Using a solar-powered Raspberry Pi cluster to transform government prototyping
UK consultancy Transform is helping the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to use RaspberryPi computers to create a self-sufficient, off-grid computer cluster. By thinking differently about a routine process, the project’s teams say they can create a solution that is cheaper, faster, and greener.
Teams at Defra and Transform have pioneered a low-cost, sustainable, and innovative solution to ensure government prototypes can run from renewable power. As hyperscalers don’t report accurately on their consumption of fossil fuels in data centres (often incorporating offsets), it has been impossible for government clients to ascertain if any load is powered renewably – until now.
A successful hack day brought together solar panels, Raspberry Pis and software, enabling the local hosting of digital prototypes, replacing cloud-based services and placing Defra at the forefront of testing clean energy use cases, in line with the government’s clean energy superpower mission
The carbon cost of prototyping
Following the government shift towards user-centred, product-led design, the need to build and test prototypes is essential and growing. Defra’s teams regularly create small prototypes to test with real users, from farmers to importers, to validate ideas quickly.
"We go out to real people and demo in real scenarios," John Steward, head of product at Defra said.
Traditionally, these prototypes, often built using the GOV.UK prototype kit, are hosted on cloud platforms like Heroku. While convenient, this approach comes with a financial and environmental cost. The reliance on cloud data centres, whose energy sources can be non-transparent and whose providers’ data often relies on questionable carbon offsetting, creates a ‘climate debt’ inconsistent with Defra’s mission to lead on sustainability.
The team devised a solution by creating a self-sufficient, off-grid compute cluster. The box contains a cluster of Raspberry Pi computers - the stripped-back, low-power devices famous for teaching kids to code. This cluster is powered by small solar panels, with a battery backup for overcast days or night-time.
This setup allows the team to run multiple prototypes with a net-zero environmental impact, directly controlling the energy source. The key benefits a low cost, rapid implementation with a prototype being ready for usability testing and design validation in a matter of weeks, and easy scalability, as Kubernetes cluster allows for multiple prototypes to run simultaneously.
The Impact: A green and digital mindset
Beyond being an innovative technical solution, this project marks a change in sustainability mindset and culture. Steward sees sustainability as the new benchmark for innovation in digital design.
"Sustainability is what accessibility was 10 years ago – an add on." Steward adds. "In 10 years from now, it will be built into solutions from the get-go."
The project champions a move from project-led to product-led thinking, where teams are empowered to solve problems holistically. Product managers are encouraged to be "green and digital," considering the climate impact of their work from day one. It’s about having the intentionality to seek a net-positive impact rather than accepting that "burning a little carbon doesn’t matter."
"What’s so exciting is that this project proves how small, intentional changes can create radical improvements," explained Claire Robinson, director of sustainable consulting at Transform. "By thinking differently about a routine process, our teams have created a solution that is cheaper, faster, and greener, setting a new standard for sustainable innovation in the public sector."
