CSIR-CMERI Develops World’s Largest Solar Tree

The world’s largest solar tree was unveiled in Ludhiana, Punjab, on Monday.

The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute of CSIR has built the world’s largest solar tree, which was unveiled in Ludhiana on Monday, in an effort to boost the use of solar energy.

According to a statement, the solar tree has been installed at the CSIR-CMERI-Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery, Ludhiana, Punjab, and has been officially recognized as the World’s Largest Solar Tree by Guinness World Records (GWR).

According to the report, the total surface area of a solar PV panel is 309.83 square meters, exceeding the previous record of 67 square meters. Balkar Singh Sandhu, the mayor of Ludhiana, was impressed with the use of the renewable energy technologies in agriculture, mini grid operation, and rural electrification.

The solar tree has been designed in a manner to ensure maximum exposure of each solar photovoltaic (PV) panel to sunlight and also creation of the least amount of shadow area beneath. According to Dr Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI, the installed capacity of the Solar Tree is above 11.5 kWp (kilowatts peak). It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power. There are a total of 35 Solar PV Panels in each tree with a capacity of 330 wp (watts peak) each. Each solar trees can be customized for widespread usage in agricultural activities.

Besides, the surplus generated power can be fed into an Energy Grid. Each Solar Tree can cost Rs 7.5 lakhs and can be a boon for rural economy as it can be aligned with the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers, for developing a Renewable Energy based Energy Grid.