We may not have the same style as the folks of the Renaissance like puffy shirts, powdered wigs, and men wearing more makeup than women, but we do still have a profound appreciation for the arts. Considering that renewable energy is on the verge of ushering in a “green” Renaissance, why wouldn’t new sustainable energy solutions be aesthetically pleasing as well as technologically sound?

As solar panel technology is evolving, we are coming up with breathtaking new designs that leave the on looker at a loss for words. Not only are solar manufacturers utilizing solar energy to create a sustainable way of life, but they are also hiring some amazing artists that are finding ways to make the sometimes cumbersome and looming panels easy on the eye.

Without losing any of the panel’s efficiency, artists like Tryi Yeh have designed solar solutions for powering home audio speakers. Designed to look like a growing flower, the speakers are able to capture enough light to wirelessly blast out your favorite tunes via a Bluetooth connection. The theme of the design stems from a naturalist. It also blends in quite nicely with local flora and fauna.

Speakers aren’t the only thing being designed to mimic nature. Johgoh Lee has designed an “invisible” streetlight. The concept of the design takes its shape from tree branches where the streetlights seem as if to blend into the trees natural growth during the day, but after gathering light to be stored in a battery, the specially designed lights will seem as if some of the branches and leaves of the tree itself are glowing.

Of course, there are much larger artistic ventures that have captured the imagination of designers. Japanese architect Toyo Ito was the man behind the design of the world’s first 100 percent solar powered stadium in the summer of 2009. Built to look like a dragon, a symbol of good fortune in Taiwan, where the stadium calls home, Kaohsiung Stadium has solar panels that swoop and slither around the stadium, simulating an almost scaly quality that really makes the structure stand out among others.