International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT)

ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-8 Issue-6, August 2019

Design and Implementation of a Solar Tree

Structure for Efficient LED Street Lighting
Chitra K, Kashif Ahmed, Deepak Yadav, Prabhat Passi, Deepak Sreedhar, Madhan Gopal M E

 funded through the United States Department of Energy.

Abstract: This paper shows the design of solar tree PV system for
street lighting. In current days with enhancing the population and
the energy demand, the Renewable Energy Source (RES) plays a
major role and also, this energy could not cause any pollution and
other natural hazards. The solar energy is more suitable one for
this among other RES. India is a highly populated country, so the
merit of such a solar energy that needs a very small space to
produce energy efficiently. Flat or roof top mountings of PV
systems are needed large land areas and problems in production of
PV systems voltage due to partial shading of PV panels. Also, the
scarcity of land is greatest problem in cities and particularly in
urban areas in India. In order to overcome these harms, Solar
Tree Structure Power Generation (STSPG) is developed. Hence,
this article presents a design and fabrication of 120 Watts STSPG
pilot plant for efficient LED street light application. The design
structure of STSPG includes the support structure used to
represent the leaves, the height, orientation and tilt angle of these
Fig. 1.Monthly insolation radiation.
leaves.
Keywords : Charge Controller, Leaf Wattage, LED, Solar Tree,
Street Lighting. According to the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) atmospheric science data center, the
I. INTRODUCTION monthly averaged insolation clearness index and radiation
incident on a tilted PV panel at the location of Bangalore,
Sustainable energy harnessed from restorable resources such India is 6.25 KWh/m2/d [4]. Fig. 1 shows the monthly
as sun, wind, water, geothermal, tides, waves etc. is the purest averaged radiation incident on Bengaluru City.
form of energy that helps in diminishing the global warming
problem. While numerous sustainable power source activities Table- I: Voltage Profile of the panels output in a day
are enormous scale, inexhaustible advances are likewise fit Time Average Outout Voltage (V)
where clean energy is regularly essential in human 8 am-11 am 20.74
improvement. Solar power, that’s effulgent light-weight and 11 am-1 pm 19.98
warmth from the sun, is controlled employing a vary of 1 pm-3 pm 18.86
ever-evolving technologies like photovoltaic, heating, 3 pm-6 pm 11.11
thermal and artificial photosynthesis [1,2]. It is considered as Table 1 shows the average voltage profile from 8 am to 6pm
one of the main sources of renewable energy in future. Solar in a day, which is required for analysis and for designing of
technologies are broadly portrayed as either passive solar or the solar tree structure. The voltage profile during a day from
active solar relying upon the manner in which they catch, 8am to 6pm is represented in Fig. 2.
convert and disperse solar energy [3].

II. SOLAR PROFILE

A. Solar Irradiation of the Site
Irradiance is a measurement of solar power and is defined as
the rate at which solar energy falls onto a surface. The sun-
based irradiance is estimated by the power per unit region, so
irradiance is commonly cited as W/m². The National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), situated in Golden,
Colorado, specializes in sustainable power and energy
efficiency research and development. NREL is a
government-owned, contractor-operated facility, and is Fig. 2.Voltage profile plot during the course of the day.
Revised Manuscript Received on August 20, 2019.
Dr. Chitra K, Professor, EEE Department, CMR Institute of
Technology, Bengaluru, India. Email: [email protected]
Kashif Ahmed, Assistant Professor, EEE Department, CMR Institute of
Technology, Bengaluru, India. Email: [email protected]

Retrieval Number F8546088619/2019©BEIESP Published By:

DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.F8546.088619 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
2453 & Sciences Publication
 Design and Implementation of a Solar Tree Structure for Efficient LED Street Lighting

B. Solar Tree
Sun based tree sounds like the ideal answer for our future
energy needs. The sun is always sending energy to the earth
and we should simply to get it and after that utilize it [4]. Sun
based energy is accessible in plenitude and considered as
least demanding and cleanest methods for tapping the
sustainable power source.Solar trees were introduced in 1998
as sun oriented fine art on streets and open spots. At that point
this innovation is embraced as sun powered trees. In Europe
these are utilized from numerous years. In 2006 in Europe the
vitality utilization is 10%. 2000 billion kWh is utilized from
sun-oriented trees and 2900 million ton carbon is killed. In
October 2016 sun-based trees are utilized in Vienna, Austria.
These are likewise utilized in Graz, Austria.A sun-based tree
is a brightening method for creating sunlight-based energy
and furthermore power. It utilizes different no of PV panels
which structures the state of a tree. The panels are
masterminded in a manner in a tall pinnacle/shaft. The
measure of energy created by this tree is more than that of
ordinary level cluster of sun-based cells.This resembles a tree
in structure and the panels resemble leaves of the tree which
produces energy. The trees are available in nature and they
can deliver their own sustenance material by the procedure
called photosynthesis. Here normal trees are considered for
comprehension about the sun powered tree. The
sunlight-based tree is a tree where the stems associated go
about as the parts of the tree and the panels resemble the
leaves. Green leaves are creating sustenance materials for
individuals in like manner the sun-oriented tree leaves are
delivering energy for the general public. Thus, it is fitting to
call it as a tree. Fig. 3.Solar tree structure side view.

