EN 
PT_BR 
Solar energy is present in industries, businesses, residences, rural properties. There are countless businesses that are opting to choose a renewable source, promoting savings and sustainability.
It does not stop there. Photovoltaic energy is a growing trend also in tourism and architecture, with many major landmarks and destinations already using solar panels.
This source not only helps reduce carbon emissions and save on electricity costs, it is also becoming, along with other renewable resources, a tourist attraction.
O Solar Channel selected seven famous tourist attractions around the world that already have solar energy. Check out.
1) White House, United States
The official residence and office of the American president, the White House is one of Washington DC's famous buildings and one of the country's main tourist attractions.
The photovoltaic system on the property was installed in 1979 and currently has 50 solar panels.
Curiosities
- President Jimmy Carter was the first to install a photovoltaic system in the White House, with 32 panels, in 1979, to provide hot water. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan removed the equipment;
- George Bush added solar power to a maintenance building in 2003;
- In 2010, Barack Obama installed a photovoltaic system on the property. This system paid for itself in 2018.
2) Eiffel Tower, France
The Eiffel Tower is a 19th century iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars, in Paris, which has become a global icon of France, becoming one of the main tourist attractions in the world.
The tower, which is the tallest building in the city, is the most visited paid monument in the world, with millions of people visiting it annually. Its photovoltaic system was installed in 2012 and has a 10 m² array in the visitor pavilion.
Curiosities
- The solar panels are installed on the first platform of the 187 ft tower and in the Ferrié Pavilion;
- Solar energy heats half of the hot water used;
- It also has two wind turbines that produce 10 thousand kWh of electricity per year;
- The system was financed by SETE (Société d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel), which holds 40% of the rights to the tower, with the remainder owned by the city council.
3) Taj Mahal, India
The Taj Mahal was built in 1600. Its structure is powered by a photovoltaic system, installed in 2012, with around 2 thousand kWp of capacity, in the city of Agra.
Curiosities
- Funded by Taj Heritage Fund;
- India plans to install 20 GW of solar PV capacity by 2022.
4) Vatican, Italy
The photovoltaic system, with 100 MW of power, was installed in 2008. It has approximately 2,700 solar panels on top of the Paulo VI auditorium.
Curiosities
- Pope Benedict XVI, the first Vatican leader to use solar energy;
- Considered the first “solar nation-state”;
- Provides solar energy to 40 thousand homes;
- Largest solar plant in Europe;
- Enough energy to power the heating, cooling and electrical needs of a 6,300-seat building; Reduces carbon footprint by 225 tons per year.
5) Alcatraz, United States
Alcatraz is an island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California (USA). Initially, it was used as a military base, and only later was it converted into a maximum security prison.
Its 307 kW photovoltaic system was installed in 2012 on the roof of the Cellhouse building.
Curiosities
- The solar array is hidden to preserve historical integrity;
- The solar-powered microgrid reduced the operating time of diesel generators from 100% to 40% over the course of a year.
6) UN, Switzerland
The United Nations Office in Geneva is the second largest of the four main headquarters of the United Nations. Its photovoltaic system was installed in 2014 in an area of 3,223 m².
Curiosity
- It produces 600 thousand kWh of energy annually.
7) Maracanã, Brazil
Brazil has one of the most famous stadiums in the world: Maracanã. Founded in 1950, the stadium has received audiences of more than 200,000 people and has been the stage for major football matches, musical shows and other events and is one of the city's main tourist attractions.
The solar plant, installed in 2014, has a capacity of 400 kWp, with a total of 1,552 solar modules, which cover an area of 2,380 m² and are capable of generating 500 MWh of energy per year.
Curiosity
- Maracanã Solar was a proposal put forward by Instituto Ideal and had the support of the German Cooperation for Sustainable Development, through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the German Development Bank KfW.
