fraunhofer Institute, the Ministry of Technology in Jakarta, and ENEA in Naples. She has written many papers and developed educational materials for over seven courses, co-founded the editorship of IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, and participated in the technical program committee of the IEEE PVSC conference.

Dr Jan Carel Diehl, TU Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Before becoming Assistant Professor of Sustainable Product Innovation for the Design for Sustainability (DfS) program at the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at the Delft University of Technology, Dr Diehl worked for several years as a consultant in Ecodesign. Next to his position at Delft he is also a consultant for UNIDO and UNEP, and an invited lecturer at several international universities. He is co-author of the UNEP Design for Sustainability (D4S) manual for Developing Economies (D4S EE).

Professor Dr Ir. Han Brezet, TU Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Professor Han Brezt is currently Research Director of the IDE Faculty and has been Professor of Sustainable Product Design since 1992. He is also a member of the Management Team in the Faculty. Over several years he combined his job in Delft with a visiting professor's position at the Lund University and a senior fellowship at the University of Melbourne. Professor Brezet is also a member of the Jury for the Gasterra Energy Environmental Awards in the Hague and the Jury for the Gasterra Energy Transitions Award.