San Francisco—On May 28, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom unveiled the inaugural power-producing bus shelter from 3form and local design firm Lundberg Design Group. The project was realized in collaboration with Konarka Technologies and Clear Channel Outdoor.

Achieving the form and function of Lundberg Design's blueprint, the 3form Product Technology Team developed custom red and amber structures produced from 40 percent pre-consumer recycled polycarbonate and integrated photovoltaic cells. This element powers the shelters using the sun's rays, providing an intercom, LED lighting, and even WiFi. Excess power goes back to the city's grid. It is shaped in the form of a geometric sine wave, mimicking the rolling hills of San Francisco. The design was not possible in glass, and 3form was able to provide an innovative and original solution with its Varia Ecoresin—recycled resin panels that can encapsulate textiles, organic materials, textures, and custom images.

"Photovoltaics and design have never overlapped. 3form technology and fabrication capabilities have allowed this marriage to occur," says John Willham, 3form chief technology officer. "It is unprecedented yet essential to bring photovoltaic technology into mainstream architecture and design."

Newsom plans to build 1,100 more similar structures and facilities in the next five years.