Solar Tree 2
Solar Tree 2
com
Abstract
Sunlight is the cleanest and most abundant energy resource in our world. Solar energy is
also a “free” source of energy. The most popular method to harness solar energy is by
using photovoltaic conversion technology, which converts solar energy into electricity.
The biggest problem with harnessing solar energy is the large amount of ground space
required for the setting up of PV panels. To overcome this problem, the solar tree power
generation method is proposed. This report focuses on the design and fabrication of a solar
tree model for the generation of energy while considering various factors such as solar
panel tilt angle, location, materials to be used, and the cost. The dimensions of branches,
trunk, panels and other components are considered as used from standard components
available in the market.
The final designed model for a 0.6kW tree requires 0.196 m2 of ground space. The
fabricated prototype for 120 W tree requires 0.196 m2 of ground space. The final cost was
INR 57,100.
The designs are feasible for usage in any geographical locations, within limits.
1. INTRODUCTION:
1.1 Background
Conventional sources of energy are bound to be extinguished in the near future. Moreover,
they are the primary source of pollution. Hence, the shift towards non-conventional sources
of energy has transpired. Non- conventional sources are produced continuously in nature
and are considered inexhaustible. Hence, they can also be called renewable sources of
energy. The various sources are wind energy, tidal energy, solar energy, geothermal energy,
etc. Solar energy is the best, considering safety and feasibility, among all the other sources.
leaves on the branches of the tree. The proposed solar tree model aims to harness solar
energy and maximize energy output by using the most efficient model with the layout of all
leaves and panels positioned appropriately. The solar tree generates more electricity per
unit area than ground-based PV cells and requires only 1% land as compared to the
conventional flat arrangement, but conventional solar trees are expensive and unfeasible for
renewable power generation compared to ground-based units. Therefore, the designed solar
tree must balance energy generation while considering various factors such as cost,
feasibility, energy generation, shading losses, ground space required etc, while also taking
into account the movement of Sun throughout the year.
2. LITERATURE SURVEY
Dey and Pesala[1] proposed a location-specific design for maximized energy output from
a tree, while using minimal structural materials. The dimensions of branches and trunk were
optimised after conducting stress analysis to find structural stability. They then identify
various methods of orienting and position of panels to maximise energy generation. The
shading losses and effects are identified, and then modifications are made to reduce these
losses. By increasing branch length and reducing the distance between layers, shading
losses are reduced, but this also causes more strain on the trunk.
Hyder et al [3] considered six different semidome shape solar PV structured, with each
design having an increasing number of layers and panels. The performance of the trees at
three locations, namely Kuala Lumpur, Bhopal, and Barcelona were compared and analysed
through simulation. The tilt angle for the solar PV tree structure is varied from 0-46°, as the
Sun’s elevation angle varies by 46 degrees around a location during a year. It was found
that by increasing the number of layers would increase land footprint due to the radius of
semi-dome structure would increase and would also increase the number of panels. More
energy could be generated, but the drawback was the large amount of shading losses on the
bottom panels. It was also confirmed that the efficiency of the setup in various locations
would vary due to the local weather conditions and sun angles.
Ahmed et al [4] designed and fabricated a 120W Solar Tree Structure Power Generation
pilot plant for efficient LED street lighting. The entire structure was designed based off a
12-panel system. The total cost for the tree after fabrication was approximately Rs. 50,000.
The battery power required was calculated for days without sufficient lighting. A charge
controller was also integrated to stabilize power input and output and control LED lighting
when required.
Madhavan and Subash [5] designed a sun tracking system using an Arduino control
mechanism connected to two LDRs and Atmega-based microcontroller. By using a sun
tracking device, it ensures that the panels are always faced towards the sun throughout the
day. They also implemented a cleaning device using a high-speed motor to blow dust off
the panels. If there is dust on the panels, energy generation is hampered.
Baci et al [6] proposed a new model (solar tree) compared to the traditional ground-based
one-panel system. The performance of photovoltaic systems is strongly affected by
climatological parameters (solar radiation and temperature) and by the type of solar cell.
The optimum angle of inclination is found to be 35°deg in Algeria, where the study was
conducted. In the same ground space, the power generated by a solar tree is greater than the
ground-based panel by almost 20%.
3. DESIGN PROCEDURE:
3.1 Objectives:
The objectives of Solar Tree are:
● To use solar trees as an alternative to ground-based solar cells to reduce ground
space in urban areas
● To enhance the efficiency of solar PV systems using a three-dimensional structure
replicating a natural tree.
● To reduce energy used and electricity costs.
● To display various outputs such as voltage, energy generation etc.
● To provide shade as well as generate power by using aesthetic design.
