Google's Solar Trees Due To Bloom This Spring
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 12.18.06
Yes, that's right, groves of pole-mounted solar panels, so-called "solar trees" are the newest addition to Google's ambitious solar project for their Mountain View, California, headquarters. Estimated to feed about 30 percent of the complex's entire power demand, one third of the 9,000 solar panels in the system will take the form of solar trees that will line the parking lots. If you're curious, find more details on Google's 1.6-megawatt solar system in development in John's previous post here.
Much like natural trees, the solar trees provide shelter from the rain and shade the path on scorching hot days. While silently generating renewable juice the trees add a clever design twist to an oft neglected area – the parking lot. Compared to roof mounted photovoltaic systems, solar trees are considerably easier to install – especially if your architecture is more intricate than a square box with a flat roof (the ideal condition for installation). Planting solar trees in the parking lots helped surmount some of the installation challenges. An elegant solution to a tricky problem.
While Google is its most ambitious project to date, EI Solutions has already done a half-dozen solar installations in parking lots (such as the one pictured above). Last year, the company finished a park-and-ride lot in Vacaville, California, that uses overhanging solar panels to generate power on fair days, and protect passengers from the rain during foul weather.
Envision Solar, an other company developing and building solar groves (for Kyocera among others) is also planning to enter the residential market next year. Solar trees designed for smaller buildings and homes are in the works. Do-it-yourself kits would easily allow two- and four-car solar carports to be transformed into home photovoltaic systems. Perhaps you'll be able to pick up a kit at Home Depot or Walmart around this time next year (pure speculation – but here's hoping). :: Wired News
This is EXACTLY what I've been thinking about for plug-in hybrids.
Car sheds with solar panels on top would not only protect the cars, but provide most of the energy they would need for commuting home. And if you had a solar car shed at home, you could store up the energy needed for the commute to work the next morning.
I bet we could dramatically reduce our dependence on imported oil this way.
Not to mention, the shade they provide in the summer! :)
Great stuff. Its amazing how simple this stuff really is... projects like what is happening at Google could go a long way toward changing the mindset programmed into the public by the oil companies.
I once saw these speed bumps that their planing on putting on roads in europe that generate electricity when you drive over them with a piston sort of thing.
Hope they bolted them on good. In Europe big money is being made by stealing solar panels.
What is a "cleaver design twist"?
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Editors comments:
While the concept of “solar trees” in the parking lot is fresh, keep in mind the bigger picture here.
The design challenge is to integrate a photovoltaic system that will generate and supply roughly 1/3 of the entire campus’ energy needs. Like I mentioned, installing the panels on the roof (the “traditional” place for them) is not simple unless you have IKEA or WalMart style architecture. So, placing a third of the panels in the parking lot is a cost effective solution.
In addition, it adds functionality to the overall design and flow of the place – providing shade and shelter from the elements. IMHO a “cleaver design twist.” ;)
Great idea, but I wonder if the idea makes financial sense--how long will it take to earn back the cost of building the structures in terms of electricity saved?
Great idea except real trees are still nice. Sure your saving electricity but small animals don't have a place to live/rest and solar panels don't give off oxygen either.
Biggest plus for google though is if there is an extended power outtage at least their servers will be able to continue running.
That's the rub. Solar electricity is already expensive. Special structures will definitely increase the cost.
Right now, the lowest price per peak watt (Wp) for a solar panel is above $4. Typical installed costs on existing structures are nearly double that. But just looking at the cost of the array, a 1kWp array is going to cost more than $4000. This array, in Southern California, will generate about 1800 kWh per year. Over its 20 year life that is 36000 kWh, which works out to be over 11 cents a kWh - higher than most areas' electricity costs. Any structure needed is going to further increase the kWh cost. And that's for S.Ca, one of the more ideal cities for solar.
I think the average cost of solar electricity in the USA is around 30 cents/kWh, 2-5 times the cost of grid power. Generally, solar electricity right now is only cost effective because of government subsidies
But hopefully actions such as Google's will help drive down the price of solar panels. Right now the price is increasing because demand exceeds supply. It'll be interesting to see how the prices go as these market forces increase the number of manufacturers and also drive the technology development.
Just as an aside, I think Kyocera actually trademarked the name "Solar Tree" and "Solar Grove" when they built a PV carport last year. There's a TH post on it, referenced above. I agree that real trees are nice, but real trees can't be coupled to EV / PHEV charging stations--that would be awesome!
jajaja
I think, there should be a name for that kind of technology
something like
Lifetech 2.0
or something by the way jajaja
great way to implement tech into simple ideas
When you say "cleaver design twist" do you actually mean "clever design twist"?
A little confused by the word "cleaver" in this context.
@ peteathome --
Your math is flawed. You seriously think that grid power will continue to be 11 cents per KWH for the next 20 years? It's already over that here, and by 1 year from now, it will likely be 15 to 20 cents per KWH. THERE is the rub, my friend. It may cost more to do solar now, but in the long run, it's going to save you a bundle because it requires no fuel, little maintenance, and best of all, it produces no emissions. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next 5 years, the federal government enacts a "carbon tax", and starts levying fees on every power generation source that creates any sort of COx emission, from gasoline and diesel to the natural gas and coal used to fire the majority of the power plants in this nation.
Even if it does cost more than just sucking off the grid (right now), it won't in the future, probably
Cheers.
Current prices for SINGLE 120 watt panels are $4.11 a watt RETAIL. Sadly prices have been going up (due to increased demand), but technological advancements, such as quantum dots stand to tripple the current efficiency per square meter.
For reference, delivered electricity in Hawaii costs $0.45 per KWh. Delivered electricity in New England costs $0.15 per KWh.
As 40+ percent of the nation's electricity is currently generated by fossil fuel, you can expect those prices to double in the not too distant future.
Check you math...solar is rapidly entering the stage of being a viable renewable energy source, even for small installations.
just wait until the Chinese flood the market with solar panels... you will be able to purchase them at dollar general. then the fuels of today will again become fossil
also... we need to rethink the ethanol idea... it takes entirely too much energy to get the energy from corn... about one gallon of FF to make 1.3 gallons of ethanol. @ 25% less efficiency it makes no sense... we are still feeding the oil pigs.