SunPower cells play their part in California Academy of Sciences’ ‘Living Roof’

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

The California Academy of Sciences (Academy) in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California is to reopen this weekend following a closure for establishment of the new facility. An interesting aspect of this new construct is the ‘Living Roof’, an architecturally designed display roof that features 60,000 SunPower solar cells incorporated in 720 custom-built glass panels.

The panels form a 172kW BIPV electric system that will generate up to 10 percent of the Academy’s energy needs

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

“We applaud the Academy’s decision to include SunPower’s high-efficiency solar technology as part of its new building, which is expected to earn a LEED platinum certification,” said Tom Werner, CEO of SunPower. “The SunPower high-efficiency solar cells are an important element of Renzo Piano’s roof design and a functional solution for generating pollution-free solar energy to support the planetarium, aquarium and rainforest inside the museum.”

By Síle Mc Mahon

Read Next

Premium
October 10, 2025
Gaëtan Masson of IEA PVPS warns of overcapacity, collapsing prices and slipping module quality in the new Trends in PV Applications report.
October 10, 2025
The European solar module market has reached a “state of equilibrium” in recent weeks, with stable prices and regular demand.
October 10, 2025
US solar recycling firm OnePlanet has achieved the R2v3 certification from electronics sustainability non-profit SERI, which represents the “highest standards of traceability”.
October 10, 2025
NTPC Renewable Energy Limited has signed an MoU with the Government of Gujarat to develop 15GW renewable energy projects in Gujarat.
October 10, 2025
Australia's renewable energy sector recorded its slowest month of the year for additions in September, with 5.8GW of new projects added to development pipelines, according to data from Rystad Energy.
October 9, 2025
The Australian government has announced the results of the fourth Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender, with 6.6GW of renewables awarded long-term contracts.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK