TPCreative
/台電文創年度特展
/60Hz STEREO/RETRO: 千瓦之後 ∞ 電氣回聲
Taiwan Power Company · Circular Economy
Welcome to TPCreative — a creative initiative by Taiwan Power Company, also known as Taipower. Here, sustainability isn't just a goal — it's a design philosophy. Byproducts, retired equipment, and retrieved components from the power generation process are given a second life. Through careful experimentation and thoughtful design, they're transformed into everyday products you can use at home.
The hope is simple: that these items find their way into people's daily lives, and gently reconnect us all with the bigger conversations around energy and the environment.
Take a moment to look at this electric meter. Chances are, you've seen one before — maybe on the wall outside your home. Inside that smooth, transparent glass cover is a surprisingly sophisticated mechanism. As the aluminum disc slowly spins, it steadily tallies up every kilowatt-hour of electricity used.
Since 1955, as glass manufacturing became more widely available, these meters became a fixture across Taiwan. Today, as the power grid moves toward smart technology, they stand as meaningful artifacts — quiet witnesses to Taiwan's energy story.
台電文創，是台灣電力公司以循環經濟追求環境永續的實踐。透過收集發電過程所產生的副產品、廢棄設備、回收料件資源，經過實驗研發與精良的設計程序，再次投入產品製造的循環中。期待台電文創的作品，深入每個家戶的生活場景裡，喚起消費者對環境與能源的連結。
電表，是台灣家戶生活中最日常、也最不可或缺的電氣設備。透明光滑的玻璃蓋下，鋁製轉盤緩緩旋轉，同步帶動精密的機械構造，靜靜累積著每一度電的使用紀錄。自 1955 年起，隨著玻璃材料普及，機械電表走入千家萬戶。如今，電力技術邁向智慧化，這些完成歷史任務的機械電表，已成為見證台灣電力發展歷程的重要時代物件。
Green Object /
Re Electric Meter Glassware 退役電表再製計畫
Jie Yu Creative · Environment-Friendly Design
Grounded in environment-friendly materials, Jie Yu Creative — also known as Green Object — is dedicated to design that responds to daily life. Starting with material, tactility, and detail as the fundamental focus, a restrained and precise design language is used to create pieces that integrate seamlessly into everyday living.
The belief here is that good design originates from the clarity of choices — achieving depth through simplicity, and allowing each object to return to its essence.
捷羽創意 / Green Object，以環境友善材質為基礎，致力以設計回應日常。從材料、觸感與細節出發，以克制而精準的設計語彙，創造能自然融入生活的作品。我們相信，設計源於清晰的取捨—以簡約換取深度，讓物件回歸本質。
Look closely at the glass cover in front of you. This transparent dome made it easy for meter readers — and curious homeowners — to check the spinning disc and read the digits without opening anything up.
Glass turned out to be the perfect material: hard, resistant to warping, and able to withstand heat and weather remarkably well. Even after years outdoors, it stays clear. As glass manufacturing matured, it became the go-to choice for meter covers of that era.
Glass covers are paired with sealing locks to prevent tampering. If the glass cracks or the seal is broken, the power company knows immediately — a quiet but effective layer of protection.
藉由機械電表外觀透明玻璃蓋，抄表人員與用戶可直接觀察內部數字與鋁製轉盤的運轉情形。玻璃具有高硬度、不易變形、耐熱與耐候等特性，即便長期暴露於戶外，仍能常保通透，結合成熟的加工技術，玻璃成為當時電表蓋的理想材料。此外，玻璃蓋通常搭配封印鎖使用，一旦封印鎖遭破壞或表蓋受損，電力公司便能即時察覺異常，確保設備與用電安全。
Five rings, each displaying numbers zero through nine — this is how electricity was measured, one digit at a time. When household appliances are switched on, the aluminum disc begins to rotate, driving the gear system step by step.
The numbers on each disc alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise — a direct result of how the internal gears connect and reverse direction, allowing each digit to advance progressively. A small mechanical wonder hiding in plain sight.
