An inspiring aerial photo series adds incredible depth to solar farm projects

German photographer Tom Hegen has managed to capture some impressive images of solar farms from around the world. Normally demonized for being blights on the landscape, Hegen's photo series "Solar Power" sheds them in a completely new light. 

The photo series is the latest in Hegen's various explorations of the Earth's surface using, more or less exclusively, aerial photography. 

The inspiration for the series? According to Hegen's own blog, "this series explores solar power plants in the United States, France, and Spain. These man-made, constructed landscapes represent our efforts of building a more sustainable future in the most sophisticated ways."

To capture these impressive images, Hegen traveled to various solar power plants around the United States, France, and Spain. While in the U.S., Hegen teamed up with Lars Gange, a helicopter pilot, to capture the impressive shots. 

Hegen has captured other impressive images like airplanes grounded during the lockdown in 2020, and in 2021, he captured the otherworldly landscapes of Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

What are the main advantages of using solar panels?

Solar power is one of the most widely used methods of renewable technologies, and in some parts of the world, it makes complete sense to invest in them. The destinations are chosen by Tom Hegen for this photo series are a prime example. 

Apart from being pollution-free once installed (ignoring the costs to build and decommission them), they have many other benefits over more traditional forms of energy generation. 

These include, but are not limited to: -

• By generating your own power, solar panels can help reduce your electricity bills
• Oftentimes, installing solar panels can attract tax incentives,
• If paired with storage batteries, solar panels offer an excellent way to reduce your dependence on the gird,
• Solar panels are relatively low maintenance but do require cleaning over time,
• For sunny countries (like Spain or parts of the U.S.) solar power offers an excellent way to generate power all year-round.

If you haven't already, we thoroughly recommend checking out Hegen's other impressive series of works on his personal website.