Shani Pandya, an engineer from Gujarat, is transforming urban energy requirements with his inventive solar tiles and plants. His vertical solar technologies enable power generation in densely populated places by significantly lowering the amount of land needed.
Imagine a world in which our energy potential is unrestricted by space, and where homes may produce clean energy for decades on a small plot of land!
Shani Pandya of Gujarat provides just that with his creative “solar trees.” These wonders spread vertically, like actual trees, unlike your average solar panels that require large tracts of land.
Up to 45 solar modules can be tastefully mounted on a single pole of each tall, streamlined solar tree. Put simply, six Indian homes might be powered in a day by a 20 kilowatt solar tree!
In addition to generating awareness, this innovative idea has spurred government initiatives, hospitals, and municipalities to take action. To effectively control street lighting expenses, Gandhinagar Smart City, for instance, has incorporated these vertical structures into its urban landscape.
We spoke with the 30-year-old businessman to find out more about his revolutionary energy ideas that could revolutionize the way our cities are powered.
For the prosperous future of India
After fostering an incubator at Pandit Deendayal Energy University, where he had also studied chemical engineering, Shani embarked on his solar invention quest in 2018.
“A solar power plant was set up on six acres of land,” Shani recalls of his first few days of employment there. The facility alone cost Rs 10 crore, and the land cost over Rs 100 crore. For the following 30 years, the land could not be utilized for any other purpose.
Here, Shani became aware of the significant obstacle solar energy faced: the need for a large amount of land.
“I realized there has to be a more effective way to handle that one megawatt solar plant that was going to take up six acres of great property. “Seeing such potential go unrealized due to space constraints was discouraging,” he continues.
Shani’s interaction with the Gandhinagar Smart City planners, who encountered difficulties incorporating solar because of space constraints, was a turning point. “I discovered that the city’s smart city mission calls for obtaining 10% of its energy load from solar. According to the municipal planners I spoke with, there was not enough room for conventional solar power facilities. It was imperative that this issue be resolved.
He was inspired by the event to investigate methods of utilizing solar energy in crowded cities without taking up valuable ground space. His pursuit led him to develop the “solar tree,” a remarkable invention that maximizes energy output while consuming the least amount of land.
Once planted, these trees have the potential to provide enough electricity each day to run numerous homes and street lights. In the USA, these solar trees were already in use, but primarily for WiFi and phone charging or for aesthetic reasons. I made the decision to advocate for their application as a productive way to lower power usage,” he says.
Shani is at the forefront of a fascinating effort to redefine urban energy landscapes, with more than 150 solar trees already blossoming throughout cities from Mumbai to Jammu.
He also provides solutions, such as the solar gazebo, for residential complexes. “Consider having a gazebo in your yard that powers your house in addition to offering shade,” Shani advises.
