A building adorned with glimmering panels serves an important purpose in the middle of Turkey’s only desert area. The structure is reportedly a hub for a massive solar farm spanning eight square miles and credited with preventing more than 1.7 million tons of carbon emissions from escaping into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The structure known as the Central Control Building is part of a greener future in the harsh climate of the Turkish desert. The solar farm is reportedly the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. The solar plant provides around 2 million people with clean energy, according to Kalyon Enerji, which established the solar plant.
In addition, the building boasts 3.5 million panels and of the panels, 7,200 are stainless steel, according to Bilgin Studios, the architecture film which designed the Central Control Building. The panels are reportedly designed at four different transparency levels, which prevent overheating and create a reflective appearance.
The building’s form also serves an important purpose, the structure is situated low to the ground and the earth around it is elevated to prevent shading of the solar panels, maximizing power generation.
Inside the facility is more innovation, a lush green courtyard in the heart of the desert, and a green roof to provide insulation, with a reported rainwater collection system filtered for plant irrigation and landscaping.
While the desert area is not suitable for agriculture, it holds immense potential for solar energy. The solar farm is said to be part of creating a “carbon neutral future.” Turkey’s solar power potential is enough to meet the needs of 45% of its energy consumption, according to a recent study.