GabySolarBotanic Trees’ metal ‘trees’ have seven-meter canopies that capture solar energy through nanophotoelectric ‘leaves’ and store it in a battery tucked into the trunk.
SolarBotanic Trees, a British startup, has developed a new charging device for electric vehicles. It showed a prototype at Expo 2020 Dubai and at the Gardens by the Bay park in Singapore. Now the company plans to build and test a full-size version and begin commercial production by the end of the year, CNN reports.
Chris Shelly, CEO of SolarBotanic Trees, says the UK is facing a severe shortage of charging infrastructure. Some EV suppliers offer solar-panel canopies designed to sit over parking spaces, but Shelly says those solutions are often unattractive. His company has already received a first order for 200 of the trees.
What else is known about solar trees?
The structures are about 4.5 meters tall with a seven-meter canopy, which makes them compact and easier to install in public places such as luxury hotels, shopping centers, corporate offices, and business parks that want eco-friendly features.
Trees from SolarBotanic will cost between £18,000 and £25,000 ($22,000 to $30,000). That’s more expensive than conventional solar panels. Each tree produces about 5 kilowatts, similar to a standard EV charging point. At that power level, charging a car with a 50-kilowatt-hour battery from 20 to 80 percent would take almost seven hours — a pace suited to long parking stays.
The startup is also developing a smaller, cheaper model that produces 3.2 kilowatts. Shelly says this version will cost between £10,000 and £15,000 ($12,000 to $18,000). It could fit naturally on university campuses and in shopping centers, and it can also power LED lighting, electronic advertising, and charge phones and laptops.
Each tree will include an energy storage and power-management system controlled by artificial intelligence. The system can link several trees into local microgrids or connect them to the main grid and feed back excess energy.
To reduce dependence on the grid, the company will place an energy storage battery in the trunk. That battery can be used at night.
SolarBotanic Trees has raised £340,000 ($420,000) to begin mass production after testing a full-size prototype. The startup plans to build at least 1,000 trees per year by 2025.
Shelly says the trees will be installed in the United Kingdom first, and then in countries across Europe and North America.
The UK Climate Change Committee says the rapidly growing electric-vehicle fleet will need an additional 325,000 charging points by the end of 2032.
