Until four years ago, the United States Mission in Geneva, was just another office building in the diplomatic district of Geneva, however when it became time to restore the exterior of the building, due to a crumbling facade, diplomats asked the State Department to install a solar electric system.
At first the department was a little against this, however soon it became clear that the panels would not only provide electricity, however they would also protect the facade from sun and water and reduce the need for cooling due to the fact that they shade the windows.
Furthermore, the project also has political benefits, because during a time when The U.S. was viewed by most people as a gas guzzling nation, who didn’t care about their greenhouse gas emissions, these solar panels were a way of showing the world that they do in fact care about the environment.
Installation of the solar panels cost the State Department $1.6 million and the system, however by 2015, the system is expected to have paid for itself. The system went online in July 2005 and at peak power can generate enough electricity to power 37 homes. The mission feeds the power directly into the local grid but benefits by buying it back at a preferential rate — cutting about $70,000 from the mission’s power bills each year.
