Reimagining A Clean Energy Future with AI: Famous U.S. Landmarks with Solar

Renewable energy deployment needs to be ramped up to help reduce the effects of climate change. Luckily, solar panels are becoming one of the most trusted sources of clean energy.

The future of solar should include residential homes, utility-scale solar, and even adding solar in some unexpected places! To help us envision a solar-full future, we asked AI to draw up famous U.S. landmarks with solar panels attached to them.

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The White House

AI added quite a bit of solar to the roof of The White House and even added solar panels in perpetuity across DC, buildings be damned. Throwing in wind turbines is a unique touch, as is the nighttime vibe with a glowing sun in the background.

You may not know this, but the White House had solar panels. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter installed 32 solar water heating panels on the White House roof to provide hot water to the cafeteria and laundry room. Ultimately, they were removed when roof maintenance was required, and the Reagen Administration never put them back on.

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The Pentagon 

The Pentagon honestly has incredible roof space and really can take advantage of adding solar panels to power up some of the country’s most important office spaces.

The good news is that our dreams might be coming true. The Biden Administration released a plan to add solar panels to the Pentagon to help reduce the Department of Defense’s massive greenhouse gas emissions, which are equivalent to 3,685 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

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The United States Capitol Building

Washington, D.C., was named one of the best places for residential solar in the U.S. by SolarReviews, and we think it has the potential to embrace solar on buildings across the city.

But we’re not so sure if the Capitol Building is the best place for solar energy. For one thing, the building’s actual roof looks nothing like this AI image would lead you to believe. The dome could also create a challenge for solar panels, casting a shadow over them and reducing the amount of solar energy generated. 

Maybe the best way to make the Capitol a little more environmentally friendly would be to install a green roof.

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The New York City Flatiron Building 

New York is another excellent state for solar due to the available incentives and the state's high electricity costs.  

The iconic Flatiron building is supposedly being turned into condos, and I’d bet money that HOA would never let solar panels be installed on the roof. This is very unfortunate because solar panels could power the community's electricity, such as the hallway lights and lobby air conditioning that HOAs bill for.

This is another case where it seems like AI doesn’t quite know what the building actually looks like. In reality, the Flat Iron is narrower, and mounting panels how AI wants would be a tough ask.

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Philadelphia's Independence Hall

The potential for symbolism here is great – independent, solar-powered energy meets Independence Hall.

Currently, the U.S. relies on many imported fuels to keep the grid up and running. The amount of imported fuel is steadily decreasing as the U.S. becomes a net energy exporter, while renewable power providing electricity continues to increase.  

With solar panel manufacturing increasing across the U.S., panels made right here can help us take advantage of the power sunlight can provide. 

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The Hollywood Sign

Okay, this one is likely not even possible, but wouldn’t it be cool if it was? Putting solar panels as the Hollywood sign would be uniquely California — home to the stars and the state with the most solar installed. 

The panels could generate electricity for surrounding areas, and if paired with battery storage, they could act as a backup power source for the routinely strained California grid. 

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Your Home! 

Your home may not be a national landmark, but it’s the most important place in your life.  Residential solar panels have so many benefits, like reducing energy bills, generating clean energy, and increasing your independence. 

As we build towards a sustainable future, your home is a great spot to add solar panels! If we continue to normalize the look of solar on homes, seeing solar on famous buildings will go from being surprising to expected. 

If you are interested in the energy independence that solar can bring, find out how much it would cost in your state and how the solar tax credit can help reduce the cost.

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What we learned about AI’s knowledge of solar 

AI images need a bit of work when it comes to creating realistic-looking solar panels. In most of the images, the panels are very grainy and are much larger than they would be in real life. Sometimes the panels are different sizes, and they’re often mounted in a very obvious way. 

Solar panels in real life are way more subtle. Most panels today are all black and have very low profiles, making them a sleek addition to roofs instead of the eyesore AI would lead you to believe. 

But maybe using AI’s “imagination” in new ways can spur new ideas for adding solar panels in places we never thought of.