● To raise awareness about renewable and sustainable energy.
Design
The prototype was designed after taking into all previous problems. This time the material
used is cold rolled cold annealed steel. The metal is rolled in temperatures below its
recrystallization temperature. CRCA material are harder and have a smooth finish. This
design was considered for a 6-panel system. The height of the trunk is 4.27m, to allow for
sufficient ground clearance. The trunk is mounted on a base plate which is then bolted into
a concrete stand.
The panels are arranged in a 2 layers system. The bottom layer is at a height of 3m and the
upper layer is at 4m, with 1m gap between the two layers. Using 2 layers reduces the stress
on the trunk from all 6 branches at the same point radially. The branches in the upper and
lower layer are angled at 600 to each other, with the branches in the same layer angled to
each other at 1200.
The branches are all I-beams140cm in length to allow for sufficient space between panels
in equal intervals around the hexagonal base, and are supported by a T-Beam of length
70cm.
All the panels were oriented with their shorted sides place perpendicularly to the branches.
The solar panels used are of the company Luminous, with dimensions 103.5cmX67cm and
a thickness of 3.4 cm. Each solar panel has 72 cells of Silicon polycrystalline.
The dimensions (Table 1) for all parts of tree are standardised, and can be found available in the market.
Structural stability
This design was found to be the most structurally stable. It was observed the minimum
FOS (Fig 3) was 1.83 at the point where the T-beams were supporting the main I-beam.
The maximum FOS was found to be 15 at the base and apex of trunk. The maximum
stress (Fig 4) observed was at the supporting point, with 153.21 MPa.
Shading Losses
Shading losses were calculated using PVSOL software, which is a simulation tool for
sunlight on PV cells. Sunlight was simulated for an average year in Bangalore.
After analysis, it was observed that on average 13-18% (Fig 5) shading losses occurred in
a year on this design. The South panel had the least at 13.2%, followed by the NW panel
with 13.5% and the NE panel with 17.6%. The shading loss is considerable and the
performance ratio dropped to 67%. Only the lower panels suffer from shading loss, the
upper panels have negligible shading loss.
Improved Design
The final design (Fig 6, 7 & 8) is an improved model of the earlier design. By concluding
the structure, itself was stable enough, all the structural specifications were kept same.
Panel Orientation
One change was made from the previous model. All the panels are placed tilted oriented
towards South. By doing this, shading loss (Fig 9) was reduced by 70%. The northmost
panel had the least shading loss at 0.4%, followed by the SW at 3.4% loss, and 4.3% loss.
The performance ratio increased to 80%.
Shading Effects
Shading loss is the result of electrical losses in interconnected PV modules due to the
shadow of another adjacent module. The obstruction blocks direct sunlight from falling on
the solar cell and hence, curbs electrical output.
The aim of this design is to minimise the effect of shading loss on adjacent panels. The
panels are arranged around the main trunk in 2 layers, at equal intervals of 1200 in each
layer, and 600 with respect to each other when seen from directly above. By equally spacing
out the panels, this ensures that at any point the maximum shading is 3-5%.
To further reduce the effects of shading loss, each panel is connected in parallel electrical
circuits to ensure they generate electricity individually and the shading effects of one panel
will not be carried on to the other.
The 6 panels are connected in parallel, so that each will have its own current. The current
is added and is passes through the charge controller to stabilise output. When wired in
parallel, the system is able to have 6 panel system, instead of the conventional single panel,
without exceeding the operating voltage limits of the inverter(since voltage does not add up
in parallel). By wiring solar panels in parallel, this ensures that inverter limitations are met.
Even if one panel is under shadow, which is when maximum current is not obtained, it does
not affect overall system. Therefore, the system achieves its maximum power point(MPP).
Wind Simulation
By using SOLIDWORKS flow simulation, wind simulations (Fig 10) were carried out at
speeds of 175km/hour to check stability of structure at extreme wind conditions.
Considering the inlet and outlet walls around an imaginary box of sides 10m around the
tree as the boundary conditions and considering the base as fixed support, analysis was
carried out.
On simulating wind in all directions, it was concluded that the most wind resistance was
when wind direction flows from north to south. This is due to the tilting of panels towards
south, so the underside of the panels is angled against the direction of wind.
At speeds of up to 175kmph, the maximum stress and the maximum pressure observed was
4.97 Pa and 105.4 KPa respectively at the panel mounts. As the bending strength of CRCA
steel is upwards of 340MPa, this results in negligible bending.
Energy Generation
An average year in Bangalore enables the solar tree setup to generate 9895kWh.
It was found that 1022kWh was consumed annually, out of which 862kWh was generated
through PV cells.
