Tag: solar-panels | ArchDaily

How Architecture Is Learning to Generate Its Own Energy

Agustina Iñiguez — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Beyond being a source of life, the power of the sun in architecture has long been tied to humanity's need to harness and control it as a vital resource. Since ancient times, solar energy has been used to measure time, support planting and harvesting, and provide protection from heat and cold. Today, solar radiation plays a significant role in global energy consumption. Architectural solutions based on materials, technologies, and environmental analysis are developed with an understanding of solar energy's capacity to transform the interior environment of buildings. But how can buildings be transformed into sources of clean energy?

What Happens When Solar Is Treated as a Building Material?

Agustina Iñiguez — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 07:45:00 +0000

As environmental accountability becomes embedded in design culture, the building envelope is being reconsidered not just as a protective skin, but as an active energy-producing surface. Treating solar technology as a material rather than an attachment reshapes how architecture is conceived and detailed. Color, texture, rhythm, and assembly become inseparable from performance. Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) operate within this expanded definition of materiality. By integrating solar technology into façades and rainscreens from the earliest project stages, architects can reduce redundancy, align energy goals with design intent, and rethink how envelopes are composed. Yet translating this ambition into buildable systems requires technical precision and construction intelligence.

On the International Day for Clean Energy: How Local Initiatives Respond to the Spatial Impacts of Energy Production

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:30:00 +0000

January 26 marks the International Day for Clean Energy, an initiative aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing action for an inclusive transition from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, to power generation systems with lower greenhouse gas emissions and fewer pollutants. The term "clean" signals a fundamental shift away from extractive, finite, and exhaustible energy sources toward systems based on renewable resources or on capturing energy embedded in natural processes. In a world grappling with climate change, clean energy plays an important role in reducing emissions and expanding access to reliable power. However, being labeled "clean" does not exempt these systems from the impacts associated with their production, deployment, and commercialization. In this context, architectural knowledge related to space, materiality, and habitation becomes relevant for supporting a transition toward energy systems that are sustainable over time. As stated by the United Nations, the science is clear: to limit climate change, reliance on fossil fuels must end, and buildings must be heated, lit, and electrified through clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable power sources.

Carlo Ratti Associati Wins Competition to Design a Logistics Hub as Social Infrastructure in Alessandria, Italy

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 06:30:00 +0000

CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, in collaboration with The Blossom Avenue Partners, has been announced as the winner of the international competition for the urban and architectural design of X-Change, a major multimodal logistics hub located on the site of a former railway yard in Alessandria, Italy. The project reimagines a traditionally introverted typology, rail distribution infrastructure by integrating logistics with energy production, ecological regeneration, and public life. Conceived as one of Southern Europe's largest intermodal hubs, X-Change is set to support Alessandria's evolving role as a backport to Genoa, leveraging future fast rail freight connections.

Powering-Up Through the Facade: Maximizing Energy with Building-Integrated Photovoltaics

Enrique Tovar — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 06:45:00 +0000

People frequently claim that finding smart solutions to problems requires a creative approach that involves thinking outside the box. This premise has become a widely accepted idea in the field of technology, where numerous historical breakthroughs have emerged from innovative methods. Prominent examples in power generation include the discovery of the photovoltaic effect by Edmund Becquerel in 1839 and the development of the first commercial solar panel by Charles Fritts later that century. These milestones have enabled the integration of solar panels as essential components of clean energy generation within architecture, driving a significant shift toward renewable energy.

The Legacy of the Sawtooth Roof, an Icon of Industrial Architecture

James Wormald — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A historic symbol of the industrial age, the sawtooth roof is a lasting legacy of architectural history. Although a functional invention born from necessity nearly 200 years ago, the iconic shape is enjoying a renaissance in many contemporary projects.

From New Buildings to Retrofit Projects: Solar Facade Systems for a Circular and Low-Carbon Architecture

Enrique Tovar — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 06:45:00 +0000

The sun’s influence on human life encompasses multiple dimensions, from biological and developmental aspects to religious-mythological connotations in civilizations such as the Egyptians and Romans. Moreover, this influence extends to its use as a natural resource within the realm of science. In scientific pursuits, the continuous search to harness the sun as an energy source has been a constant throughout the years. Within this context, the discovery of the photovoltaic effect and its application have paved the way in the history of solar panels, starting from the first observations of Becquerel to the initial prototypes of Charles Fritts in the 19th century.

Renovating For the Future: Sustainable and Resilient Solar Facades

Camila Prieto — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:45:00 +0000

Renovations involve design processes that transform, refurbish and enhance architectural elements. From gentle aesthetic changes to structural additions, building renovation can improve functionality, safety, and energy efficiency. By integrating new technologies, contemporary strategies are giving new life to existing buildings, propelling already-built projects into the future.

