Solar trees to be installed in South Delhi’s Sheikh Sarai

The solar trees will be four to five metres tall, with at least ten branches made up of photovoltaic panels in the form of leaves

The Public Works Department will install solar trees in South Delhi’s Sheikh Sarai as part of a ₹62 lakh project that will beautify the area while generating clean energy to power street lights.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) installed its first solar tree in Connaught Place near Metro Gate 7 as part of the Smart City project. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

According to a senior PWD official, the project is being undertaken on a pilot basis, with four such trees being developed in the Sheikh Sarai Phase-2 green belts. If successful, it will be replicated in other locations.

“These solar trees will be four to five metres tall, with at least ten branches made up of photovoltaic panels in the form of leaves,” said the official, who asked not to be identified.

According to a PWD project report, each solar tree branch will be made up of 100-watt solar photovoltaic modules with a 12-volt output. The department expects to finish installing these hybrid solar trees within the next three months.

According to a PWD official, bids from contractors to develop these installations have already been requested. “The trunks of these solar trees will be 20 cm thick poles. These trunks will stand at least three metres tall and be supported by a concrete base. The trunks will then branch out into one-metre-long designer branches, from which the four-foot-wide solar leaves will sprout. The solar power module will be connected to the base, and ten batteries will be used to store the power generated during the day,” the official explained.

In 2018, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) installed its first solar tree in Connaught Place near Metro Gate 7 as part of the Smart City project. According to an NDMC official, the solar tree project was installed with the assistance of the Steel Authority of India (Sail) and the Electronics Corporation of India Limited. “Sail donated the steel for the project, and Electronics India Limited provided technical input. The solar tree includes a seating area, a street light, and a mobile charging station. At Shanti Path, we also built a model solar bus stop with solar roofs and walls. Both of these projects were designed to raise awareness about solar energy,” the official said. However, the NDMC solar tree project was not replicated in other locations.