Madrid is an ancient city, no doubt about it. Still, you’ll find forward thinking people, including those operating this hotel near the Plaza Mayor. Look carefully at the roof.
It looks like they have an evacuated tube system for heating water and some photovoltaic panels to make electricity. Good idea. There’s plenty of sunshine in Madrid, might as well use the energy. I would have liked to talk to someone at the hotel to see how much energy they were saving. Alas, not enough time.
The University of Michigan’s solar powered car is currently in Aruba. It was on display at the Paseo Herencia Mall, the AVP political party’s headquarters in Oranjestaad, and in San Nicolaas during a drive around the island. Here’s a photo.
Not much room to sit in this thing. Anyway, it was interesting to see the vehicle out on the street. As you can see from the photo, they allowed people to get rather close. The kids thought it was great. Here’s a plug for all the sponsors of the effort.
It’s good to know there are smart people out there working hard to solve various energy issues. While this vehicle may not seem practical, the knowledge gained from such ventures can be applied to any number of other projects. No doubt the future will bring things that we might never have expected.
Bon dia from Aruba.
The Bent Page 
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