Stacey Frost Interviews Re:Volt Winner: Hazel Go
1. What sparked your interest in participating in a Re:Vision competition?
I have an interest in renewable energies. I am especially intrigued by the idea of using human movement which is free and ubiquitous to generate energy
2. Were you inspired by nature?
In the sense that nature provides us free and useable energy in the form of solar, wind, and, the ability to convert calories into human movement which in turn can be used to harness energy.
3. What do you think of the scale of a city block?
It’s a great way to start thinking in small ways that can be translated into larger scales. Everyone can relate to city blocks and think of ways in their everyday lives that they can save and generate energy.
4. Do you have a background in design?
Yes, I am an architect. I studied architecture at Carnegie Mellon University.
5. What in your opinion is the next step for developing the design of your winning entry? Different materials? Prototypes?
More research and actually installing it in a city block. My idea is to use human footsteps in sidewalks to generate energy. There are materials out there that can do this using piezoelectricity but they have never been used in large scales. One of the major setbacks is the lack of technology to store generated energy.
