Context: Recently, the Ministry of Science & Technology has unveiled the World’s Largest Solar Tree.
Concept of Solar tree'

• A solar tree is a structure incorporating solar energy technology on a single pillar, like a tree trunk. It may be a solar artwork or a functional power generator.
• Solar trees are intended to bring visibility to solar technology and to enhance the landscape and architecture they complement, usually in a commercial or public context.
• An objective of many solar tree installations is to promote awareness, understanding, and adoption of renewable energy.
• They are not typically used as a primary source of energy for a property—that role is accomplished by rooftop solar systems.

About World’s Largest Solar Tree

• It is developed by CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) at CSIR-CMERI Residential Colony, Durgapur (West Bengal).
• The installed capacity of the Solar Tree is above 11.5 kWp.
• It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power.

Significance and potential of solar trees:

• These Solar Trees can be aligned with Agriculture for substituting price-volatile fossil fuels.
• Each Solar Tree has the potential to save 10-12 tons of CO2 emissions being released into the atmosphere as Greenhouse Gases when compared with fossil fuel fired energy generation.
• Besides, the surplus generated power can be fed into an Energy Grid.
• This Agricultural Model can provide a consistent economic return and help the farmers counter the effects of the uncertain variations in Agriculture related activities, thus, making farming an Economic and Energy Sustainable practice.
• The solar tree also has the capability to incorporate IOT based features,e. round-the-clock CCTV surveillance in agricultural fields, real-time humidity, wind speed, rainfall prediction and soil analytics sensors.
• The CSIR-CMERI developed solar powered e-Suvidha Kiosks may also be connected to the Solar Trees for real-time access to the vast majority of agricultural database as well as to the eNAM i.e. National Agricultural MarketPlace for instant and real-time access to an unified online market.