World's Longest Solar Footbridge Also Powers the Main Grid

World's Longest Solar Footbridge Rendering courtesy of Eco Friend

The world's largest solar-powered footbridge has now opened in Brisbane. The panels not only power its LED lighting but they also feed the main grid: this will save 38 tons of CO2 annually!

Connecting South Brisbane and the city center, it's expected about 36,000 people will use the new Kurilpa Bridge every week to walk or bike across the Brisbane River. A must have as 1,500 people move into South East Queensland every week! Brisbane is in fact the fastest growing urban region in Australia.

World's Longest Solar Footbridge Rendering courtesy of Eco Friend

With the aesthetic of sail boats, the bridge has an array of cables and flying struts along with a bridge-sized all-weather canopy.

The structure is 1,500 feet long and clad with 84 solar panels. Collectively, the solar panels will generate a yearly output of about 40 MWh. About 75-percent of power will be used for the bridge and the remainder will be fed back to the main grid.

It's LED lighting scheme employs a sophisticated control system that produce a plethora of lighting effects--a feature to be prominent in Brisbane's annual Riverfire celebrations.

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World's Longest Solar Footbridge Rendering courtesy of Eco Friend