The Fig.3 represents the side view of the entire structure with
III. GENERAL LAYOUT AND COMPONENTS OF
dimensions given in feet.
SOLAR TREE
A. Design of Mechanical System D. Solar Cell Circuit
The mechanical structure of the solar tree includes the General and widely used solar cells are designed by the one
branches and poles. The structure consists of 12 fixed panels, diode model (Equivalent Circuit) [7]. The equivalent circuit
with a maximum output of 120 Watts. The angles of the of solar cell circuit is shown in Fig. 4.
panels are determined by the area available and making sure The output current of solar cell is given by,
the shadow of one panel doesn’t affect the performance of the
 I = IL – ID 
other panel [6].
B. Design of Structure The diode current is given by,
As the entire structure of a sun powered tree is mounted on a
shaft (steel or iron), it needs a solid establishment. The   
common work comprises of the establishments of the post
and battery bank [6]. The tallness of the tree and number of
panels and also their direction decides the profundity and size
of establishment for the shaft [1].
C. Construction Design of Structure
 The foundation of the solar tree includes foundation
of the pole and also the space given to place battery.
Dimension of the foundation is (4x1.5x3) ft.
 The height of pole (tree trunk) is 24.7 ft. and the
length of each main branch is 4 ft. The length of the
sub branches are 1.5ft on which the panels are
mounted using rods and L-angles. Fig. 4.Model of solar cell.
 For the street lighting, two DC LED lights of 40W
each are used.

Retrieval Number F8546088619/2019©BEIESP Published By:

DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.F8546.088619 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
2454 & Sciences Publication
 International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT)
ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-8 Issue-6, August 2019

Thermal voltage equivalent is given by, IV. DESIGN PARAMETERS

In general, there is no specific design of a solar tree. But
   many hypothetical designs and concepts have been invented
and implemented to a certain extent.
Thermal voltage equivalent is given by,
A. Area Ratio
The main purpose of opting for tree-branch style is to
   minimize the area consumed on the soil by the PV Tree. The
area ratio is “The proportion of the real region of the leaves to
Where, the land impression territory of the structure”.
I - Output Current (A)
B. Angle of Orientation of Panels
– Diode Saturation Current (A)
V – Voltage Output (V) Normally, the natural trees are capable of capturing sunlight
– Resistance in Series (Ω) efficiently due to their random orientation in different
- Shunt Resistance (Ω) possible directions. The incident angle of solar radiation
K - Boltzmann Constant (1.3807 x 10 -23 J/K) changes over the course of different seasons and varies due to
T - Operating Temperature (Kelvin) climatic conditions. Hence, to optimally capture the sunlight
– Diode Current (A) the panels are oriented in different angles.
- Ideal Current (A)
C. Number of Layers of Leaves
q – Electron Charge (1.6021765 × 10−19 coulomb)
– Thermal Voltage Equivalent (V) The 2nd layer of leaves in the natural tree captures sunlight
which escapes the first layer. The same concept is applied to
E. Capacity of the Battery the solar tree also. Due to this particular arrangement
To determine the storage of the storage system it is necessary maximum amount of sunlight can be captured by the panels.
to estimate the maximum number of days the system will
D. Tilt Angle of the Leaves
operate without solar power, the load demand, efficiency and
discharge rate of the battery. The energy stored in the This arrangement is also similar to the natural trees where in
batteries can be used during night and in cloudy days when the leaves will be tilted their bottom-line tangential locations.
no sunlight is available. According to the study of Mazumder [6] small angle of tilt
±20° resulted in more Sunlight capture, though a higher angle
   tilt ± 40° had detrimental effect. So, the tilt angle of the leaves
will vary according to the height, solar irradiation profile,
location and weather conditions at which the solar tree
Where, structure is placed.
N - Number of days without solar power
- Load Demand E. Panel/Leaf Wattage
D- Discharge rate of battery In this study, power rating of every leaves has the same
- Output efficiency of battery capacity.
F. Electrical Load Calculations Table- II: PV panel specification of the Solar tree and its total
To design the solar tree, it is necessary to know the type of capacity
electrical connected and to determine the power consumed by Specification Total Capacity
the load so that the PV system will supply accordingly [8]. Maximum Power 10W
Voc 21.6V
The theoretical calculation for required power is estimated by
Isc 0.64A
the following equation, V at Pmax 17.5A
I at Pmax 0.57A
   Number of cells 36
Number of panels 12
Total capacity 120W
Where, Operating temperature -40ᵒC to 85ᵒC
– Theoretical required energy (Wh)
– Nominal Power required (W) The above table represents the ratings of each PV panel used
h – Daily use (hour)
in the solar tree structure, which is helpful to decide the load
G. Charge Controller to be used and the operating voltage, current and temperature
The motivation behind a controller is to screen the yield of ranges.
each PV leaf/board, keep up greatest power extraction from F. Design of the Tree Structure
the PV boards, which is done through a MPPT dependent on
maximum power transfer theorem [9]. It likewise screens the The design of the tree is the backbone for the complete
charging and releasing of the battery, counteracts structure. The PV systems can be integrated into a natural tree
overcharging and undercharging of the battery, removes structure according to various constraints such as:
smoothened signal from Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)  Height and weight to
and controls the operation of Light Emitting Diode (LED) decide the stability of
[1]. the tree structure.