機械電表的計量面板由5組顯示0至9的數字圓盤與指針組成。當家中電器啟動時，電表內部的鋁製轉盤會隨著用電力消耗開始旋轉，並驅動齒輪系統。各圓盤數字的排列係由順時針與逆時針交錯而成，此種設計源自內部齒輪傳動機構的連動原理，透過齒輪間的正反銜接，使各個位數得以逐級推進。
In almost every Taiwanese household, there is at least one electric meter — tracking energy consumption and carrying the collective routines of countless families. As power technology moves toward digital transformation, these retired meters found an opportunity to be transformed.
Five thousand retired meters were disassembled by hand. Their glass covers were placed into a furnace at one thousand degrees Celsius. The weathered marks from years of outdoor life were reborn as delicate layers of light and refraction — returning as functional tableware.
This project carries the pulse of the city, the history of energy, and the collective memory of Taiwanese life — held, touched, and integrated into everyday life.
走在台灣的街廓，家戶門外牆上總少不了電表的身影，它記錄著能源的消耗，也承載了無數家庭的生活軌跡。隨著電力技術邁向數位轉型，退役的機械電表迎來了轉身的契機。
為了將「能源的記憶」轉化為「生活的溫度」，這次計畫我們拆解了5,000個完成歷史任務的機械電表，將其玻璃外殼送入攝氏千度的爐火中重新淬煉，過往風霜留下的刻痕，化作光線折射後的細緻層次，以餐飲器皿的形式重回大眾視角，成為盛裝餐食的容器。
退役電表計畫，承載的是城市的脈動、能源的歷史、家庭的日常、更是台灣生活文化的集體記憶。我們讓能源文化不只是被看見，更能被端起、被觸摸、被運用在日常裡，帶著過往守護眾人的力量，以最溫柔的方式，繼續陪伴你的生活。
The name "Wa-Wa Bowl" is derived from the unit of electrical power, the "Watt," while also echoing the Taiwanese pronunciation of the word "bowl" (uánn).
This glass bowl is crafted from the melted glass covers of retired electric meters. The exterior features a delicate matte-etched finish, intentionally preserving an elliptical transparent window that transforms the meter's original observation portal into a poetic visual centerpiece. Inside the window, a subtle decal features the iconic TPC lightning bolt logo alongside "C003" — marking each bowl with a unique electrical identity.
The stainless steel saucer is a perfect replica of the stainless steel clamping ring of electric meters. Meticulously engraved on its surface are five numerical dials and pointers chronicling TPC's journey of guardianship from 1946 to its 80th anniversary. The "infinity symbol (∞)" symbolizes an enduring commitment to environmental sustainability.
瓦瓦碗之名取自電力單位「瓦（Watt）」，亦呼應「碗」的台語發音。
玻璃碗，採用退役電表玻璃蓋重新熔製而成，碗身延續其厚實且穩重的質地；碗側採用細緻的霧面咬花設計，並特別保留一只橢圓形透明視窗，將電表原有的觀察窗意象轉化為視覺焦點。視窗內點綴著台電經典的「閃電標誌」，以及代表機械電表的專屬材料編號「C003」字樣貼花，為每一只碗標記下獨一無二的電力身分。
不鏽鋼碟，完整復刻了機械電表的不鏽鋼扣環，碟面上精確復刻5組數字指針圓盤，暗藏的密碼記錄著台電自 1946 年創立以來80年載的守護旅程。盤面上點綴的「無限符號」，象徵著對環境永續的無限承諾。
The name "Chin-Chin Cup" comes from the electricity unit "kilowatt-hour (kWh)", and its pronunciation is the same as "chin chin", symbolizing the joyful moment of raising a glass and sharing.
Crafted from melted glass covers of retired electric meters, the cup inherits their substantial and steady texture. Both sides feature the classic TPC lightning bolt logo and identification number C003. The exterior features a fine matte-etched finish for a warm, non-slip grip. The base remains perfectly transparent, replicating the clear viewing angle intended for "meter reading."
Designed for everyday use, the Chin-Chin Cup holds a practical 400ml capacity, easily accommodating a full standard aluminum can of beverage.
