GLASGOW could be lit up by giant solar lily pads along the River Clyde - if a city architect gets his way.

GLASGOW could be lit up by giant solar lily pads along the River Clyde - if a city architect gets his way.

Peter Richardson, of ZM Architects, believes the large floating discs could harness enough sunlight to boost the city's electricity grid.

The lily pads - measuring between 15ft and 45ft in diameter - would be secured to the river bed.

They would have motors to make them revolve and capture sunshine from any angle.

The floating discs would capture the sun's rays using solar panels to produce electricity - even on a cloudy day.

At night they could provide stunning neon light circles beneath landmarks such as the Squinty Bridge, Glasgow Tower or the Finnieston Crane.

The futuristic scheme is part of a pilot project being considered by Glasgow City Council.

Mr Richardson said: "The River Clyde is a great resource, but it is not being properly used and there is very little river activity there.

"The solar lilies could power public realm lighting for the river, or lighting for the communal parts of a shared building, such as offices or apartment blocks.

"The council says it would like to see a pilot project on the banks of the Clyde and if these are lit up at night they would look spectacular."

The architect, based in the Merchant City, has already won an international design award for his unique vision.

The solar lilies scheme won first prize in the Los Angeles-based International Design Awards Land and Sea competition five months ago.

His project initially aimed to provide alternative energy sources for Glasgow to harness solar energy power on a large scale.

The river was chosen because it was an under-used resource and the lily pads could be floated easily on its surface and quickly removed if need be.

There has been global interest in Mr Richardson's idea.

However, it is not thought any other city has so far used the lily pads on a river idea to harness solar power.

If the pilot gets off the ground, the city could be the first in the world to use solar lilies to help reduce its carbon footprint.

The architect's design proposal said: "The energy created can be easily transformed and exported to the grid and will reduce the carbon footprint of the city.

"The idea references large lily pads that are optimised for efficient photosynthesis, so the design is inspired by nature.

"They can be moved and dismantled and are simply tethered to the river bed. Integrated motors can rotate the discs so their orientation to the sun is maximised throughout the day."

The discs mimic the behaviour of photosynthesis, where green plants store up light and convert it into food.

The amount of power the discs generate depends on the number of daylight hours.

Longer summer days would produce more electricity.

The city council is interested in looking at a pilot which could see lilies appearing in the shadow of Pacific Quay.

A council spokeswoman said: "We are committed to supporting research and development into solar and other renewable sources of energy.

"And while we have received no formal approach or notification of plans for solar-powered lilies in the Clyde, its feasibility would certainly require further investigation."

The plan is at such an early stage that no costs have been put on it.

But Mr Richardson's ultimate vision could see solar circles appearing on a larger scale along a huge stretch of the River Clyde.