Retrieval Number F8546088619/2019©BEIESP Published By:

DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.F8546.088619 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
2455 & Sciences Publication
 Design and Implementation of a Solar Tree Structure for Efficient LED Street Lighting

 To choose appropriate height of the main pole to 8. E. Duque, and J. Monila, “Urban Sets Innovation: Design of Solar Tree
for Charging Mobile Devices, “ 6th IEEE International Conference on
detain more sunlight and eliminating shadows from Renewable Energy Research Applications, 2017.
nearby objects around the tree. 9. G. Kishor, and L. Smita, “Novel Maximum Power Point Tracking
 The branched must be sufficiently strong to withstand (MPPT) Algorithm for Solar Tree Application,” International
Conference on Energy Systems and Applications, 2015, pp. 189-193.
the weight of the solar panels and also be rigid enough
10. N. V. Navni, and M. Sandip, “An Investigation of Solar Trees for
during bad weather. Effective Sunlight Capture using Monte Carlo Simulations of Solar
Radiation,” Transport. In Proceedings of the ASME International
V. COST ESTIMATION OF THE SYSTEM Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE2014), 2014,
pp. 14-20.
The Table 3 gives the cost break up of all the major
components, foundation costs and cost of the mechanical AUTHORS PROFILE
structure. Other miscellaneous costs which are variables have
not been mentioned in the above table. Dr.Chitra K completed her PhD in
Electrical Engineering and ME in Power
Table- III: The Cost Estimation of the System Components Electronics and Drives from Anna
University, She received the B.E degree in
Component Quantity Unit Cost (Rs.) Cost/Compon
Electrical and Electronics Engineering from
ent (Rs.)
Bharathiyar University. She has 16 years of
Solar Panels 12 650 7,800
teaching experience. She is currently
Battery 1 16,300 16,300 working as Professor and Head of the
Charge Department in EEE department, CMR
1 650 650
Controller Institute of Technology, Bengaluru. She published more than 30 research
Fabrication of solar tree papers in reputed journals. Her research interests include inverters, UPS
Includes Mechanical structure and foundation costs systems, Power converters and Renewable Energy Sources.
Metal bar (circular), Metal bar (rectangular), Metal 25,000
strips, Nut bolts, Rubber bush. Plastic box ,wires, Kashif Ahmed is currently pursuing Ph.D.
fuses ,circuit breaker etc. in hybrid renewable systems under VTU,
Total cost 49,750 Belguam. He has totally 12 years of
teaching experience. He is currently
working as Assistant Professor in Electrical
VI. CONCLUSION and Electronics Engineering Department,
CMR Institute of Technology, Bengaluru,
This paper has presented the design and construction of solar Karnataka, India. He completed Master of
tree used for street lightning. Sunlight based tree is a Technology degree in VLSI & ES domain
progressive urban lighting idea that speaks to an ideal and Bachelor of Engineering degree in
Electrical and Electronics Engineering. His
beneficial interaction between spearheading plan and front research areas of interest include Solar Energy, Hybrid Energy Systems,
line eco-good innovation. To satisfy the expanding energy Smart grid etc.
request of the general population, sparing of land, the
sunlight-based tree idea is extremely effective one and ought
to be executed in India to give power without the issue of
power cut and the additional energy can be given to the
network. Due to global warming, the temperature is always
on a higher range usually than assumption range so that can
be used and generate electricity in large quantity. As this is
the efficient way to produce electricity without any
maintenance or other activities and gives us a continuous
output for long time.

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Retrieval Number F8546088619/2019©BEIESP Published By:

DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.F8546.088619 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
2456 & Sciences Publication