The solar energy facilities that used to hang outside the balconies of apartments or other buildings have now found a new place of pleasantness and convenience in the daily lives of citizens. On June 10, the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced that it has established “hands-on development facilities” based on the new solar energy technologies in World Cup Park and Ttukseom Hangang Park, both frequented by citizens. Countless citizens are visiting these facilities, making them new local landmarks.

The solar energy facility installed in the World Cup Park in Seoul is a circle-shaped stage with a diameter of 20 meters. The solar energy-powered LED panels planted in the park’s ground generate energy with sunlight of daytime and show fancy LED video art at night.

To establish “Solar Square” in the Constellation Square in the park, the sidewalk block-type panels were used for the first time in the country. 1,171 solar panels were installed around the edges of the square and 2,457 LED sidewalk blocks were installed in the center.

At night, fancy graphic videos showing flowers and constellations on the stage attract attention from visitors, and children love the place as they play freely on the moving images. The SMG explained that it will arouse interest from visitors with simple and clear images, and the space will also be put to use for citizen events such as festivals. The videos are displayed six times after sunset (for 15 min. in 15 min. intervals) all year round.

As the World Cup Park is easily accessible for citizens who use nearby facilities, such as the Seoul World Cup Stadium, Haneul Park and the Oil Tank Culture Park, the SMG expects that the Solar Square will not only provide citizens with things to watch and enjoy but arouse awareness surrounding eco-friendly, solar panel energy.

Additionally, the bicycle lane near the Riverside Stage in Ttukseom Hangang Park was equipped with solar panels and LED blocks to ensure the safety of citizens, improving visibility for nighttime bicycle users. 288 solar panels and 504 LED sidewalk blocks were installed along the “Solar Road” that spans a length of 250 meters along the bicycle lane.

The SMG will continue monitoring the amount of generated electricity and the durability of the solar panel facilities, using this information as baseline data for establishing solar panel roads. Additionally, the solar panel sidewalk blocks are expected to be used in a number of fields, including wireless or wired charge of electronic vehicles, establishment of smart roads and cities, and more.