SOLAR TREE- A MODERN APPROACH
USING SOLAR PANELS
T.L.V.S.Girish
Ece department
Saveetha School of engineering
Chennai-602105, India
[email protected]
Abstract: Now a days, with the constant rising
population and energy demand we should take a
renewable choice of energy source and also we
should keep in mind that, this type of energy should
not cause any type of pollution and other hazards.
In this case the solar energy is the better option for
us. So considering solar energy is the best and
easiest way of selecting the renewable energy.
However, the main problem accompanying with
selecting solar energy is requirement to install large
solar panels (collectors) which requires a very big
space. To avoid this difficult, we can set up a solar
tree having solar panels which requires very small
space.
Keywords: Solar panels, Long towers, Batteries, Stems for
connecting plants, Led’s
Ram Kumar. A
Assistant Professor
Saveetha School of Engineering
Chennai-602105, India
II.
SOLAR TREE
A solar tree is a special design of producing solar
energy and also electrical energy. It is having multiple
no of panels (solar panels) which forms the shape of
tree. These panels are arranged in a tree fashion in a
tower/pole.
TREE stands for
T-Tree producing
R-Renewable
E-Energy and
E-Electricity
INTRODUCTION
5
4
Solar
energy
3
fuel cells
2
battery
1
Category 4
0
Category 3
Today the general methods hold more land to
produce electricity. For an example if you want to
produce 2MW of power you will require
approximately 10 acres of land for housing the panels.
The cultivable land which is going to be the expensive
commodity in the near future, if used it for other than
agriculture, it will be uncountable loss. Therefore there
is a need for developing a method and fabricating
suitable device so that the solar power can be engaged
without occupying more surface area,
6
Category 2
Solar energy, it is a form of renewable
energy resource. Hydro power provides 95% of
renewable energy which produce from the force of
energy of moving water. These power plants don’t
require any resource to generate electricity.so there
is no chance to pollute or pollution. The sun is a
hydrodynamic and having extremely hot ionized
gases which generates energy in the process of
thermonuclear fusion. The temperature at centre of
the sun is likely at 8*10^6 k to 40*10^6 k, where
energy is released by fusion of two elements which
are hydrogen and helium.
This resembles the tree (in structure) and the panels
are like leaves of the tree which produces energy.
Category 1
I.
fossil fuels
Fig.2.1 chart for demand of solar energy
The above graph Fig 2.1 shows the demand of solar
energy when compared to other fossil fuels.
III.

WHY WE CALLED IT AS SOLAR TREE??
As we know, the trees present in nature produce
their own food in the process called photosynthesis
and also providing food for human being. In the same
way solar trees produce energy from the sun and wind
and provide this energy to society. So it is very suitable
to call it as tree.
Less land requirement:
Compared to traditional pv
solar system, solar tree requires very less
land. Therefore,this tree generates more
energy using minimum land.

Efficient energy generation:
Due to the technique,
“spiralling
phyllataxy” it can produce energy more
efficiently.

Gathering of energy from wind:
Due to the design,it can
collects energy from the wind. the stems
attached to the trees are flexible. so it can
rotate in any direction and by shaking it will
able to produce energy.
V.
TECHNOLOGY USED:
 SPIRALLING PHYLLATAXY:





It is a technique used to design a solar tree.
It protects the lower panels from the shadow
of upper panels.
It helps to improve the efficiency of plants.
It is much better than traditional solar system
in area and efficiency.
Due to mare efficiency it generates more
energy when compared to traditional solar
system.
The Fig.5.1 in the below shows the solar tree
which is designed using the technique called
“spiralling phyllataxy”.
Fig.3.1 physical structure of solar tree
Fig.5.1 spiralling phyllataxy tree
IV.
NEED OF SOLAR TREE:
VI.
INTRODUCTION TO SOLAR CELL
A solar cell is an electrical device which converts light
energy directly into electrical energyby photovoltaic
effect.
The
combination
of
solar
cells
used to make solar modules which are used to
consume energy from sunlight.
Fig6.1 solar cell
The group of these modules combinely call it as solar
panel. These modules use photons present in the light
energy from the sun to generate electricity.
VII.
HOW DO SOLAR CELL WORKS?
A solar cell is a combination of n-type silicon (pink)
and p-type silicon (blue). It generates electricity from
sunlight to make electrons move across the junction
between the different layers of silicon:




