A rendering of the “Arch of Time,” a 100-foot structure made from solar panels that will open in Houston next year.
Courtesy of Land Art Generator. Rendering by Riccardo Mariano
Pressed for Space, Solar Farms Are Getting Creative
From retired landfills to decommissioned golf courses and murals on the sides of buildings, solar installations are proliferating in unexpected places.
Solar power is expected to dominate global electricity markets in the next few decades, and already accounts for three-quarters of renewable energy capacity, according to the International Energy Agency. This year, BloombergNEF predicts solar builds will climb another 25%, adding more than 500 gigawatts of capacity.
All of that solar needs a lot of space. Powering just one megawatt of capacity requires at least five acres, meaning a 200-megawatt project (roughly 3,000 panels) takes up as much space as 550 American football fields. That calculus is one reason China — the world’s biggest solar market — is hosting many projects in remote desert regions. It’s also why the IEA expects rooftop and residential solar to expand faster than farms this year.