千千杯之名源自電力計量單位「千瓦小時 (kWh)」，字型亦近似「干干」杯，象徵舉杯分享的愉悅時刻。
玻璃杯，採用退役電表玻璃蓋重新熔製而成，延續其厚實且穩重的質地。杯身兩側特別融入台電經典的「閃電標誌」，以及代表機械電表的專屬材料編號 C003，透過一凸一凹的工法記錄材料轉身的歷程。杯側採用細緻的霧面咬花設計，提供溫潤防滑的手感，杯底則維持全透明特性，復刻電表玻璃方便「讀表」的清透視角。
為了更貼近現代日常，千千杯擁有 400ml 的實用容量，能輕鬆容納一整罐標準鋁罐飲品。
Heat resistance: 0°C to 100°C. Do not freeze. Keep away from fire and high heat.
耐熱溫度：0~100℃，請勿放入冷凍庫，並遠離火源及高溫環境，避免劇烈溫差導致產品損壞。
Decorative decals may peel in dishwashers, dryers, microwaves, ovens, or sterilizers.
玻璃碗含有工藝貼花，使用洗碗機、烘碗機、微波爐、烤箱或消毒機，可能導致貼花脫落。
Stainless steel saucer: avoid scrubbing pads, steel brushes, or corrosive cleaners.
不鏽鋼碟請勿使用菜瓜布、鋼刷及腐蝕性清潔劑，以避免表面刮傷。
Passed SGS testing and meets ROC hygiene standards for food utensils. Safe for everyday use.
本產品通過SGS檢測合格及符合中華民國食品器具容器包裝衛生標準，請安心使用。
Tiny bubbles or flow lines may appear — natural characteristics of recycled glass.
本產品以台電退役電表玻璃回收再製而成，玻璃可能出現細微氣泡或料流紋理，屬再生玻璃的自然特徵。
ChaoBar&RecordStore 潮電
Electronic Music · Field Recording · Listening Sessions
Electric meters let us see the flow of power. Electronic music lets us hear it.
Since 2020, we have been entering Taipower warehouses and power plants, recording infrastructure hum, mechanical vibrations, dismantled meter parts, and fractured meter glass. Within these spaces, we began to realize that electronic music had already existed there long before us, hidden inside machinery, metal, energy, and electrical systems.
These field recordings were reconstructed into a sonic work built from decommissioned power materials and operational sound environments. From infrastructure hum and mechanical noise to signal oscillation and electromagnetic resonance, the project reconsiders the power grid as a listening experience.
Throughout May, we will host a series of listening sessions exploring electronic music and the hidden rhythms of electricity through five curated records.
Sound Categories
Infrastructure Hum / Drone
Machine Noise
Signal / Oscillation
Electromagnetic Field
Listening Sessions — Every Saturday in May
電表讓我們看見電流，而電子音樂讓我們聽見電流。
2020 年，潮電第一次進入台電材料倉庫與發電廠，在那些退役的電力設備、金屬與材料之間，我們慢慢發現一件很有趣的事情：在台電的空間裡，其實存在著一種「有電才有的聲音」。低頻的 hum、機械運轉的震動、電表拆解與玻璃碎裂的聲響，這些原本存在於電力系統中的聲音，其實也正是電子音樂最原始的來源之一。
這次，我們將台電場域中的錄音素材重新取樣與轉化，製作成一組以「電力材料回收聲音」為基礎的電子音樂創作。從材料的振動，到電子聲響的生成，讓原本存在於電力設備中的能量，以另一種形式被聽見。
五月每週六，潮電也將於台電核火工處禮堂進行電子音樂策展與導聆，透過我們特別挑選的電子音樂作品，重新聆聽電力與城市之間的聲音關係。
電力系統的四種聲音
基礎設施低頻嗡鳴
機械噪音 / 機械聲響
訊號／振盪
電磁場
五月電子音樂策展導聆（每週六）
YANKO Audio Lab
When the Vintage Relay Sings
【 When the Vintage Relay Sings 】
Taiwan Power Company turns eighty this year.
I disassembled their decommissioned relays, tested the components one by one, and rewired them into new circuits.
