Ok, so you should all know by now just how great solar power is. It comes in various forms and not only is it by far more efficient than fossil fuels, but it’s also much healthier for ourselves, our wildlife and the environment. Below you’ll find a collection of some of the most important and overall impressive solar projects we have going on in the world right now.
- Solar Panel Bike Path, Krommenie, Netherlands: It was inevitable really that a solar panel bike path would first come from the country that is so in love with its bikes. In 2014 the Netherlands took the plunge and installed the solar-powered bike path and so far has been a massive success. Other countries looking to follow suit include France with plans to install solar roads on up to 8 percent of the country and Japan seeking to create the world’s largest floating solar panel.
- The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, Nevada: This solar power plant is one of the coolest looking there is, with one central tower surrounded by a sea of solar panels.
- Vanguard 1: Having been around since 1958, NASA’s Vanguard 1 is probably one of the world’s oldest solar projects. However, the fact that the satellite is still in use and is the oldest human-made object in space today proves its worth.
- Solar “Tindo” Bus, Adelaide, Australia: Over on the other side of the globe, the Australians have been creating a solar public transport bus that can carry up to 40 passengers at one time. The Tindo bus (meaning Sun bus) can travel up to 125 miles on one single charge and gives its passengers free WiFi and A/C too. What more could you want!?
- Arco Solar, California: This was the world’s first photovoltaic system to get to a 1-megawatt capacity, and they did it in 1982. But, quickly becoming overtaken by better systems, Arco sold the plants a few years later in 1990.
- Canal Solar Power Project, Gujarat, India: These solar panels are strategically placed over canals and hold a double purpose. Not only do they produce electricity, but they also stop the water from evaporating naturally.
- Tokelau Renewable Energy Project, Tokelau: This minute country is the first in the world to be completely powered via solar energy. Since 2012 they have been producing all the electricity they require for the 1,500 residents by solar power alone, making a country that was once 100 percent reliant on diesel, completely diesel free. This spurred on a nearby country, Ta’u to follow suit with a similar solar project in 2016.
- Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, China: This is the world’s largest solar park, and perhaps rightly so considering China is the world’s largest polluter. Spanning across 27 square kilometers, the Longyyangxia Dam Solar Park outputs a staggering 850 MW of power which is more than enough to supply over 150,000 homes with clean energy.
- Solar Impulse: This solar-powered craft is a breakthrough in the world of flying, with its successor Solar Impulse 2 completing a round the world trip in July 2016.
- Solar Star, California: This is the largest solar park in the US regarding capacity and the largest in terms of size in the country too. The Solar Star site is capable of producing a whopping 579MW over its 13 square kilometers.
- Solar Airport, India: This airport is not only the 7th in the country, but it’s the first in the world to operate using just solar power. Not only does it run entirely on renewable energy, but it also gives excess energy back to the grid too!
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