Will Better Looking Renewable Power Make a Difference?

One of the sad realities of renewable power to date is that it doesn’t look very good. Towering wind turbines and bulky solar power installations do not add much to the visual value of most locations.

Now a small step toward better aesthetics for renewable power has been made. In Denmark, C.F. Møller‘s International School Nordhavn has been covered with solar panels that have been modified to take on color.

The Swiss research institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, is behind the breakthrough that allowed the school to be covered in sea foam green solar panels.

Nicole Jewell of Inhabitat.com explains:

The 25,000-square-meter school in Denmark is covered with a whopping 12,000 solar panels, which provide more than half of its electricity needs. Unlike most solar-powered buildings, the panels aren’t solely relegated to the school’s rooftop. In fact, more than 6,000 square meters of the facade is clad in sea-foam hued photovoltaics.

The days of hiding unsightly solar arrays are fading into the past. C.F. Møller‘s International School Nordhavn in Copenhagen uses solar panels to produce clean energy – and also as a part of the building’s aesthetic.

The solar panels were developed by Swiss research institute EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne). The panels are actually clear; the beautiful sea green color is a result of technology that adds fine particles to the glass surface, giving the appearance of color. The result is a reflective green hue that varies with the light, providing the school with an attractive exterior that is beautiful, functional, and green.