Ultimate list of solar celebrities

Around the world, many celebrities rely on the sun for energy.

Edward Norton

Oscar-nominated actor, Edward Norton is such a solar fan that he established Solar Neighbors in partnership with BP. The aim of the program is to install photovoltaic (PV) panels onto low-income homes in Los Angeles. Since its launch, Norton has attracted some serious solar showbiz buddies to his cause. Read on to discover who they are!

Emma Thompson

British actress Dame Emma Thompson has installed solar! A dedicated environmentalist, she also campaigned against Shell’s exploration of the Arctic and she joined a group of Greenpeace UK members who bought land near the village of Sipson to prevent the building of a third Heathrow Airport runway.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks joined Edward Norton in the partnership to put solar energy on low-cost homes. Every time a celebrity like Tom Hanks buys solar panels for their home, BP Solar installs a solar system for a low-income family in the city. The list of celebrities involved has grown enormously over the past 10 years

Brad Pitt

Two years after Katrina left New Orleans devastated, Brad Pitt set up the Make It Right foundation. The aim of the foundation was to rebuild lost housing with modern dwellings that were storm-proof, solar-powered, highly insulated and “green”.

Danny Devito

Danny DeVito and his wife Rhea Perlman are among the leading celebrity backers of solar. He’s a big backer of Edward Norton’s solar project, Solar Neighbors Program (LA).

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson insists on using EnviroRider, an environmental handbook promoting eco-friendly tour production, ensuring his venues and tour operators are on board, too. His annual Hawaiian eco-minded musical festival draws thousands of people every year. Johnson and his wife created the Kokua Hawaii foundation in 2004 to support environmental education in Hawaii’s schools and communities.

Alicia Silverstone

Alicia Silverstone isn’t clueless about the environment. She transformed her Los Angeles home into an enviro-fortress, complete with solar panels, materials recycled from older buildings and energy-saving appliances. She encourages building developers to think about installing solar panels on their buildings to cut down on their use of the main grid.

Bryan Cranston

He may have starred as a drug dealer living in a modest suburban pad in Albuquerque, but in real life Bryan Cranston lives beneath solar panels in Los Angeles near the beach.

Lisa Ling

This journalist and former talk show co-host is equally savvy about eco-friendly living as she is about crafting the perfect questions. Lisa Ling has created a Santa Monica home that uses a wide array of green practices, from natural light to the Passive Solar Panel System that heats water as well as having solar panels on the roof to make the property as self-sustainable as possible.

Daryl Hannah

In the 80s, this Hollywood star was best known as a mermaid in Splash and a replicant in Blade Runner. More recently, Daryl Hannah has concentrated on green issues. She lives off-grid on a farm in the Rockies and piloted her own video on sustainable living. She protested against the construction of a coal mine and building of an oil pipeline and is also involved in Solar Neighbors.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady, 5-time Super Bowl champion, is a big fan of solar. His solar-panelled Massachusetts mansion is located a mere 30 minutes from the Patriots’ practice stadium.

Gisele Bündchen

Gisele Bündchen, Brazilian supermodel wife of Tom Brady, is as solar famous as her footballer husband. She is an ambassador with the United Nations Environment Programme. The power couple built their Brentwood abode incorporates green building materials. They practice composting and have a conservation-based irrigation system in place. They can power their property entirely with solar.

Evander Holyfield

This four-time heavyweight champion tough guy is partnering with Global NES-Georgia to create a 40-acre solar farm. The total power produced with the new solar plant is expected to amount to produce approximately 645,000,000 (KWh) of solar power annually. “I guess I’m lean and green” says the professional boxer.

Akon

In 2014, singer Akon launched his Akon Lighting Africa project, which aims to provide electricity to developing countries in Africa by installing solar streetlights and small energy systems. The project now provides electricity in 14 African countries and employs over 5000 people to install and maintain the equipment.

Maroon 5

Maroon 5 works with Reverb to green their tours, host nonprofit organisations in Reverb’s Eco-Village and run their buses with biodiesel fuel. They are focused on energy use, so have teamed up with Vote Solar to support energy reduction and alternative energy sources. In 2006, they won the Futures Award at the Environmental Media Awards for their efforts.

Jonathan Scott

Growing up on a rural farm, he was raised to respect the environment and understand the importance of preserving it. It’s a commitment he has carried into adulthood. The Property Brothers star (pictured on right) is a vocal supporter of renewable energy, particularly home-based solar, which he often incorporates into the homes he designs.

Robert Redford

Iconic actor Robert Redford is an eco-friendly celebrity, promoting various causes including the use of solar energy and the preservation of the wildlife.

Orlando Bloom

Orlando Bloom is another famous solar fan. He’s a part of the environmental company Global Free, has an energy-efficient home complete with solar panels, and drives a hybrid.

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek, is committed to Mother Earth, and has served on the Global Green board whose mission is “to foster a global value change toward a sustainable and secure future.”

Leonardo DiCaprio

Well-known for his environmental activism, Leo is an investor in the off-the-grid solar company, Kingo, which seeks to power lights, refrigerators, and laptops for people in remote areas. In addition, his eco-focused foundation offers grants to provide better access to affordable solar energy.