It was also found that more than 5000kg/year of CO2 emissions were avoided due to clean
energy generation by using PV cells instead of conventional methods.
For the initial design, a 6-panel setup was selected. By calculating average usage of various
devices throughout a day, the electrical requirement was found to be around 2.8kW-h/day,
and through load calculation, it was verified that 6 panel system each of 100W would be
sufficient.
A working prototype was designed and fabricated. Using sheets of CRCA standard
dimensions of 4mm, 6mm and 8mm, all parts were laser cut using CNC machines. All
electrical components are also up to market standards. The solar panels used are Luminous
20W (45X35 cm). A 12V Lead Acid battery is used to store electricity.
The tilt mechanism is automated, and panels are tilted seasonally. Currently it is not feasible
to tilt the panels at shorter intervals, but on using larger panels with more energy output, it
would be possible to incorporate sun-tracking mechanism.
By incorporating sun tracking, panels automatically follow the sun throughout the day so
that maximum energy is always generated.
The webpage (Fig 16) tracks the battery status, power generated from each panel, the
voltage, current, and the amount of light intensity. The user is able to identify if any panel
is unoptimized.
The user is also able to check if there is sufficient voltage in the circuit. This is the charging
time for the battery. When there is suboptimal lighting, the circuit generates less than 4V
and a signal is sent and the battery discharges. This results in the LED lights lighting up
due to low lighting.
Data is collected every 15 seconds, and the user is able to connect their device to the
Wi-fi repeater in the solar tree and can open the webpage remotely later.
The battery charges during the day in strong sunlight, and at night, the battery discharges,
and powers the LED strips stuck onto the tree, providing light. This can be used for street
lighting, or as an alternative to lampposts in parks.
4.8 Safety
To ensure safety, various precautions have been taken:
• Industrial standard wires with rubber insulation have been used. On the exterior of
the tree, insulation pipe has been used to cover wiring from elements.
• Battery, inverter, charge controller and other electrical components are covered by
the wooden seating at the base of trunk
• MCB is used to protect from short circuiting.
4.9 Seating
A hollow wooden box for seating has been added. The cube has dimensions of
76.2cm(2.5ft) and can be opened and locked with a clamp mechanism. The box covers all
the electronic components, i.e., the battery, inverter, charge controller.
There is a clearance fit hole for trunk, and acts as a seating area under tree.
Plug points are provided for charging electronics.
(a) (b)
5.1 Conclusion
• A working scale down prototype was fabricated, which can produce a peak power
of upto120W-h.
• Solid structure was obtained with a minimum FOS of 1.8 and maximum FOS of
15, with high stability even in wind speeds of up to 175kmph.
• A tilt mechanism for solar panels was implemented
• Minimal shading loss of 3-5% was obtained by optimising design
• Live data-logging through IoT was achieved and displayed on a webpage
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. D Sethuram for his guidance, advice
and pushing us to make improvements to our project.
Secondly, we would like to thank Dr. N Rajesh Mathivanan, Chairperson, Dept. Of
Mechanical Engineering, PES University, for providing this opportunity to learn about and
create our very own solar tree model.
Thirdly, we are grateful to Dr. M.R. Doreswamy, Chancellor, PES University,
Prof. Jawahar Doreswamy, Pro-Chancellor, PES University, Dr. J. Suryaprasad, Vice
Chancellor, PES University, and Dr. K.S. Sridhar, Registrar, PES University for providing
us the opportunity to present our project.
Lastly, this project would not have been possible without the continuous support and
encouragement from our friends and family.
Jaivarun Reddy
Shyle Shaju
Sohan R Katare
Sujan Chowdary
References:
Elsevier
[1] Sumon Dey,Bala Pesala, 2020. Solar Tree: Design Framework for Maximized Power Generation with
Minimized Structural Cost.
Elsevier
[2] Farhan Hydera, K. Sudhakara, Rizalman Mamat,2018. Solar PV Tree Design: A Review.
Elsevier
[3] Farhan Hyder, Prashant Baredar, K. Sudhakar,Rizalman Mamat, 2018. Performance and Land
Footprint Analysis of a Solar Photovoltaic Tree.
IJEAT
[4] Chitra K, Kashif Ahmed, Deepak Yadav, Prabhat Passi,2019. Design and Implementation of a Solar
Tree Structure for Efficient LED Street Lighting.
Elsevier
[5] Nima Madhavan, T.D. Subash,2021. Advanced Solar Tree with Sun-Tracking and Cleaning
Technology.
Hindawi
[6] Anouar Bella Baci Younes Menni, Samira Ghafourian, Milad Sadeghzadeh,2020. A New
Configuration of Vertically Connecting Solar Cells: Solar Tree.