Gyration is illuminated at night, but during daylight hours its solar panels send clean energy to OUC’s power grid.
A soccer ball-shaped sculpture equipped with solar panels is now sending clean energy to OUC’S power grid.
“Gyration,” which measures 9.5 feet wide by 14.5 feet tall, was installed Nov. 13, 2020, outside Exploria Stadium, the home field of the Orlando City men’s and Orlando Pride women’s professional soccer teams. It sits on a support base situated on the northeast corner of West Church Street and Glenn Lane.
The work of art and engineering was designed by an 11-member University of Central Florida team of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and art students who responded to an OUC challenge to conceptualize a sculpture that doubles as a source of clean energy. OUC and Orlando City Soccer Club selected the “Gyration” design out of three entries by UCF students. J. Costa Group and Decamil, both Orlando engineering and manufacturing companies, built the structure.
During daylight hours, the sculpture’s photovoltaic modules generate electricity for OUC, producing 1,264 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually. At night, interior lighting illuminates some of Gyration’s purple panels. With its clean energy production offsetting the conventionally generated power it consumes at night, Gyration yields net-zero carbon output.
Click here to read our story on the making of Gyration and here to read the Orlando Sentinel’s coverage of the sculpture’s installation.
