"Why design new products when we can improve the existing ones?

Smarter, cleaner and more sustainable

Self-pressing solar-powered trash cans that tell you when they are full, public benches with heating and a Smart Solar tree you can charge your electric car on. Doesn't that sound ideal? Smart City Design is making the Netherlands a little smarter, cleaner and more sustainable. "The products all already exist, we just look at how we can make them even better. And it's all in the smallest adjustments," says Johan Knopper, co-owner of Smart City Design.

Knopper himself was in the IT and professional outdoor lighting business. When founder Velimir Jelovíc asked him for help in raising awareness of his products, Knopper immediately knew the answer. "I immediately got very excited about the products, they are just really cool. When we decided in early 2021 that we would move forward together, things suddenly went like clockwork. We already picked up our first bench from Croatia that fall. All our products come from suppliers from Croatia. We also went to the public space fair and the recreation trade fair."

Existing products

Sometimes it is smarter to look at what is already available on the market. And Knopper completely agrees. "Making everything yourself is very cool, but also complex, very expensive and time-consuming. In Croatia, we found two companies that have very nice products in their range. Deck chairs and picnic tables with solar-powered charging points We then became distributors of these. When you then delve deeper into those products and have regular discussions with the suppliers, you come up with great new ideas together. Like the charging station for electric cars on the Smart Solar tree."

One of the gems of Smart City Design are the Smart Solar benches. The benches are a huge success, the first four are already in Harderwijk. "Intelligent street furniture with a top design that fits in the various city centers, squares, parks and shopping centers. The benches have many smart applications, such as: multiple charging points, wifi, measuring equipment, heating and LCD screens. With solar panels in the benches, generating solar energy has never been more beautiful. Beautiful because you don't see the solar panels, but they are definitely there." 

High efficiency

But if you put up a bench, you should also put up a trash can, Knopper believes. "The two just belong together. Unfortunately, people still throw a lot of junk just on the ground. In addition, a smart solar trash can naturally looks better with a smart solar bench than a 'normal' trash can. The design matches and looks good in today's streetscape. Also, our trash cans can store up to five times more waste, so the municipality does not have to empty the trash cans as often. We don't have to explain the business case very often anymore."

How the benches provide energy during gray days? "We offer a hybrid solution for the solar benches. The benches are then connected to regular grid power so that they can supply energy back to the grid during sunny days. The moment the bench then needs energy to charge an electric bike during a gray day, the grid power you delivered to in the summer will jump in.