SOLAR TREE

CONTENT

Abstract

1. Introduction
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

6-8

Introduction
What is a solar tree
Spiralling phyllataxy
Introduction about solar cell

9-11

2. Working Principle
2.2 How solar cell works
2.2Impurity Silicon (Extrinsic): P-type and N-type Semiconductors
2.3 Formation of Potential Barrier and Photoelectric Effect

3. Manufacturing Technology and process of Solar Cell

12-

16
3.1 Purification of silicon
3.2 Ingot and wafer preparation
3.3 Doping& Screen printing

17-22

4. Advantage of solar panels

5. Why it is better than traditional system 23
6. Applications, advantage & disadvantages24
Summary and conclusion 25
References

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SOLAR TREE

SOLAR TREE

ABSTRACT
Now a days with the growing population and energy demand we should take a renewable option
of energy source and also we should keep in mind that energy should not cause pollution and
other natural hazards. In this case the solar energy is the best option for us.India is a highly
populated country, so we should take the advantage of such an energy which requires a very less
space to produce energy efficiently. In this case solar tree could be the best one for us. We can
also use the technique called SPIRALLING PHYLLATAXY to improve the efficiency of the
plant. It can be applied in street lightening system, industrial power supply etc. It is much better
than the traditional solar PV system in area point of view and also more efficient. So this will be
a very good option and should be implemented.

SOLAR TREE

CHAPTER 1:- INTRODUCTION

It is a form of renewable energy resource that is some measure competitive with fossil fuels.
Hydro power is the force of energy of moving water. It provides about 96% of the renewable
energy in the united state. Hydro electric power plants do not use any resources

to create

electricity or they do not pollute the air. The sun is a hydrodynamic spherical body of
extremely hot ionized gases(plasma), generating energy by the process of the thermonuclear
fusion. The temperature of interior of sun is estimated at 8*10^6 k to 40*10^6 k, where
energy is released by fusion of hydrogen and helium.
Solar energy is available in abundance and considered as the easiest and cleanest means of
tapping the renewable energy. For direct conversion of solar radiation into usable form, the
routes are: solar thermal, solar photovoltaic and solar architecture. However the main problem
associated with tapping solar energy is the requirement to install large solar collectors requires
a very big space. To avoid this problem we can install a solar tree in spite of a no of solar
panels which require a very small space.
Solar tree is a revolutionary urban lighting concept that represents a perfect symbiosis between
pioneering design and cutting-edge eco-compatible technology. Solar Tree opens up new
prospects for urban lighting in that it satisfies todays most pressing environmental, social,
cultural and aesthetic demands. The ability to combine innovative design with advanced
technology, along with an acute sensitivity to environmental concerns make Artemide the ideal
vehicle for the development of this project conceived by Ross Lovegrove with the collaboration
of Sharp Solar, the worlds leading manufacturer of solar cells.
.

SOLAR TREE

1.1 WHAT IS A SOLAR TREE

A solar tree is a decorative means of producing solar energy and also electricity. It uses multiple
no of solar panels which forms the shape of a tree. The panels are arranged in a tree fashion in a
tall tower/pole.
TREE stands for
T= TREE GENERATING
R=RENEWABLE
E=ENERGY and
E=ELECTRICITY
This is like a tree in structure and the panels are like leaves of the tree which produces energy.

1.3 SPIRALLING PHYLLATAXY

It is a technique used in designing of solar tree. It provides the way to help the lower panels
from the shadow of upper ones, so that it can track maximum power from sun.

Solar Tree

1.4 INTRODUCTION ABOUT SOLAR CELL

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A solar cell (photovoltaic cell or photoelectric cell) is a solid state electrical device that converts
the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. The energy of light is
transmitted by photons-small packets or quantum of light. Electrical energy is stored in
electromagnetic fields, which in turn can make a current of electrons flow.
Assemblies of solar cells are used to make solar modules which are used to capture energy from
sunlight. When multiple modules are assembled together (such as prior to installation on a polemounted tracker system), the resulting integrated group of modules all oriented in one plane is
referred as a solar panel. The electrical energy generated from solar modules, is an example of
solar energy. Photovoltaic is the field of technology and research related to the practical
application of photovoltaic cells in producing electricity from light, though it is often used
specifically to refer to the generation of electricity from sunlight. Cells are described as
photovoltaic cells when the light source is not necessarily sunlight. These are used for detecting
light or other electromagnetic radiation near the visible range, for example infrared detectors, or
measurement of light intensity.

