San Francisco Installing Solar-Powered Bus Stations

June 2nd, 2009 by Ariel Schwartz

San Francisco’s new solar-powered bus stops may not make the bus come any faster, but they will at least make the wait a bit more pleasant. The first solar-powered shelter, unveiled last week, contains photovoltaic cells on its roof that power LEDs for night-time vision. Excess power is sent back to the grid.

The best part: San Francisco’s new shelters will have free Wi-Fi access. With 1,100 new solar-powered bus stops expected to be installed between now and 2013, that means a blanket of free Internet across the city.

The shelters aren’t cheap—each one costs between $25,000-$30,00—but they’re are being paid for in full by Clear Channel.

If you’re in the Bay Area, check out the prototype shelter at the corner of Geary and Arguello in the Richmond.

Photo Credit: Inhabitat









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