Villages and woods are probably the only places in the world where greenery hasn’t become extinct yet. Even these are facing depletion these days. Considering this, the developers of a mixed-use urban village, Mueller in Austin, Texas wished to preserve the lush green surroundings barring its industrial feel. And that is how Austin got its Largest Public Art Installation, the Sunflower Electric Garden.

Comprising 15 flower-like solar photovoltaic panels, this solar garden is situated between the village of Mueller and Austin’s highway I-35 on a pedestrian and bike path. The solar flowers sop up the sun’s energy during daytime to generate a steady flow of renewable electricity to power their blue LED lights at night and divert the remaining to the grid. Not just this, these installations also provide shade to the pedestrians and bikers from the hot sun.

On the word of its creators, Harries/Heder, these flowers are believed to be both an icon for the sustainable, LEED certified Mueller Development and a highly visible metaphor for the energy conscious City of Austin. This surely is a rousing example for the metros to turn environmental and aesthetic.

Via Inhabitat