Photo: Charlie Clift | The Observer
Inspired by how COVID created community on their street in London, UK, artists and filmmakers Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell want to turn Lynmouth Road into a solar power station. They describe Power Station as a natural evolution from their 2018 project, Bank Job, which raised £40,000 (about $48,000) - half for local groups, and half to buy £1.2m ($1.44 million) worth of high-interest debt owed by local people. The initial grand design was for an entire street interlinked, powered for free and managed by a cooperative. But the mixture of rented and private, leasehold and freehold, and various mortgages with various banks meant uniform infrastructure would be almost impossible. However, Dan would love to see a community battery so those who can’t have solar panels could also access power. With 30 households involved, the street can become a solar energy hotspot and model for other streets. If all goes to plan, the solar panels will start to go up in January. “We can be powerful, us, the people who should be powerless,” says Dan. “We do have the power to change things.”
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