The popular Prius hybrid car from Toyota Motor Corp. will be equipped with solar panels when the vehicle goes through a complete makeover as early as next spring.

The solar panels will be located on the roof and supply power to the five kilowatts needed to power the air-conditioning unit in the car. Toyota also intends to reduce the weight and thus improve the fuel efficiency even more.

This move will make Toyota the first major automaker to install solar panels in one of its car models. And the western automakers hopelessly try to catch up by offering everything besides green innovation.

In Madrid, the capital of Spain, a huge structure called the “Air Tree” is currently under construction. It is designed to both affect the surrounding environment and act as a social gathering point for people.

The “Air Tree” will generate its own electricity using solar photo voltaic cells placed on top of it. The solar panels will generate enough electricity to be able to sell the energy to local energy companies.

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Here is another clever advertisement. This one is a billboard/solar plant. Yes, you heard right. The billboard has been transformed to a solar plant and generates about 3.4 Kw of electricity during the day. According to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), the owners of the ad, says that is enough electricity for a family of four.

Jennifer Zelwer, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) spokesperson, said that “the energy that is collected by the solar panels actually exceeds the amount used by it on a day-to-day basis.” She proudly (I guess) stated that “this isn’t a billboard. It’s a power plant.”