A contributory international initiative to increase the agency of local actors through solar energy.
A contributory international initiative to increase the agency of local actors through solar energy.
Sun Factory Project is a contributory international initiative that aims to increase the agency of local actors in the use of solar energy: to make and produce foodstuffs and value-added products that meet people's essential needs.
Founded on the principles of technological commons and open source, Sun Factory Project develops low-tech technologies through collective intelligence, and documents and shares them internationally. It trains and supports local actors so they gain autonomy: making and using the technologies, but also the business model and the craft sector. The goal is to support agile and resilient ecosystems that create jobs and strengthen local areas.
Established in several countries, Sun Factory Project is part of a local, contributory, social and solidarity economy serving people.
The project is led by Marco Bernardo, an engineer specialising in solar technology, and hosted by the Antenna Foundation (Geneva).
Mission
What Sun Factory Project does, and what the Design Office puts into practice every day.
Invent, develop and document low-tech technologies for manufacturing and craft production that run on solar energy.
Place all the plans, methods and information needed to reproduce the technologies under free « copyleft » licences (CC BY-SA, CERN OHL and any compatible licence): replication is free of charge and unrestricted.
Share know-how and train local actors so they can use the technologies developed on their own.
Consolidate an international development community of engineers, technicians, makers and talents passionate about solar energy and low-tech.
Principles
No value produced can be privatised: what is published stays acquired, for everyone.
Texts, designs and documentation, under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0.
Digital tools and software remain free, even online.
A « strong » hardware licence: improvements flow back to the commons.
Measurements, costs and open databases, under the Open Database License.
Energy, water, food, employment, circular economy and climate.
Organisation
The Design Office is the research and creation engine of Sun Factory Project.
The initiative, its mission and its community, hosted by the Antenna Foundation.
Research, design, proofs of concept and documentation of solar machines.
The published solar commons: plans, BOM, code, articles and costs.
Use, learn, make, sell and create jobs.
↺ Back to the commons: field feedback from the SunFactory Labs and local actors returns to the Design Office and enriches the portfolio.