Switching buses in San Francisco? You may find comfort in the fact that you'll be standing under solar power enabled roof at the rest shelter. The city authorities have inaugurated the first of many bus stop shelters that will feature lighting powered by solar cells embedded in the semi-transparent roof. The photovoltaic solar cells will produce electricity for power ing the LED lighting system, and will export any excess energy back into the grid.

Another interesting feature of the new bus stops is free WiFi access, which basically means that once the planned 1100 new bus stop shelters are completed, there will be a virtual WiFi blanket across the city. This will definitely help commuters kill time while waiting for the next bus ride.

These are not cheap though – at about USD 25,000 they represent a significant expense that will burden the city's budget, but city officials expect to recoup costs eventually.