• Solar sunflowers for Mueller urban village in Texas

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    If you don’t have the natural essences, make the virtual ones. A retail company in Texas put that idea into building a field of solar sunflowers to soak up the sun’s rays to provide shade while generating a steady stream of renewable energy. This is designed by public art team Harries/Heder who installed 15 flower-like solar photovoltaic panels located on a pedestrian and bike path between the village of Mueller and Austin’s highway I-35. The developers have defined this as ‘an icon for the sustainable, LEED certified Mueller Development and a highly visible metaphor for the energy conscious City of Austin’.


    The solar flower will provide shade for walkers and bikers, and also collect energy during the day to power the installation’s blue LED lights at night. Any left over power is then sent to the grid to offset the cost of maintaining the installation. Such initiatives are always good to read as it will spread like wild fire and every developer will want to rule the green zone soon.
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    [Inhabitat]

    Posted in Topics:Alternative Energy, Tags: , on August 18, 2009