.
Fig Solar modulo
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CHAPTER2:-WORKING PRINCIPLE
2.1 HOW SOLAR CELL WORKS
Solar cells, which largely are made from crystalline silicon work on the principle of Photoelectric
Effect that this semiconductor exhibits. Silicon in its purest form- Intrinsic Silicon- is doped with
a dopant impurity to yield Extrinsic Silicon of desired characteristic (p-type or n-type
Silicon).When p and n type silicon combine they result in formation of potential barrier.
Working of Solar cells can thus be based on two crystalline structure

Intrinsic Silicon
Extrinsic Silicon

Pure Silicon (Intrinsic) Crystalline Structure

Silicon has some special chemical properties, especially in its crystalline form. An atom of
silicon has 14 electrons, arranged in three different shells. The first two shells- which hold two
and eight electrons respectively- are completely full. The outer shell, however, is only half full
with just four electrons (Valence electrons). A silicon atom will always look for ways to fill up
its last shell, and to do this, it will share electrons with four nearby atoms. It's like each atom
holds hands with its neighbours except that in this case, each atom has four hands joined to four
neighbours. That's what forms the crystalline structure. The only problem is that pure
crystalline silicon is a poor conductor of electricity because none of its electrons are free to
move about, unlike the electrons in more optimum conductors like copper

SOLAR TREE

2.2 Impurity Silicon (Extrinsic): P-type and N-type Semiconductors

Extrinsic silicon in a solar cell has added impurity atoms purposefully mixed in with the silicon
atoms, maybe one for every million silicon atoms. Phosphorous has five electrons in its outer
shell. It bonds with its silicon neighbor atoms having valency of 4, but in a sense, the
phosphorous has one electron that doesn't have anyone to bond with. It doesn't form part of a
bond, but there is a positive proton in the phosphorous nucleus holding it in place. When energy
is added to pure silicon, in the form of heat, it causes a few electrons to break free of their bonds
and leave their atoms. A hole is left behind in each case. These electrons, called free carriers,
then wander randomly around the crystalline lattice looking for another hole to fall into and carry
an electrical current. In Phosphorous-doped Silicon, it takes a lot less energy to knock loose one
of "extra" phosphorous electrons because they aren't tied up in a bond with any neighboring
atoms. As a result, most of these electrons break free, and release a lot more free carriers than in
pure silicon. The process of adding impurities on purpose is called doping, and when doped with
phosphorous, the resulting silicon is called N-type ("n" for negative) because of the prevalence of
free electrons. N-type doped silicon is a much better conductor than pure silicon. The other part
of a typical solar cell is doped with the element boron, which has only three electrons in its outer
shell instead of four, to become P-type silicon. Instead of having free electrons, P-type ("p" for
positive) has free openings and carries the opposite positive charge

2.3 Formation of Potential Barrier and Photoelectric Effect

The electric field is formed when the N-type and P-type silicon come into contact. Suddenly, the
free electrons on the N side combine the openings on the P side. Right at the junction, they
combine and form something of a barrier, making it harder and harder for electrons on the N side
to cross over to the P side (called POTENTIAL BARRIER). Eventually, equilibrium is reached,
and an electric field separating the two sides is set up. This electric field acts as a diode, allowing
(and even pushing) electrons to flow from the P side to the N side, but not the other way around.
It's like a hill -- electrons can easily go down the hill (to the N side), but can't climb it (to the P
side).

SOLAR TREE

Fig Solar cell

When light, in the form of photons, hits solar cell, its energy breaks apart electron-hole
pairs(Photoelectric effect). Each photon with enough energy will normally free exactly one
electron, resulting in a free hole as well. If this happens close enough to the electric field, or if
free electron and free hole happen to wander into its range of influence, the field will send the
electron to the N side and the hole to the P side. This causes further disruption of electrical
neutrality, and if an external current path is provided, electrons will flow through the path to the
P side to unite with holes that the electric field sent there, doing work for us along the way. The
electron flow provides the current, and the cell's electric field causes a voltage.
The final step is to install something that will protect the cell from the external elements- often a
glass cover plate. PV modules are generally made by connecting several individual cells together
to achieve useful levels of voltage and current, and putting them in a sturdy frame complete with
positive and negative terminals.

