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Smithsonian Solar-Powered Recharge Stations in the Enid A. Haupt Garden. Photo by James Gagliardi, Smithsonian Gardens.

Solar Power Recharges the Smithsonian Gardens

By Tori Vandergriff

The Smithsonian has launched its firstever major installation bringing interactive solar power to the public. The solar “Recharge Stations” are in the Enid A. Haupt Garden, between the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building (AIB) and the Smithsonian Institution Building, widely known as “The Castle.” Here, visitors can take a load off at the stations while sitting on the built-in benches, recharge their devices, and even enjoy a cooling breeze brought to them by a large overhead fan entirely powered by solar energy. The Recharge Stations also power a the Smithsonian Gardens. The solar panels themselves have been designed to look like giant leaves, which, at first glance, simply makes them appear as giant shade covers. But there’s rhyme and reason behind this design. “The idea of solar panels is very conceptually the same as what photosynthesis does—trapping light and [moving] it into energy,” said Gagliardi. “What we’re talking about is how technology through biomimicry is mimicking what we see in real life.” The installation is part of a larger

garden shed that houses an electric vehicle used for transportation around the gardens, as well as equipment used by the Gardens staff to maintain the various gardens around the Smithsonian campus, according to Lauren Brandes, a landscape architect for the Smithsonian Gardens Division. The six solar panels charging the shed store power in four batteries where it then gets converted into electrical power so all of the tools/vehicles can be plugged in the same as if you were plugging into an outlet at home, according to James Gagliardi, a supervisory horticulturist for

exhibit by the Arts and Industries Building (AIB) called “FUTURES.” Gagliardi described the exhibit as being a look into the future and past of technology, art, and design. The exhibit celebrates the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary and will be open through July 6 for visitors to explore the more than 150 objects, ideas, and prototypes on display, said the Smithsonian’s press release for the Recharge Stations. The project is focused on the optimism and excitement about what solar energy could look like in the future, according to Brandes. The planning process for the installation began in the fall of 2021, said Brandes, with collaboration between AIB and the Gardens Division. The donor for this project was the solar power company First Solar, which manufactures solar panels on a large scale, according to Brandes. An exhibit fabricator at the Smithsonian then began brainstorming with First Solar to create the design of the stations. Production for the stations began at the end of February in hopes of completing the installation in time for “Earth Days @ FUTURES: A Sustainable Celebration.” Brandes described the process as “not typical” for the Smithsonian because it came to completion so quickly. Gagliardi said it’s unclear whether more stations will be created for other gardens at various Smithsonian buildings, but one thing is for sure: The ball has started rolling for the future of solar on the National Mall. “We’ve already had other organizations within the Smithsonian contact us to say ‘We’ve been trying to do solar’ and they want us to come over and visit,” said Gagliardi. “It’s a great example. It’s a great start.” The stations will remain in the garden for at least a year and it’s possible that they will move to a different location within the Smithsonian gardens after that, according to Gagliardi. At the end of their 30-year-long useful life, the panels can be recycled with a 90% recovery rate. The semiconductor material can be recycled into new modules, their glass can be recycled into glass containers, and the laminate can be converted into latex for use in bicycle handles and shoe soles. The Recharge Stations are truly a beautiful sight to be seen by visitors and anyone who is curious about the sustainability of solar power. The stations are in the garden now for everyone to see, so stop by and recharge next time you’re at the National Mall! o

Victoria Vandergriff is originally from Baltimore, MD, and is finishing up her senior year at the University of Maryland as a journalism major with a history minor. She currently work as a barista at Zeke’s Coffee of DC at several farmers markets across the DMV. Tori is an intern this summer session with Washington Gardener.

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