The Lunar Cubit could merge art and solar power

(PhysOrg.com) -- An ancient form may be coming to the modern world. A new project, called the Lunar Cubit, features a set of nine black pyramid-shaped solar powered structured. The structures will power thousands of homes in the Abu Dhabi desert. Each of the pyramids would be able to provide power to about 250 desert homes. This instillation may not be powerful as a standard solar power farm, but it would be visually stunning.

The proposed structure consists of eight small pyramids that surrounding a central, larger pyramid in a semi circle. This design allows for the structures to also act as a lunar calender. The structures will use LED lights to illuminate in different combinations to indicate the waxing or waning of the moon.

The project was first submitted as a proposal in the Land Art Generator Initiative. The contest asked designers to create a large-scale renewable energy project that would double as a work of art.

The Lunar Cubit would feature frameless solar panels made of glass and amorphous silicon. The structures would be expected to pay back the cost of construction in about five years. All nine of the pyramids would constitute a 1.74 MW utility-scale power plant, with the central pyramid being responsible for converting the energy to AC electricity for home use.

The Lunar Cubit project was designed by Robert Flottemesch, Jen DeNike, Johanna Ballhaus, and Adrian P. De Luca. It is inspired by the ancient measurements that allowed for the original pyramids to be constructed, with the proposed measurements proportional to the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Giza.