SOLAR TREE

CHAPTER 3:-MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY & PROCESS

OF SOLAR CELL

3.1 STEP 1 - PURIFICATION OF SILICON:

The basic component of a solar cell is intrinsic silicon, which is not pure in its natural state. To
make solar cells, the raw materialssilicon dioxide of either quartzite gravel or crushed quartz
are first placed into an electric arc furnace, where a carbon arc is applied to release the
oxygen. A Graphite and Thermal insulator trap the heat and maintain the furnace at required
temperature for gangue (impurity) to form a slag. The products are carbon dioxide and molten
silicon. Silicon ingot is pulled down from the molten silicon using seed silicon crystallization
and floating zone technique. Passing impure silicon in same direction several times that separates
impurities- and impure end is later removed. This process yields silicon with one percent
impurity, useful in many industries but not the solar cell industry. At this point, the silicon is still
not pure enough to be used for solar cells and requires further purification. Pure silicon is derived
from such silicon dioxides as quartzite gravel (the purest silica) or crushed quartz.
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3.2 STEP 2- INGOT AND WAFER PREPARATION:

Solar cells are made from silicon boules, polycrystalline structures that have the atomic structure
of a single crystal. The most commonly used process for creating the boule is called the
Czochralski method. In this process, a seed crystal of silicon is dipped into melted
polycrystalline silicon. As the seed crystal is withdrawn and rotated, a cylindrical ingot or
"boule" of silicon is formed. The ingot withdrawn is unusually pure, because impurities tend to
remain in the liquid. From the boule, silicon wafers are sliced one at a time using a circular saw
whose inner diameter cuts into the rod, or many at once with a multi wire saw. Only about onehalf of the silicon is lost from the boule to the finished circular wafermore if the wafer is then
cut to be rectangular or hexagonal. Rectangular or hexagonal wafers are sometimes used in solar

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cells because they can be fitted together perfectly, thereby utilizing all available space on the
front surface of the solar cell. The wafers are then polished to remove saw marks.

3.3 STEP 3 - DOPING:

The traditional way of doping silicon wafers with boron and phosphorous is to introduce a small
amount of boron during the Czochralski process. The wafers are then sealed back to back and
placed in a furnace to be heated to slightly below the melting point of silicon (2,570 degrees
Fahrenheit or 1,410 degrees Celsius) in the presence of phosphorous gas. The phosphorous atoms
"burrow" into the silicon, which is more porous because it is close to becoming a liquid. The
temperature and time given to the process is carefully controlled to ensure a uniform junction of
proper depth. These diffusion processes are usually performed through the use of a batch tube
furnace or an in-line continuous furnace.The basic furnace construction and process are very
similar to the process steps used by packaging engineers.

STEP 4 - SCREEN PRINTING:

Fig Screen printing

Electrical contacts are formed through squeezing a metal paste through mesh screens to create a
metal grid. This metal paste (usually Ag or Al) needs to be dried so that subsequent layers can be
screen-printed using the same method. As a last step, the wafer is heated in a continuous firing

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furnace at temperatures ranging from 780 to 900C. These grid- pattern metal screens act as
collector electrodes that carry electrons and complete the electrical continuity in the circuit.

STEP 5 - STRINGING AND TABBING:

Electrical contacts connect each solar cell to another and to the receiver of produced current. The
contacts must be very thin (at least in the front) so as not to block sunlight to the cell. Metals
such as palladium/silver, nickel, or copper are vacuum-evaporated After the contacts are in place,
thin strips ("fingers") are placed between cells. The most commonly used strips are tin-coated
copper.
STEP 6 - ANTIREFLECTIVE COATING:
Because pure silicon is shiny, it can reflect up to 35 percent of the sunlight. To reduce the amount
of sunlight lost, an anti-reflective coating is put on the silicon wafer- mostly titanium dioxide,
silicon oxide and some others are used. The material used for coating is either heated until its
molecules boil off and travel to the silicon and condense, or the material undergoes sputtering. In
this process, a high voltage knocks molecules off the material and deposits them onto the silicon
at the opposite electrode. Yet another method is to allow the silicon itself to react with oxygen- or
nitrogen-containing gases to form silicon dioxide or silicon nitride. Commercial solar cell
manufacturers use silicon nitride. Another method to make silicon absorb more light is to make
its top surface grained, i.e. pyramid shaped nanostructures that yield 70% absorption that reaches
the cell surface after passing through anti-reflective coating.
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STEP 7 - MODULE MANUFACTURING

The finished solar cells are then encapsulated; that is, sealed into silicon rubber or ethylene vinyl
acetate. Solar module assembly usually involves soldering cells together to produce a 36-cell
string (or longer) and laminating it between toughened glass on the top and a polymeric backing
sheet on the bottom. The encapsulated solar cells are then placed into an aluminum frame that
has a Mylar or tedlarback sheet and a glass or plastic cover. Frames are usually applied to allow
for mounting in the field, or the laminates may be separately integrated into a mounting system
for a specific application such as integration into a building.

