Tag: solar-power | ArchDaily

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

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 05:30:00 +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.

URB Unveils Plans for a 64-Kilometer-Long Green Highway for Dubai

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 06:30:00 +0000

URB has revealed details about the Dubai Green Spine project, an urban development initiative aiming to introduce a 64-kilometer-long green corridor in Dubai. The project, aligned with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, hopes to improve urban mobility and environmental quality by converting one of the city’s major arterial roads into a multifunctional public space with ample greenery, urban farms, integrated non-motorized transportation infrastructures, and community zones.

URB Reveals Design for Africa’s Largest Sustainable City

Paula Cano — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 05:30:00 +0000

URB has unveiled plans to develop Africa's most sustainable city, a development that can host 150,000 residents. Known as The Parks, the city plans to produce 100% of its energy, water & food on-site through biodomes, solar-powered air-to-water generators, and biogas production. The 1,700-hectare project will feature residential, medical, ecotourism, and educational hubs to become one of the significant contributors to the growing green and tech economy in South Africa.

MVRDV's Sun Rock Project Is a Built Manifesto for Renewable Energy

Andreea Cutieru — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 05:30:00 +0000

MVRDV ‘s latest project designed for government-owned power company Taipower is “a tool for energy production”, communicating Taiwan’s goal of transitioning to green energy. The morphology of the project and its architectural image are entirely data-driven, the expression of the most efficient way of generating solar energy on the site. An operations facility comprising offices, a maintenance workshop, storage spaces, and a public gallery, the project is defined as a “built manifesto”, projecting the company’s aspirations for achieving a “carbon-free future”.

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.

Solar Lighting for An Affordable, Sustainable Future

AEC Daily — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:30:00 +0000

Today, the image of solar power is evolving from an alternative to traditional energy sources to being viewed as a cost-effective solution. Installation of solar-powered lighting does not require the complicated infrastructure, trenching, and wiring expenses necessary for electrical hookups. Long-term maintenance and operational costs are reduced through the use of easy-to-clean panels, electronic components, LED luminaires, and recyclable batteries.

California Approves Rule Requiring Solar Panels on New Homes

Eric Baldwin — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 13:00:00 +0000

The California Building Standards Commission has approved a new rule starting in 2020 that requires all new homes built in the state to include solar panels. As the first of its kind in the United States, the new rule includes an incentive for homeowners to add a high-capacity battery to their electrical system. The move hopes to help meet the state's goal of sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions while drawing all electricity from renewable energy sources.

Solar Squared: A Glass Block That Generates Electricity

HAUS — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Renewable energy experts from the University of Exeter in England have developed a glass block with built-in solar cells. The idea is that with the spread of technology, it is possible to build a house or a whole building's facade using blocks that generate energy.

IKEA Launches Home Solar Battery to Take on Tesla

Patrick Lynch — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 14:30:00 +0000

A new challenger has stepped into the ring of home solar batteries, and it’s a name you may recognize: global furniture retailer IKEA.

Tesla's Solar Roof System to Begin Taking Orders Next Month

Patrick Lynch — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 16:15:00 +0000

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced via Twitter that his company’s fully-integrated solar roof system is nearly ready to be released to the public, and will begin taking orders on the shingles starting next month.

World’s First Solar Panel Road Debuts in France

Patrick Lynch — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 14:00:00 +0000

The world’s first solar panel road has officially opened in a small village in Normandy, France.

Tesla Unveils Fully-Integrated Solar Roof System

Patrick Lynch — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 12:20:00 +0000

Elon Musk has revealed his company Tesla’s latest world-changing innovation: a solar roof system so fully integrated into a home’s architecture as to be indistinguishable from a traditional roof.

60 Storey Tower Maximizes Energy Capture with Photovoltaic Facade

Alyssa Wu — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 16:00:00 +0000

Peddle Thorp Architects have submitted their proposal for the Moray Street Residential Tower in Melbourne for approval. At 1173.5 square meters, Sol Invictus is wrapped entirely in solar panels, attaining 10 times more solar surface area than a traditional roof covering. The facade can achieve up to 5000 square meters of solar panel array and is connected to a battery storage system.

Launch of Google Sunroof Brings Valuable Solar Power Data to the Mainstream

Becky Quintal — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +0000

Google is in the unique position to truly understand what people want. As millions key in their questions, the search giant is actively working to provide better answers. When it comes to questions about solar energy, Google wondered, “If people are lost trying to get answers about solar, why don’t we give them a map?” And so, the tech company announced the beta launch of Project Sunroof: a tool “to make installing solar panels easy and understandable for anyone.”

Ohio State Researcher Team Invents Combined Solar Cell and Battery

Rory Stott — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

A new technology developed by researchers at Ohio State University has the potential to increase the efficiency and decrease the cost of generating and storing the sun's energy. Led by professor of chemistry and biochemistry Yiying Wu, the team has created a combined solar cell and lithium storage battery with an efficiency of electron transfer between the two components of almost 100%, in a design which they believe will reduce costs by up to 25%.

The Mapdwell Project: Determining Optimal Solar Power on Rooftops

Irina Vinnitskaya — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Mapdwell Project is a collaborative effort of researchers, academics, and professionals from MIT from a range of fields - design, building technology, engineering, environmental sciences, finance, and computer sciences - to develop a community resource of research-driven and tested information of sustainable practices.