Day 5069: Soleri Bells & Solar Megaproject for Zero-Carbon City.

"Vintage": junk papers collage.

     

                                                                       

  

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2GN2S

 

Day 5

WonderWoman and Superman are in Newport Beach for the weekend, they have a friend's house warming this evening and will be home Sunday. Meanwhile GH#1, Jordan and his beautiful wife, Raquel are staying with me, and GH#3, Zack is, as well.

Soleri Bells

Soleri bells (often called wind bells) are handcrafted, resonant bronze and ceramic sculptures designed by Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri. Produced since the 1950s at his Cosanti studio in Arizona, sales of these iconic, collectible bells primarily fund the non-profit Cosanti Foundation and the sustainable city of Arcosanti. Each bell is individually sand-cast. The molten bronze is poured into molds where artisans have hand-etched unique geometric patterns and organic motifs. Unlike standard hollow wind chimes, Soleri bells feature fluted, conical chambers that produce a distinct, melodic ring when the breeze moves the multi-faceted clapper. They come in different patinas and burnished finishes, which are heat-treated to create vibrant, incandescent colors and weather beautifully over time. At my home in Tustin, I have a collection of Soleri Bells in my little yard. Wind bells and wind chimes are said to ward off evil spirits. If so, I am taking care of the whole neighborhood.

Saudi Arabia just switched on a 2,000-square-kilometer solar megaproject — built to power an entire city that runs on zero carbon.

Saudi Arabia activated the solar energy backbone of its NEOM development in the Tabuk region, a 2,000-square-kilometer installation combining photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar thermal arrays designed to supply 100 percent of the electricity demand for the planned NEOM city complex and its supporting industrial zone. The site receives over 3,600 hours of direct solar irradiance annually — among the highest recorded at any large-scale installation globally.

The installation is paired with a 4-gigawatt green hydrogen production facility using solar-generated electricity to power electrolyzers that split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen feeds directly into NEOM's industrial and transport systems as the city's primary energy carrier, replacing fossil fuels entirely across every sector of the development simultaneously.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy confirmed the project generates 14 gigawatts of peak solar output and produces 600 tonnes of green hydrogen daily. The facility marks the first time a major industrial city has been designed from the ground up with zero carbon energy infrastructure as its foundational requirement rather than a retrofit.

Source: Saudi Ministry of Energy, NEOM Development Authority, 2024

 

  

 

A 4+ minute video, Strandbeest, here.

 

 

Just because ...

Fire-tailed Myzornis

Saturday's Smiles ... 

 

Hoping you see all the good things in your day.