<![CDATA[Gizmodo: solar farm]]> http://tags.gizmodo.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo: solar farm]]> http://gizmodo.com/tag/solarfarm http://gizmodo.com/tag/solarfarm <![CDATA["Solar Sunflower" Collectors Lend Credibility to "Solar Farm"]]> In the spot where the old Robert Mueller airport used to be, the city of Austin is building, among other things, a solar farm made of these contest-winning, 16-foot-high "sunflower" style solar collectors.

The collectors aren't active yet, but when they're switched on they'll be used to power lights for a nearby hiking and biking trail. They're 16 feet high and 14 feet across (at the "flower," presumably) and are being viewed as both an art installation and a greening initiative. As Austin Council Member Lee Leffingwell shamelessly brags, "Our city has a great understanding of how art can transform public spaces." Yeah? Well, our site has a great understanding of sweet giant metal flowers, too. [MAKE]

]]> http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5313849&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[World's Largest Solar Farm Opens: A Billion Trees Probably Died to Build It]]> A solar farm has opened in Spain that consists of 120,000 solar panels over 100 hectares (247 acres). It also has a peak capacity of 20 megawatts and it can power up to 20,000 homes—making it the world's largest solar farm to date. The farm is expected to generate an estimated annual income of $28 million and reduce CO2 emissions by about 42,000 tons a year.

Ironically, a huge amount of trees were probably mowed down to get this thing up and running, but local agencies insist that "high environmental criteria" were maintained in the construction of the plant. Plus, they built it in Jumilla, a wine-producing region. That land could have been used to get me drunk. Damn you, solar power! [Technology For Life via Treehugger]

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