These parts, mil-spec capacitors, Mitsubishi transformers, tantalum resistors, and hermetically sealed transistors, once belonged to Taiwan's power grid, running inside aging hydroelectric plants for decades. Now they sing.
Paired with handmade birch Tractrix horns and Altec compression drivers, the system is currently on exhibit in Taipei, open for listening.
I'd like to take it further. To let people outside Taiwan sit down, request a song, and hear how the industrial memory of a subtropical island sounds.
If you're based overseas and think this could find a home in your city, let me know.
Every Saturday in May, 4–5 PM, I'll be at the venue with ChaoBar&RecordStore, talking components and stories, and taking requests. Beer will be available, courtesy of Taiwan Sugar Company, also turning eighty this year.
Registration link below.
台灣電力公司今年八十歲了。
我把退役的電驛拆開來，測試零件，然後重新裝進新的電路裡。
這些零件：美軍規格的電容、三菱的變壓器、鉭電阻、氣密封裝的晶體，曾經是台灣電網的一部分，在古老的水力電廠運作了幾十年，現在，它們開始唱歌。
配上手工樺木 Tractrix 號角，和 Altec 的壓縮驅動器，這套系統目前在台北展出，供人聆聽。
希望能帶它去更遠的地方。讓台灣之外的朋友可以坐下來，點首歌，聽亞熱帶島嶼的工業記憶怎麼發聲。
如果你在海外，而你覺得這個東西有機會出現在你的城市，告訴我。
五月的每週六，下午16:00-17:00，我與潮電都會在展場，跟大家聊聊電子音樂與元件的故事，也接受點歌。現場備有啤酒，來自同樣八十歲的台糖公司友情贊助。
TPCreative 台電文創
Product Collection 商品介紹
Circular Economy · Upcycled Design
退役變電箱再製計畫 · Transformer Box Reuse Project
In the quiet corners of our surroundings, transformer boxes — indispensable to the process of power generation — have long stood as silent witnesses to time. Their surfaces, adorned with the colors and graffiti of different eras, weave into the unique tapestry of Taiwan's everyday landscape and collective memory, each region nurturing its own local character.
After nearly two years of effort, TPCreative, working with 24 regional offices across Taiwan and its outlying islands, gathered retired transformer box materials. In collaboration with NAKNAK, these weathered, vividly hued metal pieces were reimagined — preserving the beauty of their aged textures and transforming them into objects closer to daily life.
From color blocks and illustrated landscapes to rusty erosions, each surface captures beautiful moments in time. Combined with precise cutting techniques and a unique transparent coating, the materials are transformed into three lifestyle products: a heat-resistant dining mat, a storage tray with factory-stock metal tubing, and badge accessories inspired by natural scenery.
退役變電箱再製計畫 ·《從生活到生活》
在發電過程中不可或缺的變電箱，默默隱身在我們環境周遭，反映著不同時代的色彩系統及彩繪塗鴉，早已成了台灣民眾熟悉的獨特日常風景及生活記憶。台電文創花近２年的時間，動員了全台含離島共24個區處一同蒐集退役變電箱材料，透過與NAKNAK 的設計重新詮釋，轉化為更貼近生活的物件。
不論是原始素色、風景彩繪甚至斑駁鏽蝕皆有值得細細品味之處。結合台灣廠商深厚切割加工技術及特殊透明漆工法，完整保存材料原始質感及故事性，轉化成三款生活物件：餐桌隔熱墊、置物盤、以及徽章飾品。
日月潭底泥再製計畫 · Sun-Moon Lake Sediment Remake Project
Manhole Coaster 3.0 is the result of three years of dedicated effort — from material research to production development. For the first time, it incorporates up to 50% of sediment collected from the bottom of Sun Moon Lake. The classic manhole cover design returns with a breath of nature, finding its place again in everyday life.
Processing the lakebed sediment is challenging due to its viscous nature and raw state. Drawing from past experience with coal-ash coasters, the team pre-fired the sediment to create a uniform base before mixing it with clay at a 50% ratio. No artificial colorants were added — the piece retains the raw tone of the sediment itself, expressing beauty in its most unadorned form.
