When you think of solar energy, the first thing that comes to mind is solar panels installed on a house roof. However, there are several bold applications of solar panels, which we have presented in this selection.
1. Solar-powered office complex. Shaped like a fan, this structure is the world's largest commercial building powered entirely by solar energy. It is located in Dezhou, Shandong Province, north-western China. Its 75,000 square metres accommodate apartments, a hotel, exhibition centres, scientific research centres, development laboratories, and spacious training and conference halls.
The 5,000-square-metre solar panel array supplies 95% of the building's total energy demand from renewable sources.
The building's white façade symbolises clean energy and also helps reflect sunlight, thereby reducing heat gain.
2. Kaohsiung Stadium in Taiwan With its futuristic design, Kaohsiung Stadium holds the title of the first stadium in the world to operate 100% on solar energy. Its roof is covered by approximately 8,844 solar panels, generating enough energy for 3,300 lamps to illuminate the stadium and for two giant screens to broadcast matches.
Using renewable and clean energy from this source prevents 660 tonnes of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere each year. The stadium was built in 2009 and can accommodate 55,000 people.
3. Gemasolar: energy 24 hours a day
Despite its clear environmental benefits, solar energy has an Achilles' heel: it needs natural light to generate electricity. However, one system in Seville, Spain, has overcome this limitation. This is Gemasolar – the first commercial concentrated solar power plant to generate electricity at night or on cloudy days.
Electricity can be generated without sunlight thanks to innovative technology that uses molten salt to store heat and operate 24 hours a day. With an installed capacity of 19.9 megawatts, the plant can supply electricity to 25,000 homes in the Andalusia region.
4. Sanyo Solar Ark This wing-shaped structure has stood since 2002 and houses the Solar Energy Museum and the Sanyo solar energy research centre. It is known as the Sanyo Solar Ark.
The structure is 315 metres wide and 37 metres high. It is located in Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. The impressive building is covered with more than 5,000 solar panels and generates over 500,000 kWh of energy per year. Its eye-catching façade is fitted with LED lights that illuminate at night.
5. Solar-powered NASCAR racetrack. The world's largest sports facility powered by solar energy is a NASCAR motor-racing track. Pocono Raceway, an American venue in Pennsylvania, has an installed capacity of 3 MW and supplies electricity not only to the racetrack but also to 1,000 nearby homes.
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6. Sonnenschiff: a village producing surplus energy Fifty-two buildings form a neighbourhood in Freiburg, Germany, which has become a model for comfortable living with minimal environmental impact. The village is located in one of the sunniest regions of the country. Sonnenschiff can generate four times more energy than it consumes.
Self-sufficiency has been achieved thanks to a unique design, in which strategically positioned photovoltaic panels are used. The roof is also designed to maximise natural light inside the buildings and collect rainwater for later use in watering gardens.
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