Sydney’s Australian National Maritime Museum has piloted ultra-thin, flexible photovoltaic panels, installed seamlessly onto its curved rooftop surfaces. This innovation demonstrates how solar can adapt to complex architectural forms while still delivering significant reductions in grid dependence.
When the Exploratorium unveiled its new home at Pier 15 in the San Francisco Bay in 2013, the building included a 1.3-megawatt rooftop solar system, which produces 100% of the museum’s electricity on-site. The system generates roughly 2,000 MWh annually, making the Exploratorium the largest net-zero energy museum in the United States.
In Chicago, the Field Museum complements its solar panel installations with purchased certified renewable energy credits (RECs), allowing the institution to claim 100% renewable electricity. This hybrid model illustrates how museums can combine on-site generation with broader green markets to meet ambitious climate goals.
By channeling sunlight into cultural light, these institutions embody the following United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 (Affordable & Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities & Communities).
Photovoltaic panels may begin as a technical fix, but their impact extends far beyond kilowatt hours. They reshape public perception of what museums can be: not just spaces of display, but engines of transformation.
NEXT IN Summit is the event promoted by ACCIONA Cultura that brings together international leaders in the cultural field to share experiences, discuss ideas and analyze the challenges that will shape the future of the cultural industry.