By Andrew Liszewski
Leonardo Bonnani, who runs hyperexperience.com, recently visited the Panasonic Center in Tokyo and discovered these solar and wind powered streetlights around the building. During the day the solar cells on top and the turbines generate power that’s stored in a battery at the base. At night the battery is used to run the streetlights, though the turbines continue to spin and produce power even in the dark.
There’s also a short video of the streetlights in action on Leonardo’s site, since at first I actually thought the photo was a 3D concept rendering, but they’re definitely real. Also, the Panasonic Center is less of a corporate HQ, and more of a place for the public to come and experience current and future technologies being developed by the company. So I’m not sure if these unique streetlights are actually used by Panasonic at their other buildings.
[ Spinning Streetlights ] VIA [ Interactive Architecture dot org ]
I work next door to Panasonic Canada and they have had one of those lights in front of the front door for about a year.
Really? You mean the Panasonic building you can see from the 401 just before you hit Dixie Rd? (Heading east.)
Yes thats the one on Ambler Dr. in Mississauga.