CHAPTER4:- ADVANTAGE OF SOLAR PANELS

Private home owners are discovering the benefits to our environment and a way to live happily
off the grid or are considering installing a grid-tied solar power system to offset their electric bill
or due to a belief in reducing their carbon emissions. These are great reasons to "go solar"...

Ecologically Friendly - For obvious reasons, the use of solar panels is Eco-friendly and
considered one of the most "green" electricity resources. Because because they operate by
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interacting with a renewable energy source, sunlight, there is no fear of depleting yet
another natural resource.

Decreased Electrical Bill - By switching to solar energy, you will save money on your
electrical bills every month. Even if electricity bills continue raising in the next few
months you will have the peace of mind knowing that your energy source is based on
solar power.

Low Maintenance - Solar panels have no moveable parts and are very simple to use.
After being set up properly, they do not need to be tinkered with and will continuing
working for many years. In fact, many manufacturers have 25 year warranties on their
panels.

Efficiency - No matter where you live, the chances are that you can successfully use solar
panels for you electrical needs. They are rugged and are very adaptable to climate
conditions and the latest panel models are efficient enough to work well without facing
directly south and some will even produce electricity under cloud cover.

Regardless of who you are or what type of home you have, solar power is one of the best ways to
provide you and your family with electricity without causing more damage to our planet.
There are many ways to take advantage of the savings gained from solar panel systems. Not only
does it help you save by cutting your energy requirement from the utility company, it may also
allow you to lock in a lower solar power rate. By using the electricity produced by your unit
during the day, (when rates are at their highest), and using the utility company's power in the
evening, (when the rates are at their lowest), you will lower your overall cost for all of your
electrical use. There are also many rebates available to help you save 40-60% on the cost of
acquiring your system.

WHY WE CALLED IT AS SOLAR TREE

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As we know trees are present in nature and they can produce their own food material by the
process called PHOTOSYNTHESIS. It is the process by which the green plant collects energy
from sun and the water present in soil at the day time and can produces their own food material.
By this process they are indirectly providing food to the human society because we are
depending on the green plants for our food directly or indirectly.
Here we are considering the example for understanding about the solar tree. This is a tree in
which the stems connected acts as the branches of the tree and the solar panels are like the
leaves. Green leaves are producing food materials for human beings likewise this leaves are
producing energy for the society. So it is very appropriate to called it as a tree.

Natural Tree

Solar Tree

WHY IT IS NEEDED
Due to less land requirement:
It is the best option of energy generation because it requires very less land as compare to the
traditional PV system. Now a days land becomes the costliest commodity for the human
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society because of high population growth. Example To generate 2 MW power from a PV

module we requires 10 -12 acres of land for housing of panels only.But for the same amount
of energy we require only 0.10-0.12 acres of land in case of solar tree.So we require such a
plant which can generate maximum energy using minimum land.
Efficient energy generation:
It can generate energy very efficiently as compare to traditional system. Due to the technique
called spiraling phyllataxy its efficiency further increase. We can also use the technique called
SPIRALLING PHYLLATAXY to improve the efficiency of the plant. It can be applied in
street lightening system industrial power supply etc. It is much better than the traditional solar
PV system in area point of view and also more efficient. Though it is somehow costly but as
compare to all cost involve in traditional system it is more efficient.
It can collect energy from wind:
As the name suggest this is a device to generate energy from sun but it has some unique
feature to generate energy from wind. The stem are flexible so that they can rotate in any
direction and by shaking themselves they produce energy also from wind as in the case of a
natural tree. The unique technique is that flexible panels connected to the stem which can be
rotated as our desire. So that flexibility avoidance of wind pressure can be possible.
Flexibility offers manual rotating so that maximum power can be obtained.

CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING

The solar tree consists of some important parts in its design. They are as follows:

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Solar pannels
Long towers
LDES
Batteries
Stems for connecting the panels
WORKING:

Batteries are charged during the day time.

