Chisinau’s inhabitants have chosen where solar trees will be installed

December 11, 2018

Photo: Solvis

Photovoltaic trees will be installed on the pedestrian street and on Mircea cel Batran boulevard. These are the locations suggested and validated by Chisinau’s inhabitants, during several selection stages, and then approved by the Chisinau City Hall.

The selection process was a participatory one and comprised:

1. A public call for suggesting locations, resulting in more than 70 locations for the installation of solar tree, proposed by the inhabitants of Chisinau.

2. Public consultations that gathered inhabitants of Chisinau, guided by experts in urban planning and urban development, that examined the suggested locations according to the selection criteria and recommended 8 locations.

3. Examination of the 8 locations by the Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Land Relations and selection of 2 final destinations for installing the solar trees.

The locations proposed by citizens had to meet the following minimum criteria:

  • An open space with a surface area of at least 200 square meters. The solar installation must be located on a solid surface and requires an installation perimeter of at least 4 square meters.
  • A public place accessible and close to a large flow of people benefiting from the opportunities offered by the solar installation.
  • A sunny area with access to sunlight throughout the day. It is recommended that the proposed area is placed far away from tall buildings that may restrict access to light.

The suggested locations were also analyzed by involved citizens against other requirements such as accessibility, security, public utility, etc.

Solar trees generating photovoltaic electricity will be installed in Chisinau in 2019. Chisinau’s inhabitants will be able to charge up for free their mobile devices, have access to Internet and relax in the respective public space. In the evenings, the trees will light up the surroundings due to the stored sun energy during the day. Solar trees can generate 800 Wh of electricity per day from renewable sources. The technology will provide an annual reduction of more than 700 kg of CO2. The initiative belongs to the United Nations Development Programme and is being implemented in partnership with the Chisinau City Hall.

The installation of solar trees is a regional project of the United Nations Development Programme which includes the capitals of Serbia, Tajikistan, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The first solar trees will be installed in Chisinau with UNDP’s financial support.

The initiative is implemented by the innovation laboratories of the United Nations Development Programme: Green City Lab, MiLab and Business Innovation Lab.