There is a city, overlooking the sea, which has decided to let green energy flourish in its streets and parks. It reminds me a bit of my Naples, with the Malvarrosa beach, but it's in Spain. It is Valencia, the pearl of the Costa Blanca, which for a few weeks has been home to four curious specimens of "trees" out of the ordinary. Don't look for nests or fruit among the branches: these trees, in fact, produce electricity. These are the new "photovoltaic trees" wanted by the municipal administration to give impetus to sustainable mobility and the fight against climate change. Iconic structures, with a strong symbolic value, which combine technology and nature to offer citizens an intelligent way to recharge their electric vehicles, from bicycles to scooters, scooters and portable devices. An ambitious project, which is part of a broader strategy to make Valencia an increasingly green and future-proof city. Because when it comes to renewable energy, even a single tree can make a difference. Let alone four.
Solar trees, how cool!
Let's start with a question that you are probably asking yourself: are these "photovoltaic trees" real trees or are they just structures that look like us? Well, if you expect to see them grow, flower and lose their leaves, you will be disappointed. Actually yes these are artificial installations that they imitate the shape of a tree, complete with trunk, branches and leaves. Only instead of leaves there they are solar panels, and instead of flowers there are charging sockets. Basically synthetic trees, but a lot more useful the fake ones that are used to decorate the living room.
The great thing is that these green trees, in addition to being beautiful to look at, are also super efficient. Think about that each of them has a power of 3,6 kWh, thanks to 12 solar panels of 300 W each. Simply put: a nice boost of clean energy, more than enough to recharge a variety of electric vehicles, from classic bikes to the most modern scooters and scooters. And don't forget your smartphones and tablets, which you can attach to tree sockets to fill up on green electrons.
330 thousand euro project
Ok, but who had this brilliant idea of planting solar trees around Valencia? The credit goes to the municipal council led by the mayor Maria Jose Catala, who decided to invest 330.000 euros in this visionary project. Yes, you understood correctly: three hundred and thirty thousand euros, a figure that would make even the most generous of people pale Scrooges. But for the Valencian administration it is not a waste, on the contrary: it is a strategic investment to promote sustainable mobility and improve air quality in the city.
On the other hand, with so much light available (in Valencia, like in Naples, the sun almost never fails), it would have been a shame not to make the most of it. And so, after a participatory process that involved citizens (the famous “Decidim 2020”, a sort of Valencian participatory budget), the council decided to place the four photovoltaic trees in as many strategic points of the city, chosen for their accessibility and attendance. Translated: where there are more people than can take advantage of it, from university students to tourists visiting the parks.
How much energy do they produce for Valencia and the Valencians? A bang.
Let's get to the point: how much do these solar trees produce? It is estimated that each tree can generate up to 5.313 kWh per year (except that one of the garden Turia, which stops at 2.657 kWh, but that's because it gets less sun, poor thing). In total, the four trees should churn out the beauty of 18.596 kWh per year. To give you an idea, it is more or less the annual electricity consumption of 6 average Spanish families, but we are not talking about powering homes here. We talk about power devices and small micromobility vehicles, for which it is much, much more. Not bad though some plants fake, huh?
Aside from the numbers, however, the most interesting aspect of this project is its symbolic and educational value. In fact, solar trees are not alone of charging points for electric vehicles, but small monuments to sustainability, which attract the attention of citizens and visitors to the topic of renewable energy.
The future is green, Valencia's word
After being elected European Green Capital 2024, Valencia shows that it is not afraid to dare, to experiment with new solutions to make the lives of its citizens more sustainable and on a human (and environmental) scale. These photovoltaic trees are just one of the many projects that the administration is carrying out in this direction, from the creation of new cycle paths to the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles.
Of course, someone could argue (and they certainly will, what's needed? Social media is full of people who solve everything for you with a joke) that four solar trees won't change the fate of the planet, and that much more would be needed to counteract the change climate. And it's true, you certainly can't think of solving everything with a few panels here and there. But imagine a city where 50 real and photovoltaic trees are "planted" (perhaps in a ratio of 50:1). Shade, better air and energy. It would be an incredible change.
Meanwhile, if you happen to be in Valencia, don't forget to take a look under one of these high-tech trees. You can charge your scooter or your smartphone, and maybe take a selfie to immortalize the moment. And if you feel a bit like an ecologist 2.0, well, there is not nothing wrong. After all, even green revolutions start from a small gesture. Or from a solar tree, in this case.
