Sweden-based architect Mans Tham went halfway around the world with this design for a serpent-shaped solar skin for the Sana Monica freeway.
From afar the solar structure looks like a long scaly serpent, winding through the scenery and covered in a massive array of solar panels that produce a peak of 150 mWhs of clean energy for the local population.
He also proposes to capture the exhaust fumes to make algae fuel on the side of the freeway. That technology may be down the road, but the overall principle makes a lot of sense right now as we see large swaths of desert turned over for energy production. Add in the controversy over transmission lines and localized solar production makes a lot of sense.
The renovation of existing urban infrastructure is a critical pivot in the conversation on sustainable design, and this proposal is an incredible approach that would add 237 acres of solar power to the middle of Los Angeles.
