Harnessing the Sun

Gemini North, the northern half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, sits at over 4000 meters (nearly 14,000 feet) above sea level, perched near the summit of Maunakea, in Hawai‘i. Prominent in this image are the photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that were installed on the roof of the telescope building in 2015. These panels generate about twelve percent of the power required to run Gemini North, supplementing grid power for the telescope during daylight hours. At its high elevation above the clouds, the facility gets more power from this ~100 kW PV system than can be produced from a similar system at sea level. Through its Environmental Sustainability Program, NOIRLab will reduce its entire annual carbon footprint by 50% by the end of 2027.