Solar Power in Weird & Wonderful Places

When most people think of solar power, they image large solar farms in fields or panels arranged on rooftops. However, solar energy is emerging in far more unexpected and enjoyable locations across the globe. In recent years, solar is demonstrating that it can be used practically anywhere, from floating power stations to bike lanes that produce electricity while you ride. These are some of the strangest and most amazing locations where solar power is now emerging.

Floating Solar Farms

Floating solar, which installs panels on lakes, reservoirs, and even historic coal mines, is one of the solar energy innovations that is expanding the fastest. Situated atop a flooded coal-mining area in China, the huge Sungrow Huainan Floating Solar Farm converts a once-polluting site into a sustainable energy provider. [1] India is also leading the way, with projects such as the NTPC Ramagundam Floating Solar Power Plant, one of the world’s largest floating solar arrays, which is sprawled across a reservoir in Telangana. [2]  Unexpected advantages of floating solar include the fact that the water keeps the panels cool, increasing their efficiency, and the panels themselves lower evaporation, which is beneficial in hot areas.

Solar Bike Paths

Even the highways in the Netherlands are participating in the renewable energy movement. Solar cells are built into the surface of a solar bike route close to Amsterdam, producing power when riders pass over it. It’s a combination of science experiment, infrastructure, and discussion starter. [3]

Solar-Powered Island Resorts

Solar-powered island resorts are no longer a niche experiment but a growing global trend, especially in sun-rich, remote destinations. In the Maldives, the Fari Islands are scaling up rooftop and floating solar systems to supply up to half their electricity [4], while Finolhu Villas stand out as a luxury resort claiming to operate entirely on solar power. In the South Pacific, Turtle Island Resort in Fiji runs almost completely on solar energy thanks to hundreds of panels, dramatically cutting its reliance on fossil fuels. Off Australia’s coast, Pumpkin Island takes a smaller, eco-focused approach by combining solar and wind to create a largely self-sufficient retreat [5], and on Uoleva in Tonga, modest island resorts rely on solar simply because there is no central grid.

Solar Car Parks

Although carparks may not seem like much, solar carports are transforming them into generators of energy. Solar panels are being erected over parking spots around the United States and Europe to provide vehicles with shade while also providing clean electricity. These initiatives shelter cars from the sun, lessen urban heat, and effectively utilise otherwise unused space. [6]

Solar Over Canals

Solar-over-canal projects are a clever example of sustainable energy that serves two purposes, producing power and preserving valuable water. The Gila River Indian Community in Arizona installed solar panels over the Casa Blanca Canal to provide clean energy and safeguard water supplies in a hot, dry area, while Project Nexus in California covers irrigation canals with solar panels to generate renewable power while lowering evaporation and algae growth. [8] With Gujarat’s canal-top solar project showcasing the concept over ten years ago and more recent projects in Punjab increasing the method to tens of megawatts without using important farmland, India has been a pioneer to a system that is now being seen across the globe. [9]

Why This Matters

These examples demonstrate how solar energy is becoming increasingly versatile, inventive, and incorporated into daily life. Rather than competing for land, solar is:

• Reusing former industrial sites;
• Coexisting with water and transportation infrastructure; and
• Integrating into neighbourhoods, resorts, and cities

Solar energy is demonstrating that it can be useful, engaging, and surprisingly adaptable, whether it is used to power bike lanes, float on reservoirs, or shade parked cars. 

About Pager Power

Pager Power undertakes technical assessments for developers of renewable energy projects and tall buildings worldwide. 

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References

[2]  ‘India’s largest floating solar power project commissioned’ (2022) Ministry of Power. Available at: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1838489&reg=3&lang=2.

[3] 5 unexpected places in the world you can find solar panels. Ellerbeck, S. (2022) World Economic Forum. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2022/05/solar-power-energy-unusual-sites/

[4] Maldives microgrid project with floating solar becomes model for Island Renewables Projects (2026) pv magazine International. Available at: https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/01/08/maldives-microgrid-project-with-floating-solar-becomes-model-for-island-renewables-projects/.

[5] Carponen, C. (2020) This island in the Great Barrier Reef is for sale – and it comes with a rustic off-grid resort, The Spaces. Available at: https://thespaces.com/this-island-in-the-great-barrier-reef-is-for-sale-and-it-comes-with-a-rustic-off-grid-resort/

[6] Copley, J. (2025) Rooftop revolution: Why putting solar on car parks makes sense, CPRE. Available at: https://www.cpre.org.uk/opinions/rooftop-revolution-why-putting-solar-on-car-parks-makes-sense/.

[7] Image accreditation. Last accessed on 13th January 2026. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/aerial-photography-of-solar-panels-9799727/

[8] Duncombe, J. (2025) Solar panels over canals could provide benefits beyond energy, PHYSICS TODAY. Available at: https://physicstoday.aip.org/news/solar-panels-over-canals-could-provide-benefits-beyond-energy.

[9] Bhambhani, A. (no date) Solar tenders launched for over 1 GW in Gujarat & Punjab, TaiyangNews. Available at: https://taiyangnews.info/tenders/deendayal-port-authority-peda-launch-solar-tenders.