Green Energy: Beauty Meets Iovation In This Panda-Shaped Solar Station

China has taken its love for its most recognizable and beloved animal to a whole new level along with its efforts to use green energy.

The East Asian country has built a new green energy station and used the Giant Panda bear as a source of inspiration in theming it. The company behind it, Panda Green Energy Group, is a driving force behind China’s sharp turn towards green energy programs.

The black parts (ear and arm) of the Panda-shaped solar structure is made up of powerful monocrystalline silicon solar cells. The grey and white belly and face areas are composed of the more run-of-the-mill thin film solar cells.

Read Also: Indian Engineer Wins Prestigious MIT Award For Train That Flies Over City’s Traffic

Dubbed the world’s first Giant Panda solar station, the renewable energy plant covers a total area of 248 acres and is located in Datong, Shanxi Province.

The first phase of the United Nations Development Programme backed project has begun with the solar farm currently providing 50 megawatts of clean energy to the towns around it. It will, however, have a capacity of 100 megawatts when fully coected, providing 3.2 billion kWh of green electricity in 25 years. That is equivalent to saving 1.056 million tons of coal or reducing 2.74 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The panda-shaped green energy station was also constructed to attract young people to engage in sustainable development.

“Designing the plant in the shape of a panda could inspire young people and get them interested in the applications of solar power,” said Li Yuan, Panda Green Energy’s CEO.

See Also: Uganda Manufactures Africa’s First Solar Powered Bus

Plans are in place to recruit young candidates from around China to participate in summer camps at the panda power stations. During this time, they will be educated with a deeper understanding of green energy.

There are also plans to bring panda power stations to Fiji and the Philippines, with the aim of building 100 across the globe over the next five years.

Environmentalism never looked so appealing.