This morning the first of the two solar trees designed within the project was installed in the espaitec urbanization Treelec, one of the 16 projects launched within the framework of the eLivingLab, an initiative that wants to convert the campus of the UJI in a smart campus, to gradually do the same with the city of Castellón and its province, through experimental innovation.

The project has been co-financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation within the National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation 2008-2011 and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Treelec It is the result of collaboration between different agents of the university community. On the one hand, the Industrial Design students Alba Escrig and Fernando Tomás, who under the tutelage of Professor Sari Vidal have designed and executed the project. On the other hand, the espaitec staff, with Juan Antonio Bertolín being responsible, promoter of the initiative and coordinator of all the projects executed and agents involved. Finally, the staff of the Universitat Jaume I, from the Design Engineering Group to the Technical Office of Works and Projects, passing through Economic Management and other departments of the university.

Treelec involves the design and implementation of two completely autonomous solar trees to be installed on the UJI Campus, specifically in front of the rectorate and in the Park development. With a structure of urban furniture powered by renewable energy and completely autonomous, the trees have been designed to be a meeting point in the located spaces, serving as energy managers for laptops and mobile phones of students and Campus staff.

We spoke with Alba Escrig and Fernando Tomás to explain their project in more detail:

How and why did you decide to carry out this project? We are finishing our degree in industrial design and Sari suggested that we do the final internship at the GID, a Design Engineering Group created in 1997 by professors, researchers, technical engineers and students from the Engineering Projects Area of ​​the Department of Engineering. Mechanics and Construction.

Sari had organized the Product and Environment subject with the theme of the solar tree to look for ideas and students who could develop the prototype. During her class she noticed us because of the way we work and suggested we do the project with her.

What is the project about? Our project is two solar trees, that is, two tree-shaped structures that by adding some electrical components make it energy self-sufficient, it works as a street lamp at night and energy-dispersing street furniture during the day, that is, you can sit on the base from the tree and charge your laptop and mobile phone on the UJI Campus

What innovation does it bring to the university community? They are meeting points where people can talk while doing work on their computer, and who hasn't ever run out of battery on their cell phone? Well, it is a point like urban furniture where you can charge your phone.

What could be its scalability in the city of Castellón and province? In what type of spaces and for what purpose could it be used? The space where we could put this type of trees would be in squares, parks or even large avenues. The trees, in addition to being urban furniture, act as streetlights, with LED lighting.

What type of materials have been used to ensure the tree's absolute energy self-sufficiency? The trees consist of three plates and two batteries, with this we achieve a charging autonomy of 6 hours and lighting at night of 4 hours, this could be modified in each case, depending on the required performance.

In addition to this project, other initiatives are being carried out such as the ecological footprint project developed by the company 4TIC for the control of vehicle emissions on the UJI Campus in real time. Xop Physics, has installed its irrigation, conductivity and humidity control system in the vicinity of espaitec during the first phase of project execution, in the second phase it will make the leap to other UJI facilities such as the greenhouses of the Degree in Agri-Food Engineering i of the Rural environment. Cognitive Robots has developed two Telepresence Robots, one will soon be the reception “person” of the espaitec 1 building and the second “the assistant” of the videoconference room of the espaitec 2 building.