Diamond Schmitt and MVRDV Collaborate on University of Toronto's Scarborough Campus Addition

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 05:30:00 +0000

Diamond Schmitt and MVRDV have unveiled the design for a new building for the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH) at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough Campus. The new addition, featuring laboratory spaces, classrooms, and offices, aims to function as a communal and gathering space for the community. The functions are distributed around a five-story atrium that opens toward the exterior on both sides of the building and establishes a destination point within the pedestrian flows of the campus. Solar panels integrated into the façade help power the building, while the warm finishes of the interior contribute to creating a welcoming atmosphere.

Earth Day 2023: Cities Address Climate Challenges Through Legislation, Civic Initiatives, and Innovative Engineering Systems

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 24 Apr 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Every year since its establishment in 1970, Earth Day aims to bring into focus not only the increasingly threatening effects of climate change but also highlight the effective measures and adaptation efforts that can improve the quality of our environment. This year’s event comes after a report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in March, which presented another warning on the magnitude of changes produced by human-induced global warming and its impact on people and ecosystems. The same report does offer some hopeful prospects as well, showing that adaptation measures can build resilience, but those urgent systemwide transformations are needed to secure a net-zero future. In response to these findings, the 2023 Earth Day is focused on the theme of “Investing in Our Planet,” as an encouragement for governments, institutions, businesses, and civil society to accelerate the change. Read on to discover several citywide initiatives aligned with these objectives of building resilience and a more sustainable future through legislation, civic involvement, and innovative systems.

Glazed Facades: Increasing Access to Natural Light with See-Through Surfaces

James Wormald — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Sunshine has been an integral part of life ever since the sun and the earth began their merry dance. The feel-good ambiance provided by natural light is a recurring theme in human culture, from popular music, fashion, and photography, to our most luxurious environments.

The World's First Solar Biennale and Energy Show Exhibition Opens in Rotterdam on September 9

Paula Cano — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 05:30:00 +0000

The Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, opens The Energy Show and the Solar Biennale on Friday, September 9, 2022. In collaboration with The Solar Biennale designer and curator Matylda Krzykowski and solar designers Marjan van Aubel and Pauline van Dongen, the exhibition presents a series of projects that explores the sun's meaning and possibilities in society, the environment, and design. With Europe in the midst of an energy crisis, The Energy Show and the Solar Biennale is an opportunity for designers and the general public to examine the transition to solar energy and technology as we move towards a post-carbon future.

Google’s Bay View Campus Designed by BIG and Heatherwick Studio Opens in Silicon Valley, California

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 18 May 2022 05:30:00 +0000

Google’s first ground-up campus, designed by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick Studios in collaboration with Google’s design and engineering teams, opened in Silicon Valley. The campus’ mission is to create a human-centric design for the future of Google’s workplace and set new global sustainability standards for construction and office design. The site aims to operate entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030; it integrates the most extensive geothermal pile system in North America and is net-water positive. The campus also includes 17 acres of high-value natural areas, including wet meadows, woodlands, and marsh.

Integrating Solar Technology into Facades, Skylights, Roofing, and Other Building Elements

Lilly Cao — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 06:15:00 +0000

Climate change remains a foremost concern in global politics, economics, and scientific research, particularly as it pertains to the architecture and construction industries. This heightened culpability for the field of architecture stems from the fact that the construction industry contributes to 40% of global emissions, and the demand in the building sector is only projected to increase by 70% by 2050. Renewable energy is part of a 21st-century sustainability paradigm that responds to climate change and environmental degradation, strengthening the momentum for global energy transformation. Renewable energy production strategies are necessary to mitigate future energy security issues as traditional sources of fuel become increasingly scarce, and an indispensable part of designing for sustainability in architecture.

Solar Design: How Architecture and Energy Come Together

Eric Baldwin — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Solar design in contemporary architecture is rooted in the profession's sustainable turn. The relationship between architecture and energy is tied to both passive strategies and performance via more recent innovations in technology. As one way to begin addressing the global climate crisis and greenhouse gas emissions, solar design is reshaping cities and architecture around the world.

Power Wing Parking / Openbox Architects + Openbox Group

Hana Abdel — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 23:00:00 +0000

Identity Design Concept- For years OPENBOX ARCHITECTS has a strong belief that alternative, sustainable energy concept is the key of future developments. Energy consumption in developments are one of the highest expenses in business system. Reduction of such expense could be a great benefit in then long run. There are many incentives to encourage the use of sustainable energy sources, such as many certificates and awards. The actual implementation is still far from enough, and is only perceived as CSR for corporate rather to a real solution to save the World.

UNStudio Completes Remodeling Works of the Hanwha HQ in Seoul

Christele Harrouk — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:30:00 +0000

UNStudio has just completed the remodeling works of the Hanwha headquarters building in Seoul, while the building remained fully occupied. The refurbishment operations have created a modern establishment that meets the current sustainability requirements.

How do Solar Tiles Work?

Audrey Migliani — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Solar tiles operate identically to the photovoltaic panels that are already widely used in construction. The primary difference between them lies in their assembly: whereas photovoltaic panels are attached to an existing roof, solar tiles are part of the roof's construction from the start, taking the place of regular tiling.