Two unique "solar trees" that generate green energy for use by citizens have been installed in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova.
The design of the solar tree has the potential to become a model of ecological technology. The vertical and cascade placement of photovoltaic leaves reduces the area of land needed to install photovoltaic panels in their classical form.
“Although Chisinau has infrastructure issues and services to solve, it does not mean we have to stop the innovations in the city. The solar trees are not only a beautiful urban furniture, they make people's lives more comfortable, and last but not least, promote eco-friendly technologies,” said Nicolae Balaur, praetor of Riscani sector.
The solar trees are equipped with 6 USB terminals for charging up the mobile devices, 6 sockets of 230 V for charging up the laptops and electric bicycles. They have embedded 18 photovoltaic modules with a total installed power of 810 W and provide night-time decorative lighting at a capacity of 18 W.
Science fiction fans perhaps recall the sunshade-photocell collector described by David Brin in his 1990 novel Earth:
Then he saw the geek - a codger this time - leaning against one of the slender stalks of a sunshade-photocell collector, looking directly at the three of them.
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