A common objection to solar panels is rooted in aesthetics, as they don't always visually fit in with more ubiquitous shingled roofs.
A long-established art installation in Seattle, which Energies Media noted is called the "Emerald City" for its green spaces, has shown that solar can be visually appealing for over a decade.
Seattle's culture is layered, boasting a vibrant tech sector in addition to being an "outdoorsy" city, and sculptor Dan Corson's 2013 work, "Sonic Bloom," blended those dueling traits to create a visually arresting and interactive ode to solar power.
When Seattle's Pacific Science Center sought proposals for art incorporating solar energy, inspiration struck Corson, according to Smithsonian Magazine. He sketched up a plan for a five-piece sculpture he called "Humming Heliotrope," alluding to how flowers turn to the sun.
At the time, despite new federal incentives for solar introduced in 2005 and 2009, home solar hadn't yet become as common or affordable as it is today, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
In 2025, interest in installing solar panels and community solar plans soared in tandem with electric bills across the U.S., as Americans sought ways to lower their utility bills. Solar is the ultimate hedge against energy volatility, dropping bills to $0 — or even into negative territory.
Amid a renewables boom, TCD's Solar Explorer is a cheat sheet for consumers looking to make the switch and start saving. In addition to connecting users with vetted local technicians, it can save users up to $10,000 on new installations.
Solar Explorer has options for nearly every budget and scenario, including $0-down plans that lock in low rates without upfront costs, such as Palmetto's LightReach. Palmetto's Home app is another free tool to find ways to save sustainably, and users can access up to $5,000 in rewards for home upgrades.
Since its installation, the Pacific Science Center's solar flowers have become a staple next to Seattle's Space Needle, while acting as a "weirdly beautiful" ambassador for clean energy.
Corson said that the science center venue prompted him to consider how scientific processes and facilities shine a light on the things humans "normally don't see."
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"This led me down the path of imagining looking up and experiencing flowers from under them, as if you were the scale of a small insect," Corson explained.
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