The resulting coaster boasts a distinct light-orange hue from high-temperature firing — unlike the common reddish-brown tone of traditional clay. The coloration of the fired sediment inspired the design team to create a fresh style for TPCreative.
日月潭底泥再製計畫 ·《孔蓋之下》
孔蓋杯墊3.0，歷經了整整三年的時間，從材料特性的研究、製程的開發，終於問世。首次使用高達50%含量的日月潭底泥作為材料，重現人孔蓋的經典外型，帶著大自然的氣息，回歸你我的生活之中。
底泥材料特性與一般陶土不同，在開發過程中進行超過上百次的實驗，才找出適合的製作方法。新版杯墊呈現出不同以往的色澤，高溫窯燒過的底泥土帶有粉橘色調，沒有任何染色，保有底泥本身的顏色，感受最純粹的美。
退役封水銅條再製計畫 · Hydropower Brass Strip Recycling Project
TPCreative collaborates with YSTUDIO, blending Taipower's commitment to sustainability with YSTUDIO's dedication to crafting premium stationery. Through creativity and craftsmanship, they transform decommissioned brass sealing strips into lifestyle products. The process preserves the original texture of the brass, while CNC cutting recycles metal shavings for re-melting, achieving a zero-waste closed-loop production.
The story of the brass sealing strip starts with the hydropower of Sun Moon Lake. In 1919, the Taiwan Electric Power Co. Ltd. implemented the Sun Moon Lake hydropower project. By the 1950s, hydropower was responsible for more than half of total electricity generation in Taiwan. To date, Sun Moon Lake remains one of the most complex hydropower systems in Taiwan — serving as the largest energy storage battery in the country.
These brass strips, once part of hydropower generation, now carry the legacy of energy history into everyday writing experiences.
退役封水銅條再製計畫 ·《書寫電力流轉》
台電文創攜手物外YSTUDIO，結合台電的永續循環精神與物外對精品文具的專注，以創意與精良技術將退役封水銅條轉化為生活中的文創用品。製作過程中保留銅條原始紋理，CNC切削後回收金屬碎屑再熔煉，實現零廢棄循環工法。
要了解封水銅條的故事，就得從日月潭的水力發電說起。1919年，台灣電力株式會社開啟日月潭水力發電工程。1950年代，水力發電曾肩負全台灣過半的發電總量。時至今日，日月潭依然是全台灣最複雜的水力發電系統，更是全台最大的儲能電池。這些曾肩負水力發電任務的銅條，持續承載著歷史的記憶，也成為書寫生活的一部分。
退役木橫擔再製計畫 · Retired Wood Crossarm Reuse Project
Electricity poles carry more than just concrete — they also support cables, insulators, and transformer boxes, all mounted on crossarms. These crossarms act like the shoulders of power poles, allowing electricity lines to span great distances and interconnect Taiwan's power grid.
In earlier years, crossarms were predominantly made from timber — durable species carefully selected for resistance to wind and rain. Each wooden crossarm typically served for more than a decade. Time etched unique, unreplicable patterns onto their surfaces, making them not just functional but beautiful — marked with character and strength.
In 2021, TPCreative began repurposing wood crossarms, giving them a renewed role. The "Whims E010" bedside reading lamp is named after the material code "E010" — Taipower's code for reclaimed wood crossarm — honoring its creation from retired Taipower materials.
退役木橫擔再製計畫 ·《站在電桿的肩膀上，去更遠的地方》
橫擔，可說是電線桿的肩膀，站在電桿的肩膀上，電纜線可以通往更遠的地方，串起全台電網。早期電桿上的橫擔大多以木材製作，挑選耐得住風吹雨打的樹種，細心考量木材的紋路進行裁切，為的是讓木橫擔能擔得起最重的重量。
每根木橫擔服役動輒超過十年，時間在它們表面留下了難以仿製的印記。2021年，台電文創以木橫擔作為主要材料，為退役的木橫擔尋找再次被運用的機會。「Whims E010」床頭閱讀燈以台電素材木橫擔的材料編號命名，象徵它以台電退役木料打造而成。用閱讀，幫自己充電。
