Where the sun does shine! Seven unlikely spots that are great for solar panels

It’s no secret that we need green energy sources such as power coming from sun, water, and wind to fight climate change. However, some people can get creative about where they get their juice from.

However, in order to get the necessary sun to properly work, solar panels have been placed in all sorts of strange places around the globe. Let's take a look at some of them!

Spain is known as one of the sunniest countries in Europe and quite a pioneer when it comes to green energy. Now, a new initiative could give life to old cemeteries.

Interesting Engineering writes that the Spanish city of Valencia is planning to accommodate over 6,600 solar panels across several local cemeteries in an ambitious urban solar farm project called Requiem in Power.

Image: travelnow_or_crylater / Unsplash

It’s no secret that airplanes spend a lot of time flying under the sun, but not until recently someone had tried to use a plane’s surface to harness some solar power.

German state news agency DW reported about the experimental Solar Impulse plane. Decked with solar panels on the wings and fuselage, it successfully completed a flight around the globe without using jet fuel!

Planes are hardly the only means of transportation that is going through a green energy revolution. Luxury yachts that harness solar energy are becoming more and more common.

According to DW, the catamaran Race for Water is the largest solar yacht in the world, running entirely without fossil fuels. Instead of sails and masts, it uses a steering kite.

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks around the globe. However, this iconic Parisian building also has an environmental function.

According to UPI, a 2015 renovation fitted solar panels and wind turbines in some parts of the Eiffel Tower and are used to cover the needs of hot water in restaurants and restrooms within the building.

The World Economic Forum website comments that solar carports are becoming increasingly common in the United States. These roofs not only provide renewable energy, but also reduce the heat island effect, helping to cool off cities.

Image: davidschultz / Unsplash

Forbes Home mentions that installing a solar carport can be a costly venture. Nonetheless, if you can afford it, it can be very helpful to reduce or completely get rid of your power bill.

Golf isn’t what it used to be. With the sport losing popularity among younger generations, quite a few abandoned golf courses have been refitted into solar energy farms.

The World Economic Forum website explains why abandoned golf courses are perfect for large-scale solar power plants: They are large extensions of land with high sun exposure and relatively low presence of trees.

Image: benwiththelens / Unsplash

The European Space Agency is currently studying the possibility of using satellites to collect and beam down solar energy, an idea that once seemed science fiction.

According to the World Economic Forum, with global energy needs predicted to go up 30% by 2030, space-based solar power could help meet the demand quite limiting global warming.

In conclusion, if we want to ensure a brighter future, full of power, it's good that we're getting creative to come up with solutions.

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