CSIR-CMERI develops world’s largest solar tree

In a bid to promote the usage of Solar energy, CSIR’s Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute have developed world’s largest ‘solar tree’ which is installed at its residential complex in Durgapur in West Bengal.The Solar Tree has been designed in such a way that it ensures maximum exposure of each Solar PV Panel to Sunlight. A single solar tree comprises of 35 Solar PV Panels each having a capacity of 330 wp each. The energy generation data of the tree can be monitored either real-time or on daily basis. This tree will also ensure minimum Shadow Area which will make it available for usage in Agricultural activities like High Capacity Pumps, e-Tractors and e-Power Tillers.

Application

• The Solar Trees can be aligned with agriculture to substitute price-volatile fossil fuels.
• One solar tree can reduce ten to twelve tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Also, the surplus power from these trees can be fed to the energy grids.
• The Solar tree also has capability to incorporate with Internet of Things based features. This includes wind speed, real-time humidity, rainfall prediction and soil analytics sensors.

E-Suvidha Kiosks

• The CSIR-CMERI along with the Solar Trees have also developed the E-Suvidha Kiosks that can be connected to the solar trees for real time access to vast majority of agricultural database and also to eNAM.
• This will help in making instant and real time access to an unified online market.
• Thus, Solar trees are a leap towards making carbon negative India

Harnessing Solar Energy with Agriculture

• The Government of India has launched KUSUM scheme to harness solar energy. The scheme aims to replace all the diesel pumps with solar pumps.
• Under the scheme, the excess power generated in the solar power is to be purchased by the state governments at profitable price to farmers.

How is solar tree highly potential solution?

• Solar energy is clean, renewable and is present throughout the year in India.
• However, the availability of land to install solar panel on a large scale is the basic hurdle in India.
• This problem is overcome by solar trees.

UPSC