LEDs are automatically switched on
These are used to indicate how much charge/energy remain left
Batteries are also used to store the energy so that we can use it at night and in cloudy
days when no sunlight is there.

LEDs
8.1 Light Emitting Diode (LED)

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Light Emitting Diode

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps
in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting. Appearing as practical electronic
components in 1962, early LEDs emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are
available across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths, with very high brightness.

Internal Description of LED

When a light-emitting diode is forward-biased (switched on), electrons are able to recombine
with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is
called electroluminescence and the color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon)
is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor. An LED is often small in area (less than 1
mm2), and integrated optical components may be used to shape its radiation pattern.

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Internal description of LED

LEDs present many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy
consumption, longer lifetime, improved physical robustness, smaller size, and faster switching.
LEDs powerful enough for room lighting are relatively expensive and require more precise
current and heat management than compact fluorescent lamp sources of comparable output.

Electronic Symbol of LED

Light-emitting diodes are used in applications as diverse as aviation lighting, automotive
lighting, advertising, general lighting, and traffic signals. LEDs have allowed new text, video
displays, and sensors to be developed, while their high switching rates are also useful in really
beadvanced communications technology. Infrared LEDs are also used in the remote control units
of many commercial products including televisions, DVD players, and other domestic
appliances.

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SOLAR TREE

CHAPTER 5:-WHY IT IS BETTER THAN A TRADITIONAL

SYSTEM
India is a highly populated country, so we should take the advantage of such an energy which
requires a very less space to produce energy efficiently. In this case solar tree could be the best
one for us. It is much better than the traditional solar PV system in area point of view and also
more efficient. So this will be a very good option and should be implemented.
For the traditional system we require large size of land to generate a small amount of power. It
requires about 1% land as compare to the traditional system. Solar energy is available in
abundance and considered as the easiest and cleanest means of tapping the renewable energy. For
direct conversion of solar radiation into usable form, the routes are: solar thermal, solar
photovoltaic and solar architecture. However the main problem associated with tapping solar
energy is the requirement to install large solar collectors requires a very big space. To avoid this
problem we can install a solar tree in spite of a no of solar panels which require a very small
space.
Example To generate 2 MW power from a pv module we requires 10 -12 acres of land for
housing of panels only but for the same amount of energy we require only 0.10-0.12 acres of
land in case of solar tree.

Traditional PV solar System

Solar Tree

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CHAPTER6:APPLICATIONS,ADVANTAGES&DISADVANTAGES
APPLICATION

Street light
House supply
Industrial power supply

ADVANTAGES

No air pollution
We wouldnt have to worry as much about future energy sources
People in poor country would have access to electricity
People can save money
Land requirement is very less

DISADVANTAGES

Cost is high
May cause hazards to the birds and insects
Hazards to eyesight from solar reflectors

CONCLUSION:

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To fulfill the increasing energy demand the people and saving of land this project is very
successful one. This can provide electricity without any power cut problem. The extra
energy can be provided to the grid.
Saving of land, this project is very successful one.
Increases the efficiency of solar cell using nanowires
The main aim of this project is uplifting the public opinionon R E S.
The Strawberry Tree, invented by the Serbian company Strawberry Energy is a variation
of the Solar Tree in that it is specifically designed to recharge mobile devices. The
company won the Sustainable Energy Week 2011 competition for its revolutionary
contribution.
There is a distinction to be made between organically inspired solar trees and structures
which have been adopted to create energy efficient parking lots. Companies such as
General Electric have installed solar panels in car parking lots to collect solar energy and
protect vehicles from sun damage. These car sheltering solar devices differ from artistic
Solar Trees in that they have no organic aesthetic. In contrast to the field of solar artwork,
they would more appropriately be dubbed elevated solar panels.

REFERENCES:
1. Projects. Solar Tree Foundation. N.p.Web. 20 Feb 2013. Solar Tree Foundation Projects.
2. Solar Tree Foundation accessed: Feb 20, 2013 Solar Tree Foundation site
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3. Solar Tree. Artemide. N.p. Web. 20 Feb 2013. Artemide Brochure.

4. TR Tooke CC Nicholas AV James et al "Tree structure influences on rooftop-received
solar radiation" Landsc Urban Plann., Vol. 102, no. 2, pp. 73-81, Aug. 2011.
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_tree

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