The End of Ownership
The advent of highly sustainable energy and other resources is a double-edged sword for the corporate sector. A company can stay alive and viable if it sells products that are at the forefront of technological advancement, but that same spirit of innovation can also spell disaster for its bottom line. Businesses don’t want you to buy one light bulb that will last you a lifetime; they want you to buy many light bulbs over your lifetime. Therefore, the development and ultimate success of sustainable products requires a new economic model. The end of ownership comes with the realization of such a model by architect Thomas Rau.
Shortly after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, a committee was convened to evaluate the product’s commercial viability. They decided to maximize profitability by keeping the bulbs from burning for no more than 1,000 hours. By limiting the wattage of the bulbs, they ensured that more bulbs could be sold. In Rau’s view, her decision has also created an environment fraught with waste, placing unnecessary burdens on consumers.
Rau had a proposal for tech company Phillips: Make lighting solutions that fit consumers and let them pay for the electricity themselves. In theory, the benefits of this approach to consumers, businesses and the environment are desirable. Consumers are essentially paying rent for their lighting. Because the company pays for the electricity, they offer products that are designed to be extremely simple and efficient to operate to keep costs down. The program is currently being rolled out across the corporate sector, saving astronomical amounts of energy for all involved.
Rau’s provocative new-economy energy model has applications beyond light bulbs. The public housing sector has expressed interest in making more efficient appliances across all of its properties to save tenants money.
The End of Ownership is an exhilarating look at a potential future that works better for us all. Most valuable of all, it sheds light on a disturbing current running through our modern culture: what we own tends to own us.
