Cities around the world are racing toward ambitious Net Zero targets - and nowhere is this transformation more visible than in the Middle East. Each country in this region averages over 3,500 hours of sunlight annually - more than double the UK's average of approximately 1,300 hours - holding one of the world’s most powerful natural resources. Yet much of that energy still goes unused, and the public rarely sees or feels the impact of renewable infrastructure.
Sunlight is not just abundant in the Middle East, it's a strategic advantage waiting to be transformed into visible, citizen-powered energy. Solar+ changes that.
While most people associate high‑profile innovations like Tesla solar tiles with residential rooftops, Solar+ brings this concept down to the street level. It transforms pavements, boulevards, and public spaces into solar power tiles designed specifically for high‑footfall smart city environments.
The result is simple and powerful: clean, decentralised energy that citizens can see, touch, and contribute to - accelerating progress toward Net Zero and national visions such as Saudi Vision 2030.
Traditional solar tiles are built for homes. Solar+ is built for cities.
Each Solar+ tile integrates:
This dual‑source system means Solar+ generates energy:
It’s the evolution of solar tile technology - adapted for the public realm.
Pavegen doesn’t just align with national Net Zero strategies - it also supports several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By generating clean energy, engaging communities, and transforming public spaces into renewable assets, Pavegen contributes to key global targets, including:
This positions Solar+ not only as a smart city technology, but as a practical tool for cities working toward global sustainability commitments.
Cities aiming for Net Zero need renewable energy solutions that are:
Scalable
Solar+ delivers on all four.
With extreme heat and intense sunlight, the Middle East is the prime location for Solar+. The tiles are engineered for durability, performance, and long-term resilience.
Solar+ doesn't just make renewable energy visible, it makes it measurable.The system provides quantifiable environmental benefits, including measurable renewable energy generation and associated carbon offset. This data supports transparent reporting against local authority sustainability targets and national decarbonisation frameworks, helping cities demonstrate tangible progress toward their Net Zero commitments.
For governments across the Middle East, this level of transparency is becoming essential. Solar+ aligns naturally with national strategies such as Saudi Vision 2030, Qatar National Vision 2030, and the wider regional push toward Net Zero.
Unlike rooftop solar, Solar+ is experienced by everyone, making sustainability impossible to ignore.
Cities become truly smart when people feel connected to them. When technology doesn’t sit behind closed doors or inside distant infrastructure, but instead lives in the places we walk, gather, and learn. Solar+ brings renewable energy into the public realm in a way that invites everyone, from all generations, to understand, interact with, and contribute to a city’s sustainability journey.
Imagine a child stepping onto a Solar+ tile for the first time and watching the energy they generate appear instantly on a nearby display. Or an older resident pausing on a morning walk to see how much sunlight the tiles have captured that day. These moments turn renewable energy from something abstract into something personal.
Solar+ shows people in real time how much energy their movement creates, how sunlight is being harvested above them, and most importantly, how their community is progressing toward shared sustainability goals. It’s a simple interaction, but it changes the way people see their leaders and their city - and their own role within it.
When people can see the impact of their actions, they begin to act with more intention. Solar+ taps into that instinct. It transforms a routine walk into a moment of contribution, a school trip into a lesson about renewable energy, a public plaza into a living classroom.
This is how behaviour shifts: not through instruction, but through experience.
Solar+ encourages:
And because the technology is woven into everyday spaces, it becomes part of daily life - not a special event, not a one‑off installation, but a continuous invitation to engage with sustainability.
Smart cities aren’t just built on data and infrastructure - they’re built on understanding. Solar+ supports this by turning public spaces into open‑air learning environments.
For children, it’s a playful introduction to renewable energy.
For students, it’s a real‑world example of engineering, climate science, and data literacy.
For adults, it’s a reminder that sustainability is a shared responsibility.
For older generations, it’s a chance to see how their city is evolving - and how they remain part of that evolution.
Solar+ bridges generations by making sustainability accessible, intuitive, and visible. It helps cities cultivate a culture of environmental awareness that aligns with long‑term national visions and Net Zero strategies.
Case Study: Riyadh Sport's Boulevard - A Vision 2030 Showcase
Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard is one of the region’s flagship public realm projects - and a powerful demonstration of Solar+ in action.
Key Outcomes
Solar+ didn’t just perform - it exceeded expectations in one of the world’s most demanding climates.
Solar+ has already gained traction among regional developers, planners, and sustainability leaders.
These events reinforced a clear message: Cities are ready for solar tile technology that goes beyond rooftops - and Solar+ is leading that shift.
Solar+ is the evolution of solar tile technology - transforming sunlight and footsteps into visible, citizen‑powered energy that accelerates Net Zero and supports national visions like Saudi Vision 2030.
It’s not a rooftop solution.
It’s not a distant solar farm.
It’s renewable energy woven directly into the fabric of the city.
In regions defined by ambition and innovation, Solar+ offers a new kind of infrastructure - one that reflects the future cities are striving to build.
The power is already beneath our feet and above our heads. Now it’s time to use it - and to imagine where it could take your city next.
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For more information about how Pavegen kinetic technology is helping pave the wave for a more sustainable future, contact press@pavegen.com.
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About Pavegen
Pavegen is a purpose-driven technology business that helps power change and generates positive outcomes for people and planet. Laying underfoot inside buildings, public spaces and at events, Pavegen Kinetic Paving harnesses the power of people’s footsteps, creating not only a small amount of energy – but also imaginative, interactive experiences and data, to help educate, engage and enable meaningful actions around sustainability and Net Zero intent. Pavegen calls this Citizen Impact; powered by Pavegen.
Pavegen helps power Kinetic Street Furniture applications such as USB charging, LED lights, and Green Wall irrigation systems, whilst data from the system can be used for public educational purposes on digital display screens. Kinetic Brand Experiences at live events, expos, festivals and public spaces produce data to provide gamified experiences that help brands engage meaningfully with consumers.
The company was founded in 2009 by Laurence Kemball-Cook who invented the Kinetic Paving technology that can now be seen in over 37 countries around the world.