The WattWise Project: Visualising Embodied Energy
Oliver Lloyd
We are Carlotta Hylkema and Oliver Lloyd, the team behind The WattWise Project,
Carlotta:
I’m an industrial design engineer with a bachelors from TU Delft and am currently pursuing my masters in Design for Emergent Futures at ELISAVA & IAAC. My passion lies in human-centered design, with a focus on the environmental impact of my designs. I aim to create a society in which the majority of products are sustainable and we question companies that have not made that shift. For me that means trying to understand what the core problem of actions are and designing solutions that can help people and companies start to change the way they act for a better planet.
Oliver:
I’m a product designer with a bachelors from Bournemouth University in the UK and currently taking part in the 2023 - 24’ cohort of the Master’s in Design for Emergent Futures at ELISAVA Design School and the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia. I’m passionate about working on and designing solutions that put the planet and people first, and I love to work on problems that I’m not smart enough to solve on my own. My passion for planet centred design spans across both the physical and the digital, using design to facilitate transitions between systems.
Our project aims to empower individuals to understand and optimise their total embodied energy consumption across home, food, and transport categories. Inspired by the ideals of the 2000-watt society, doughnut economics, and regenerative long-term thinking, this initiative leverages AI and open-source hardware for a comprehensive and interactive approach to managing energy use.
We initiated this project to explore sustainable living solutions that extend beyond awareness. The ongoing overconsumption of fossil fuels highlights a critical demand for tools that enable informed, impactful changes. Our solution offers a user-friendly, conversational AI system that helps users visualise and manage their energy use holistically.
The development began with a DIY-friendly, Arduino-based energy monitoring system, easy to install and integrate with our AI interface. This AI, accessible via text messaging platforms like Telegram, engages users in natural conversations, providing insights and personalised suggestions to reduce energy consumption without compromising quality of life. The system monitors energy in real-time, logs data into a CSV database, analyses usage patterns, and delivers tailored advice. Users can set energy budgets, receive alerts, and gain a comprehensive view of their daily energy footprint.
A key success of our project is its ability to foster a collaborative learning environment. The AI learns alongside users, empowering them and encouraging incremental changes that significantly reduce energy consumption.
We plan to evolve the project by adding advanced features like self-regulating AI, expanding support to more messaging platforms, and developing community features for shared learning and collective action toward sustainability.
Our project is a forward-thinking solution designed to empower individuals to take control of their energy consumption, paving the way for a sustainable future where informed decisions lead to environmental benefits.