400,000 kWh from a shadow — Houston’s giant arc makes time visible

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/400000-kwh-a-shadow-houstons-giant-arc/20756/

by lebron8

3 comments

  2. For those who don’t want to read this garbled AI-written mess of an article, here is what the Arch of Time website says about the planned installation:

    Microclimate
    Spanning from east to west, the Arch of Time creates a large outdoor room in Mason Park that is shaded throughout the day. Opening up to the north and narrowing to the south, the artwork also helps to channel the breezes that flow within the shade. The effect is a public space that is significantly cooler than the surrounding park. The artwork will provide a place of refuge in a city experiencing the ever-increasing heat island effects of a warming climate.

    Energy
    With over 60,000 solar photovoltaic cells seamlessly integrated into its south-facing exterior, Arch of Time will generate an impressive 400,000 kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually—enough to power all of Mason Park (equivalent to the electricity consumption of 40 Texas homes). Over its lifetime, The Arch will produce more than 12 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity—offsetting 8,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide and far exceeding its own environmental impact. This pioneering project marks the world’s first energy-generating artwork that contributes net-positive power to the grid, reinforcing Houston’s leadership in the global energy transition.

    Sundial
    Acting as a living sundial, The Arch is a dynamic timekeeper that bridges earth and sky. Its precisely engineered geometry captures and casts sunlight across the ground in a poetic dance of shadows and light—an ever-changing performance guided by the Earth’s rotation and Houston’s unique coordinates. Through this celestial choreography, the sculpture transforms each day into an immersive experience of time, space, and art.

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