Solar-powered butterfly-shaped mobile home all set for a world tour

The SolarButterfly, named Larso, plans to identify, record and publicize 1,000 climate change solutions and works of pioneers to serve as an inspiration for others to follow suit. It has just been announced that LONGi, a major solar technology company, will be a key partner for this project.

The project involves a solar-powered mobile home in the shape of an enormous butterfly is set to embark on a tour around the world to seek projects and pioneers with the purpose of mitigating global warming.

SolarButterfly is meant to serve as a practical example for sustainable living with zero carbon emission. One of its unique features is the mechanism in its roof that unfolds and spreads apart to form large “butterfly wings” of a large wingspan. These wings have solar panels covering an area of 80 m2 affixed to them. The solar panels are powered with LONGi ultra high-efficiency solar cells to absorb solar energy to be used for powering the internal equipment of the SolarButterfly and for charging the electric car towing it.

“The SolarButterfly, which has a length of 10 meters and a width of 13 meters when the wings are fully spread, is constructed with highly advanced technology and materials including waste plastic that is gathered at sea. After the waste plastic is collected, it undergoes a unique process that transform it into a feasible main material for building the SolarButterfly, which is currently under construction near Luzerne, Central Switzerland,” claims the company.

SolarButterfly is set to visit more than 1,000 projects that focus on slowing down climate change. It will also host events involving the local population, schools, and political leaders. The project will be implemented in phases, starting with a tour mileage of 22,000 kilometers across 30 countries in Europe. According to the planned route, the SolarButterfly will then visit five other continents finishing the tour in Paris on December 12, 2025, just in time for the tenth anniversary of the climate agreement.

After the Europe World Tour, which will take place from May to November 2022, the SolarButterfly’s following itinerary and schedule will be as below:

1. Asia: March – October 2023
2. Australia: November – December 2023
3. North America: March 2024 – August 2024
4. South America: August 2024 – November 2024
5. Africa: February 2025 – August 2025
6. Europe: August 2025 – December 2025

Participating in this project is also an excellent opportunity for LONGi to make its own contribution to green energy transformation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), states the company.

In addition to sufficient living space for four, the SolarButterfly will have on board an integrated TV studio meant for recording and disseminating reports on sustainable solutions and pioneers via both social media and conventional media platforms. It will also be a highly energy-efficient space with solar-powered water heaters as well as rainwater collection and purification systems for supplying potable water.