Where are solar panels?
In urban environments, solar panels are typically seen when you look up – on the roof of a house or at the top of a building. It is a practical placement in order to have as much exposure to the sun as possible.
Indeed, solar panels feature more abundantly outside of densely populated areas. Solar ‘farms’ or ‘parks’ are designed so that reams of panels align in open spaces to capture sunlight with no obstructions.
The impact can be vast, for example, in New Zealand their biggest solar power plant is underway and is set to produce enough electricity to power 30,000 homes, and allow planes to pull up and recharge.
Solar energy production and the construction of panelling is not new, however its uptake in urban environments has not yet reached its full potential. This is where Energy Floors can make an impact on urban planning.
The Walker for your city
The Walker, as we call it, is made up of solar panel modules designed for use in urban environments. The modules are smart, interactive and make energy production visible to the public. The Walker can be integrated into any outdoor space that benefits from sunlight.
Typically, our solar modules are installed in school playgrounds where children can play educational games on the floor before, during or after school. The floor generates all of its energy from the sun and feeds it back to the grid. Outside of an educational setting, the solar modules can be found at the entrances of train stations, shopping malls or in car parks.
Our most novel project to date can be found in Rotterdam’s district of Reyeroord where we installed a Walker that supplies power to a multi-functional light pole called the CENT-R.
The light pole acts as a charging station for electric cars. The charging port combines power from the solar energy generated by the floor and electricity from the grid, making it a hybrid energy installation.
While your car charges, the floor displays a battery meter to let you know when it is full. In addition, while you wait, solar floor modules installed nearby displays data on the current energy production for the day, and also allows you to play games. The game floor is open to the public and engages pedestrians in a positive, environmental and fun activity. It is a wholly interactive and sustainable experience.
This Walker installation can generate enough power for 320 people to charge their mobile phones for approximately one year, or for an electric car to drive around 4000 kilometres.
The possibilities of The Walker are varied and creative. It is completely adaptable to meet the needs of our clients, the city and the surrounding environment.
