There are trees in a public park in Israel that are there not only to provide shade from the sun. These trees are designed to be used for charging cell phones and other mobile gadgets.
This new development is the creation of an Israeli inventor, Michael Lasry, CEO of the company responsible for the solar tree development.
Solar tree development sees an integration of nature and technology
This tree will not only provide shade for people who stroll on the park, but will function as a charger for mobile phones and a system of communications between other trees of the same kind.
The dream of the future is coming into fruition: the first solar tree will be put up in a park near the Zikhron Ya’akov area in Israel soon. Its general appearance is that of a tree, but instead of having leaves, it will have solar panels to collect and supply energy from the sun.
The bench that comes with the structure is equipped with a charging post for cell phones and tablets. It also comes with free Wi Fi access, an LCD screen which is to be used for communicating with other trees in other areas, and a drinking fountain.
This project is soon to be officially introduced in the Nadiv Gardens near Zikhron Ya’akov. Sologic, the company that developed the solar tree, has already begun preliminary talks with interested international customers such as China and France.
“Uniting existance, ecology and environment”, says Lasry
“The tree unites existence, ecology and environment”, says Michael Lasry, CEO of Sologic, the company which handles the project. The firm assures the public that the tree is absolutely safe and meets the strictest safety standards. All measures were taken by the company so that the solar structure will not radiate or produce any electric shock.
All natural trees need the sun’s rays for biological purposes. The same could be said of this modern solar tree. But there’s a big difference. Instead of using the sun’s rays for photosynthesis, it collects and stores the sun’s rays through its solar panels, for charging electronic gadgets.
The tree has a brown metal trunk and branches that extend high up to the sky. It has seven broad ‘leaves’ which are actually the solar PVs of the structure. These leaves also give shade to the bench below. But more importantly, it has electrical and USB outlets for mobile phone and tablet charging.
Solar trees bringing renewable energy to the public space
Lasry says it’s a novel way of bringing solar power closer to the people. “We’re used to seeing big companies working on large scale systems,” says Lasry. “Now we see solar energy becoming accessible to each one of us on the street,” he adds.
At the solar tree unveiling last week, guests were impressed with the structure. “People come with computers to coffee shops,” says Gideon Inbar, a retired Israeli-American. “They can come here,” he adds.
“It’s wonderful,” says Xia Wang of the solar tree development, from Mode PV-Tech, the Chinese company that made the solar PVs. “Many functions. And it’s also very green energy,” he adds. Sologic eyes China as one of its future prospects for this high-tech solar tree.
