Flower Power
Solar flowers are popping up all over the world, proving that it’s easy—and beautiful—being green.
The Idea
Imagine a work of public art in the shape of a flower, but with solar panels on each of its 12 petals. And much like a sunflower, imagine it slowly turning to track the sun’s trajectory across the sky in real time, soaking up the fiery orb’s rays and harnessing its energy, with its petals drooping down at night to await the next sunrise.
As it turns out, such an apparatus does exist, and it was actually inspired by a sunflower. It’s called the Smartflower—an Austrian invention that has captured the imaginations of homeowners, companies and civic institutions all over the globe, from zoos to museums. And it’s quickly populating the Earth, with thousands already having taken root. In fact, you don’t have to go far to find one, with three just recently installed at the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. The museum’s director, Marilee Jennings, says that part of the appeal was to “explore the intersection of nature and science and technology,” and also to show “parents that solar panels can actually be aesthetically beautiful.”
Indeed, as Smartflower’s managing director, Robert Sawyer, explains via email from Vienna, its mission is to “serve a higher purpose, as a beacon for sustainability.” Improbably, Sawyer has his own roots in this region, having grown up in Stockton. And former part-time Sacramentan Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Smartflower enthusiast. The founder of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative can be found on YouTube espousing the merits of the machine.
As the capital of California and a city that registers approximately 300 sunny days per year, Sacramento is the perfect place to plant some seeds of environmental wonder.
The Players
There are many natural candidates in this region for a Smartflower—from the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity to the Sacramento Children’s Museum in Rancho Cordova, or any area schools or city halls that want to make an artful statement about green energy. Why not one on the grounds of Capitol Park, which already doubles as a virtual museum of flora from around the world? Maybe the former governor would even like to gift one to the Capitol grounds. Perhaps a solar Smartflower or two from the “Austrian Oak” could, say, help power the lighting of the Capitol dome and building’s façade each night.
The Bottom Line
The total cost of a single Smartflower is about $50,000 (only about half the price of an electric Hummer, Guv). And it’s far from a sunk cost when the energy savings are factored in, along with the aesthetic and educational benefits. Let’s hope to see a few new additions to our natural landscape by Earth Day in 2025. With a climate crisis looming, a handful of perennials like these could give us all a little ray of hope.
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