A team of young innovators have recently been spotlighted for their installation of environmentally-friendly solar powered street lamps in dark alleyways across the capital. They call their work the City Firefly Project, as they modeled their street lamps after the firefly, a small bug that gives off a precious glow in the darkness.
The City Firefly Project team grabbed first place at the Changing the World Idea Festival, hosted by SK Innovation last month. The team consists of four young men -- Kwon Oh-hyun, Song Jae-woo, Gong Byung-hyuck and Lee Sang-hyun -- who are all either studying or working in different cities across the country. The light-emitting diodes (LED) they use inside a recycled milk carton were installed across shabby, dark alleyways in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu (District), providing convenience to passers-by late at night.
The four have been friends since elementary school. Before graduating from university -- from the Department of Economics at Yonsei University, the Department of Public Administration at Kyungpook National University, the Department of Accounting at the University of Ulsan and from the Department of Computer Science at Busan National University -- they wanted to work together to create something that could change the world and make it a better place.
The City Firefly Project team won first prize with its environmentally-friendly solar powered street lamps at the Changing the World Idea Festival, run by SK Innovation last year. Pictured are (from left) Lee Sang-hyun, Kwon Oh-hyun and Gong Byung-hyuck.
The team believes that taking an interest in small things can lead to big changes across society. Korea.net sat down with Kwon Oh-hyun, one of the teammates, to hear more about their stories, from the beginning brainstorming stages through to the final installation.
Kwon Oh-hyun, one of the members of the City Firefly Project, had an interview with Korea.net where he told us all about the project from the beginning stages through to the final installation.
Your teammates have only one thing in common, that you are all from the same elementary school. Today, you are studying and working in different cities across the country. How were you able to join forces?
All of us attended Ulsan Nambu Elementary School. We lived close to each other until middle school and then we separated. In the corner of our minds, we all thought that we wanted to reunite someday. Participating in this project, we thought, would let us spend some time together, and in addition give us some prize money and a chance to make a contribution to the development of the world. Of course, it wasn't as easy as we first thought it would be.
How did you develop your ideas to create street lamps powered by sunlight?
There are many dark alleyways near Silim-dong where I live. It looked dangerous for women and the elderly. From that little thought, the seed developed and made me determined to light up the shabbier areas of Seoul.
The combination of recycled milk cartons, LEDs and solar panels is interesting. What inspired you?
We didn't think about solar power in the beginning. The original idea was to brighten dark areas with new paint jobs. As more and more ideas were collected, however, we started planning for more effective and environmentally-friendly products. For that to happen, architect Lee Hyun-wook of Peanut House, the mentor recommended to us by SK Innovation, played a direct role. He recommended we think of a material that is small, yet effective, something that costs less but which can produce more quantity, and, most importantly, which is environmentally-friendly. In that sense, recycled milk cartons were appropriate, as they don't melt, and they protect everything from the rain. Moreover, as they are easy to produce and are cost-effective, we believed that it could lead to citizens participating more spontaneously in our project.
How much time and how much money did you spend on the project?
We started planning between the end of June and early July. We completed production in the end of August. In total, it took about two months.
During the two months, we produced 22 lamps, each of which cost KRW 13,000. It certainly is economical and cost-effective.
'City Fireflies' -- solar powered street lamps made from milk cartons -- light up an alleyway in Haengchon-dong, Jongno-gu (District).
What are the merits of solar powered LEDs? Were there any difficulties during the project?
One of the greatest benefits was that we didn't need to draw any electric current. It was really hard to persuade people living in the neighborhoods. They were concerned about the cost of electricity that might be charged to them. Solar powered street lamps don't generate any expense. Another merit of the lamps is that they don't require any space for installation.
As I mentioned, the project was carried out during the peak of summer. It was scorching hot, or pouring rain. It was hard to explore alleyways that were in need of lamps. We spent most of our time exploring Jeongneung-dong in Jongno-gu (District). I didn't expect that many steep hills in that neighborhood.
When we found an appropriate location, we had to persuade the residents. They were very reluctant to put anything on their outer wall. Sometimes, we thought we had succeeded in persuading them, and finished installing the street lamp, and came back the next day to find nothing on the wall.
However, we were also encouraged and touched by many of them. A number of people gave us feedback, like that a particular lamp was working fine or that another was quite dim. I was also glad to see this raise awareness and interest in environmentally-friendly projects and products.
It's important to ensure safety at night, but heating during winter is another serious social issue. Have you thought about a home heating system powered by sunlight?
A solar powered street lamp has very low thermal efficiency. It's not appropriate for a system that requires a large amount of heat for a short period of time. Moreover, most houses in Jongno-gu were small and old. It's not fitting for the installation of gigantic solar panels. However, beginning with these conditions, the industry can become an engine of future growth.
What are your future plans?
Some local governments, including the cities of Seoul and Daegu, have shown an interest in the City Firefly Project. We plan to study more about how we can contribute to the development of the cities' urban renewal projects.
We believe that the world doesn't change all at once. Taking an interest in small things is the beginning to bring change to society.
By Lee Seung-ah Photos: Jeon Han, SK Innovation Korea.net Staff Writers slee27@korea.kr