Biography
Passionate by energy concerns, Cedric Carles participated in the conception of the temporary exhibition "Energy and Climate" with the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, and was the main proponent for the inclusion of embodied energy in the exhibit (a rarely addressed issue that happens to be half of our annual energy consumption). In an effort to prolong the embodied energy of the exhibit in a second life, Carles created ITEX ("ITinerant EXposition", or, "Mobile Exhibition"), an ngo dedicated to educating schools on renewable energy/ energy efficiency.
His critical reflection on energy technology and progressive living has peaked the interest of the Department of Research of the Cité du Design ( on fuel poverty and now smart-grid ) as well as the Leroy Merlin think tank (leader of DIY market ), with whom he currently collaborates. Carles equally served as editorial advisor and participant for the radio program "Les Urbanités" on Radio Suisse Romande. In 2011, Carles served as interior designer for ECO46, , the first 100% ecologically constructed administrative building in Switzerland, consisting of local lumber and collaborative design. Currently he is leading a project for the Chamarande Estate designing open source updated picnic tables for the park grounds.
After Switzerland, Carles open a SolarSoundSystem's antenna in Paris, Marseille, Berlin and Spain. Started in 1999, this 100% energy autonomous dj booth has proposed a unique way of addressing the energy resource issues of today through a cultural lens. This concept continues to inspire more and more cultural and educational organizations on a global scale. SolarSoundSystem has invested in projects around the world ( Haïti, India, Brazil, Cameroun, and Taïwan), and has been certified by UNESCO Switzerland under the category of " The decade of United Nations for the Education of sustainable development ". In 2016, this « music lover » community open their own web radio, hosted 100% by solar energy, to share all the mixes recorder or streamed by the antennas.
Launched in 2015, Paléo-énergétique is a new research-based knowledge sharing model which integrates the scientific community and crowd-sourcing: a hands-on and open resource for social and technical energy-related inventions which didn't always see the light of day. Today, this transmedia project exists as a website and interactive exhibition which both include a timeline about lost innovations in connection with energy, transportation, heating, electricity production. It includes people who worked hard to prototype their idea, people who created an innovation that provided a solution but were then be ignored or dropped into forgetfulness. The first proof of concept of this methodology is RegenBox and comes from a us patent from 1980 to regenerate alkaline “single use” batteries.