Imagine the Gas Heating System of the Future

Gas boilers have been present in many French homes for decades. Now GrDF is launching a real challenge – to completely rethink the boiler's identity!

How? Perhaps by dreaming up a cool new look, a new role in the home, an innovative connected use, a 100% green boiler…

Somewhere between strategic positioning, design, engineering, communication and marketing, the challenge is a unique opportunity to give this timeless appliance a new life! It's up to you to imagine how the boiler could become a disruptive product that quickly makes itself indispensable!

GrDF, France's biggest distributor of natural gas, is launching a challenge based on new solutions for heating and hot water (and why not other uses?) in the home.

Imagine the new product, its new functions, its appearance, its interaction with the user, its role in the home, how it fits into its environment… You and your team are totally free to put forward your dream solution. There's just one rule: your solution must use natural gas!

Awards

This challenge is the opportunity to come and present your project to a prestigious jury composed of GrDF's managers and to develop your innovative spirit.

But this is also the chance to win lots of prizes!

Context

Natural gas is a high-performance energy source for all domestic applications. It provides comfortable heating (uniform and all-enveloping), unparalleled cooking, very efficient water heating (instantaneous, continuous and unlimited) and offers its users highly competitive value for money despite recent price rises.

GrDF's key natural gas solution today is the gas boiler. Whether used on its own or in combination with renewable energy sources or other solutions, the condensing gas boiler accounts for over 90% of current gas solutions.

But natural gas is experiencing heavy criticism for these uses. It appears old-fashioned, and the technological changes that have occurred are unfamiliar or completely unknown – the image of the gas boiler has remained unchanged since the 1970s. Customers have little knowledge of or interest in innovations in boiler design.

Even its name does not help the product stand out – the use of the word "boiler" and its standard shape (a white box) get in the way of understanding certain technological advances.

Your mission

The diagnosis is simple: the natural gas boiler needs a revolution!

Would you and your team like to test your ability to develop an identity for a forgotten product? Are you drawn to the themes of innovation, design thinking, new technology and strategic positioning? Then this challenge is for you! Imagine the boiler of tomorrow!

Taking social, environmental and economic changes into account, imagine the natural gas boiler of the future and how it will fit into its new environment.

Invisible, or a decorative/design object in the home…

A connected appliance, interacting intelligently with consumers and businesses…

Sustainable or renewable…

Providing new services and functions for its users…

… this new natural gas solution will provide the answers to its users' current and future needs, at the very least in terms of heating and domestic hot water!

Recommendations

Don't hesitate to vary the skills of your team members. Complementary profiles will help boost the quality of your final submission.

We also recommend involving people from different international backgrounds to incorporate a diverse range of socio-cultural and economic issues into your thinking.

Although the challenge offers many possibilities, your project must be innovative, clear and feasible.

To go beyond the basic concept and bring your ideas to life, don't try to address all the possible areas with your team – concentrate on the aspects you think are most important.

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

http://www.studyka.com/en/challenges/challenge-grdf/pages/brief