According to Google Trends, there has been a significant increase in searches related to solar panels and solar power. Searches for “solar panels” alone have gone up by 22% compared to the previous year, averaging 74,000 searches per month. People are actively seeking information on how solar panels work, their cost, their efficiency during winter, and what solar farms are.
To address the curiosity surrounding solar power, visiting a solar farm can be a great educational experience. A study conducted by GreenBuildingRenewables.co.uk revealed that solar farms are not only interesting but also visually stunning places to visit. With breathtaking natural surroundings, innovative designs, and captivating features like magic mirrors, solar farms are captivating the public’s attention and generating interest in solar energy.
Chris Delaney, the Managing Director of Green Building Renewables, highlights the importance of understanding solar energy, especially for the younger generation. As technology advances and the cost of solar energy production decreases, more solar farms are being established worldwide. Delaney encourages individuals to visit solar farms to gain inspiration and knowledge about this abundant and renewable energy source.
Contrary to popular belief, winter is actually an ideal time to consider installing solar panels in homes. Solar panels can still generate power on cloudy days, and setting them up during winter ensures they are ready to harness the longer days of spring and summer sunshine.
Solar farms, which utilize large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, provide renewable, green, and locally sourced energy. These farms can supply energy to communities and businesses for a lifespan of 25-30 years after their construction.
Solar farms in the world that you can visit:
Crescent Dunes, Nevada, USA: This super cool circular design can be found 190 miles north of Las Vegas. 17,500 heliostats or tracking mirrors covering 1.1million square feet are built around a central tower containing molten salt. The solar power heats the salt and is sent to a storage tank where it produces steam to generate electricity.
The solar plant has suffered it’s fair share of drama over the years with a leak halting production and then the owners going bankrupt. Everything is running smoothly now with new owners and the plant continues to generate enough electricity to power 75,000 homes. The public are welcome to get close to the plant and there are information boards sharing how it works. Worth a stop to admire this clever design and see the salt tower shining brightly in the desert.
Gullen Solar Farm, Australia: This solar farm in New South Wales was the first of its kind to be located next to an existing wind farm. With 42,000 solar panels across 28 hectares, producing 22,000 megawatt-hours of energy every year, that’s enough to power 3,100 homes.
2.5 hour long tours are conducted by staff on a 24-seater bus where visitors can see closeup how the solar and wind farm works and learn about renewable energy. All tour guests receive a complimentary coffee or tea before it starts, then a light lunch afterwards. Children are welcome and are given a word search to complete along the way.
Solvana Solar Power Plant, Spain: Two solar towers are part of the huge Solnova Power station located in Seville, which visitors describe as it wouldn’t look out of place in a science fiction movie. 1,879 movable mirrors surround the two towers and reflect solar radiation to produce steam in the tower. It’s then turned into electricity by a turbine generator.
Although you can’t get up close inside the power plant, tourists enjoy cycling around the installations to see the sun’s rays projecting onto the towers. Head up the hill at the end of Sanlucar la Mayor to get a birds eye view, or cycling from Guadiamar River Green Belt (Corredor Verde de Guadiamar) and you can also experience the birdlife in the valley, after forest restoration took place following a mining disaster in the 1990’s.
Westmill Solar Park, UK : The UK’s first and the world’s largest cooperatively run and community owned solar farm, is based near Watchfield close to the Wiltshire/Oxfordshire border. It contains over 20,000 PV panels across 30 acres of land, and generates enough electricity to power 1,600 homes.
Unlike the towers seen in Seville and Nevada, Westmill features photovoltaic panels (PV). These don’t move, don’t make any noise and can operate in cloudy conditions. Monthly tours are hosted by volunteers and offer one to one or group visits to learn how the site works, and enjoy the nature surrounding it. The volunteers are passionate about raising awareness of the need for clean, renewable energy and these tours are a great way to demonstrate how this energy can be created.
Noor Ouarzazate, Morroco: Noor, meaning light in Arabic, is 3,000 hectares (that’s about 3,500 football fields). It was built to help Morocco achieve energy independence and increase sustainability, and the power generated is enough for one million homes.
Its location in Ouarzazate is already popular with tourists who want to see the filming locations for Game of Thrones, Lawrence of Arabia and The Mummy. But it was chosen due to having one of the highest rates of solar radiation in the world. There is not a day in a whole year that it isn’t sunny! Security is tight, so you can’t just turn up for a look around but tours are available, booked through their website at least one month in advance.
Datong County, China: As the biggest manufacturer of solar panels and host to the biggest solar farms, this list wouldn’t be complete without a mention of China. And potentially the cutest solar farm in the world? You can’t walk around this one, but it’s best seen from the air.
In 2017, Panda Green Energy took their name literally and built the solar panels into the shape of two pandas. The 248 acre area features both dark and light solar panels, to make the design stand out. Most importantly, Panda power will offset the need for millions of tonnes of coal, helping reduce carbon emissions and helping both our homes and the home of the lovable Panda.
The Panda design is the first of 100 solar plants that will feature animal designs across China, and the brilliant idea came from 15 year old Ada Li Yan-tung, who presented it at a Paris sustainability forum co-hosted by the UN in 2015
