Solar power is a form of energy that is not being harnessed to its full potential. Our energy consumption today is aided by only 0.04% solar photovoltaic(PV) energy. Our total energy consumption is around 15 terawatts a year and the available energy we can harness from the sun is around 89,000 terawatts. In the US alone we have available 1800 kWh/m2/yr (kilowatt hours per squared meter a year) of solar energy that we are just starting to tap into.
Because of this great energy potential I decided to begin the construction of my next project; a solar PV sculpture that reassembles a tree that I will call “PVE-Tree.”
The tree will be made up of solar flexible solar cells that are 5% efficient and wired together in series and in parallel to convert solar energy to electric. The system will connect to a solar charge controller that will then charge a battery in the day time. At night time the electric system in the tree will reverse and use the battery power to light up LED bulbs installed in the leaves of the tree. I am still debating weather I will install a sound system to the tree that will make the sounds of birds in the afternoon and of crickets at night time.
This is an illustration of what the tree will look like:
