Sun Dragon Solar Energy Project 

The Sun Dragon is the culmination of many years of effort to place a unique solar exhibit at a public swimming pool in Ann Arbor. The sixty-foot long multi-colored translucent plastic sculpture was dedicated on June 16th, 2003 at Fuller Pool in Ann Arbor.

History of the Sun Dragon Project

How can renewable energy inspire children and adults to think about more efficient and creative ways to use our resources?  The Energy Office of the City of Ann Arbor generated the initial plan of having a solar-heated shower installed at one of Ann Arbor's major recreational destinations, Fuller Pool.  This solar shower operates by diverting pool water through solar collectors on the roof that are heated by the sun.  Pool water absorbs heat while in contact with the solar collectors, and then returns to the pool as a warm shower. This simple heat cycle process is capable of heating a whole pool. However, the shower itself had nothing special about it to attract attention and make the public aware of its unique properties (see before and after photos below).  

In order to highlight this innovative use of renewable energy in a recreational setting, the Energy Office wanted to use public art to help the shower send a solar energy message.  "We built the shower and the kids and adults loved to play in it," said David Konkle, Municipal Energy Coordinator of the City of Ann Arbor, "but no one knew it had anything to do with solar energy. It really needed something more to distinguish it from the rest of the pool facility. We envisioned a public art element to bring the whole process to the public eye."

Local artist Margaret Parker (at right, pictured with Ann Arbor's Mayor John Hieftje) was invited to design an exhibit that would bring attention to the shower's energy source. She was selected for the quality of her thirty years of artwork which includes a piece in the permanent collection of the United States Capitol and the urban courtyard design at Liberty and Ashley. On the genesis of the Sun Dragon concept, she said, "My first impression was to use bright transparent color that would catch the sun. Then it seemed important to connect the showerhead to the solar panels way back on the roof where the energy was actually coming from. Transparent colored Plexiglas was the perfect medium to use because it is both lightweight and permanent."

The final design was a 60-foot long Sun Dragon that extends from the shower-head along the pipe then up to the roof towards the solar panels. Dan McGuire, Director of Fuller Pool, was delighted with the Sun Dragon--a symbol of the sun's energy put to good purpose that would be especially attractive to the thousands of children that attend the pool every summer. The design was reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Department and then taken to the Ann Arbor Commission on Art in Public Places where it passed through the Peer Review Process. Commission Chair Bob Elton said, "The Sun Dragon project is a great example of how City Departments can solve problems using public art. People all over Ann Arbor are beginning to see how to generate public art projects that address issues and interests in their own neighborhood."

Funding for this solar energy/public art project came from numerous sources including the Michigan Energy Office, Michigan Council for the Arts, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Christopher Graham, the Ann Arbor Energy Commission and the Ann Arbor Energy Fund.  Thanks to these funds, local ingenuity and the City's energy program, the Sun Dragon is now a reality and is sure to be a landmark in Ann Arbor that raises public awareness of solar energy's potential uses.

Plastic Tech of Ann Arbor fabricated and installed the sculpture.

Before the Project

After the Project