Solar Powered Daisies

Created by on Thursday, July 23, 2009 · 9 Comments 

solar powered daisies
These 18 foot solar powered daisies that are currently being featured in Boston are all a part of Toyota’s national marketing campaign for the third generation Prius launch in 2010. These gigantic flowers are equipped with free Wi-Fi connection and electricity to charge your laptops, cellphones, or other devices. Behind the white petals are solar panels that power 110-volt outlets found on the benches, which can seat up to 10 people. This is supposed to mimic the solar roof in the new Prius. The advertisements are informational bits about the car are located on the leaves of the daisies. The daisies are available for your convenience from 8am to 9pm.

So what do the flowers symbolize for the Toyota Prius you ask?

Harmony between Man, Nature, and Machine

What a lovely slogan! I’m very excited for these flowers to come to San Francisco so I can see them for myself. They will also be coming soon to Seattle, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. If that wasn’t cool enough, select public bus shelters have been retrofitted with solar panels and fans that circulate air within the shelter.

The cooling experience was designed to mirror the Solar Powered Ventilation System found in the 3rd generation Prius. Embedded with available solar panels, the 2010 Prius can use solar power to ventilate the interior when parked in the sun. Wow no more waiting in the hot uncomfortable weather for that bus to roll around the corner. Check the Prius tour schedule maybe they will be coming to your town soon!

Prius Solar Powered Daisies and Bus Shelters will be touring major cities across the U.S. Check out the schedule here:

1. Boston – Prudential Plaza – July 8 – July 19, 2009
2. New York – FLATIRON PLAZA – July 23 – Aug 2, 2009
3. Chicago – Navy Pier – Aug 8 – Aug 22, 2009
4. Seattle – Westlake Park – Aug 29 – Sept 7, 2009
5. San Francisco – Yerba Buena Gardens – Sept 12 – Sept 27, 2009
6. Los Angeles – The Americana – Oct 3 – Oct 18, 2009

Portland is unfortunately not on the list, even though it is rated as one of the top greenest cities in the world. I vote for Portland, Oregon to be put on the list. Enjoy those daisies. =P

Thoughts, Comments, Questions…

Just living life in Portland, Oregon and enjoying every day that goes by. I love the environment, and I love community, and I love being able to share my experiences and perspective with the world.

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  • Roman

    I saw them in Boston, and will be checking them out here in New York. They're pretty cool, especially in the evening when they light up different colors. My 4 year old really liked them, and I had a chance to talk about the sun and energy with him.

  • JT

    I wish they would come to Portland, Oregon….we are so green here, and we would all love it…thanks for the comment =)

  • Renewable Electricit

    Thanks for this useful post…

  • Brenda Pike

    These were right across the street from where I work, and when I first saw them I was hoping I'd get to test drive the new Prius at lunch. They're a great marketing idea, but it's been so rainy here that there were only a few days when people could actually use them.

  • Cassie

    I think these daisies are awesome. Here's a blog post about the daisies as public art:http://heavyworld.com/theskinny/?p=371

  • Gary Wilkes

    these wi-fi flowers would be a great idea for college campuses — from a marketing and educational standpoint

  • Anonymous

    As the supply of natural gas is diminishing, it seems that finding alternative sources of fuel is a major concern. Each day, more and more oil is drilled from the earth. This oil is then consumed at a rate by which it will be completely used up before our society has found alternative sources of fuel. With increasing demand for energy and a decreasing supply of it, the time to start looking for these sources is now. Wind energy, a possible source of power, is a costly and somewhat inefficient way of harvesting the energy from the earth. Plants that use the flow of rivers to produce power are able to collect enough energy to provide power to rural regions. However, the damage caused by the plant releasing pollutants into the water is also a major concern. Due to these problems, it seems that solar energy is one of the cleanest, most effective ways to produce energy. Solar panels, which are relatively easy to maintain, are used to capture the sun’s heat and convert it into usable power. This power is then either used, or stored inside of batteries. Solar energy is not only the best choice due to its ability to produce clean, efficient, power, but it is available to not only large plants, but homes as well. All over America, people are using solar energy to “get off the grid.” Even schools such as Florida Gulf Coast University use solar energy to power their classes. Solar energy seems to be the most intelligent way to power our future. The time for change is now

  • Jonathan Caren

    functional art, way to go.

  • http://www.buschsystems.com/outdoor-recycling-bins.html Recycle Girl

    These are unreal – so creative! I agree, these would be perfect for college campuses
    Not only will this build general awareness, but it'll attract the attention of children who at an early age can learn about solar power and sustainability through curiosity. Love it!


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