Series description
In 2025, a typhoon struck Taiwan, causing severe damage along its southwestern coast. Among the affected areas were the offshore solar panels in Chiayi, which were severely damaged. This series documents the work needed to clean up and recover the debris.
Half
Despite the devastation caused by the typhoon, half of the floating solar arrays remained intact , while the rest were shattered into a mosaic of debris across the retention pond
© Yi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Environment, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Worker
Workers move cautiously across the fractured surface of the solar arrays to clear the debris. From this elevated perspective, human presence appears small and fragile against the scale of environmental destruction.
© Yi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Environment, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Floating Solar Panels
A closer view reveals the structural devastation of the floating solar arrays, where tangled cables and fractured components underscore the severity of the storm’s impact.
© Yi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Environment, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Islands
Clusters of damaged panels gather to form floating artificial islands. In the aftermath of the storm, workers in life vests navigate these unstable surfaces to conduct essential recovery and sorting tasks.
© Yi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Environment, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
The Irony of Debris
A stark visual irony: infrastructure designed to support sustainable energy has been transformed into a vast expanse of aquatic debris. This scene ‘highlights the unexpected environmental challenges posed when green technology meets the overwhelming force of nature’.
© Yi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Environment, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Clearance Work
The recovery efforts move to the shore, where workers transport damaged components to be collected by excavators. This stage marks the beginning of a systematic process to clear the debris and restore the water management functions of the area.
© Yi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Environment, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Environmental Reflections
This scene prompts a critical reassessment of our environmental strategies. The delicate balance between human innovation, sustainable development, and the unpredictable power of nature remains ‘a complex challenge that requires ongoing dialogue and resilient solutions’.
© Yi-Hsuan Lin, Taiwan, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Environment, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards