The solar trees reached their first harvest

September 28, 2019

Hundreds of people came to Mircea cel Batran alley this weekend to promote clean energy and eco-friendly behavior. The "Solar tree at the first harvest. We have grown green” event was organized on alley of Mircea cel Batran Boulevard by the Sustainable Green Cities Project in partnership with the Ciocana district.

The action marks the installation in Chisinau of two photovoltaic trees that generate green energy for the comfort of Chisinau people and guests. They can charge up for free their mobile devices, have access to the Internet and relax against the trunk of these trees. In the evenings, the trees will light up the surroundings due to the stored solar energy during the day. “UNDP supports confidently the development of such innovative technologies in Moldova that respond to the challenges of urbanization, increase people's comfort and have a positive impact on the environment. I am glad that the city of Chisinau has in its architecture such modern urban furniture models which are an attraction for the inhabitants of the city, as well as foreign tourists”, says Dima Al-Khatib, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme in the Republic of Moldova.

Each solar tree has a total installed power of 810 W and provides night-time decorative lighting at a capacity of 18 W. The technology will provide an annual reduction of more than 700 kg of CO2 per tree. The solar trees are installed on the alleys of Grigore Vieru and Mircea cel Batran boulevards. The locations were proposed and validated by Chisinau people, following several selection stages, being subsequently approved by the Chisinau City Hall. “We are pleased that Ciocana, the youngest district in the city, benefits from the cutting-edge innovation thanks to the partnership with UNDP Moldova. Mircea cel Batran alley has become even more popular due to this smart tree, coming here dozens, sometimes hundreds, of people, to collect the energy tree fruit”, adds Sinilga Scolnic, the praetor of the Ciocana district.

Within the "Solar tree at the first harvest. We have grown green” event, there was organized a fair of eco products, an exhibition of environmentally friendly innovations, recycling workshops, debates on environmental crisis’ topics, eco awards competitions, energizing activities for the whole family, music and good energy. The “Hai Moldova” team brought to the event the collection boxes of the used electronic equipment for later recycling. "I am glad that such events are organized in our district, and not just in the city center. I also brought home used electronics for recycling. I gladly agreed to do a workshop on the correct recycling of LED bulbs. And the children happily participated in sewing t-shirts workshops and, of course, at the scientific entertainment show”, mentions Rada Spac, a participant at the event.

The solar trees’ installation was funded by the United Nations Development Programme, through the Global Innovation Facility, within a regional project which includes the capitals of Serbia, Tajikistan, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. In Chisinau, the initiative was implemented by the innovatory laboratories of the United Nations Development Programme: Green City Lab and MiLab, in partnership with Chisinau City Hall. The Wi-Fi connection is provided by Starnet, and the video surveillance is provided by Orasul Protejat.

Solar trees in Chisinau