When sunlight falls on the cell, the photons
(light particles) present in the light, bombard
the upper layer of the cell.
The photons (yellow blobs) shown in Fig 7.1
pushes their energy down through the cell.
The photons give their energy to electrons in
the lower, p-type layer.
The electrons use this energy and jump across
the
barrier.
VIII.
WORKING OF SOLAR TREE:
It is a tree in structure which consists
of solar panels in the place of plants. It works on the
principle of “photovoltaic effect”. They can charge
their batteries in a day time and store this energy in the
batteries. Lead acid storage battery is good to store
more renewable energy.and a sensor is used for
detecting the light in atmosphere and activates the
solar panels automatically to switch on during sunset
and swich off during the day time.
While designing a solar tree its better to
follow Fibanocci series to arrange solar panels. It is a
pattern of adding the before number to make a next
number. The fibanocci series will be like
0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13………(0+1=1,
1+0=1,
1+1=2,
2+1=3, 3+2=5, 5+3=8, ……….) here also it uses the
same sequence of leaves. In experiments it can be
proved that these trees produce more energy than
normal flat pv solar models. The comparision between
normal model and fibanocci model as shown below.
Table 1: Difference between normal model and
fibanocci model.
Normal model
Fibanocci model
In this model the energy
produced is 100% (say)
In this model the
energy produced is
20%more than normal
model(120%)
It
collects
more
amount of sunlight
when compared to
normal model.
Electrical
energy
produced in this model
is 55% greater than
normal model.
In this model it
produces 8.23 kilo
watts
It collects less amount of
sunlight when compared
to fibanocci model.
Electrical
energy
produced in this model is
less
than
fibanocci
model.
In this model it produce
2.31 watts
IX.


Fig.7.1 Electron and current flow in solar tree





Due to this electron flow the electrical energy
is produced.

ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR TREE:
Solar tree graciously plays both the role of
attractive item and useful gadget.
No pollution.
People in villages would have access more
electricity.
Not much land is required.
Easy to erect.
Due to more efficiency it will produce more
power so it is easy to consume more power.
X.



XI.
DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR TREE:
It is more expensive.
Harmful to birds and insects.
Due to solar reflectors, eyesight may damage.
CONCLUSION:
Now a days, the demand for the land is very high.
To fulfil it this concept is very successful and
implemented to provide electrcity and it had a many
advantages of producing electricty when compared to
other sources. Due to less land requirement it is very
easy to implement and very easy to consume more
power in an easy way.
XII.
[3]T. Kiyono, T. Asawa, A. Hoyano, and K. Shimizu,
“Weighing whole tree transpiration rate of urban
trees and analysis of tree’s morpho- physical effects,”
J. Environ. Eng. (Trans. Archit. Inst. Japan), vol. 80,
no. 713, pp. 599–608, Jul. 2015.
[4]P. Redweik, C. Catita, and M. Brito, “Solar energy
possible on roofs and facades in an urban landscape,”
Sol. Energy, vol. 97, pp. 332–341, Nov. 2013.
[5] C. A. Bode, M. P. Liam, M. E. Power, and
J.C.Finlay, “Subcanopy solar radiation model:
Predicting solar contamination across a heavily
vegetate landscape using LiDAR and GIS solar
radiation models,” Remote Sens. Environ., vol. 154,
pp. 387–397, Nov. 2014
REFERENCES:
[1] T. R. Tooke, N. C. Coops, J. A. Voogt, and M. J.
Meitner, “Tree structure impacts on rooftop-received
solar radiation,” Landscape Urban Plan.
vol. 102, no. 2, pp. 73–81, Aug. 2011
[2]N. Lukac, D. Žlaus, S. Seme, B. Žalik, and G.
Štumberger, “Rating of rooftops’ surfaces concerning
their solar potential and suitability for PV systems,
based on LiDAR data,” Appl. Energy , vol. 102,
pp.803–812,Feb. 2013.
[6] D. Kuciauskas, A. Kanevce, P. Dippo,
S.Seyedmohammadi, and R.Malik, “Minority carrier
generation and surface recombination velocity in
single crystal CdTe,” IEEE J. Photovoltaic, vol. 5,
no. 1, pp. 366–371,Jan. 2015.
[7] B. M. Basol and B. McCandless, “Brief
examination of cadmium telluride-based photovoltaic
technology,” J. Photon. Energy, vol. 4, 2014, Art. no.
040996.