Mini Solar Tree Charger - a Unique Eco Gift

SunTree Solar Charger

A mini solar tree charger can be a useful and unique eco gift. We may see it as a mini model of the solar-powered tree charging station about which I wrote in my previous post. 

A mini solar tree charger consists of several small solar panels that resemble leaves on a tree, rechargeable battery, and USB ports. Solar tree charger is an eco-friendly way to charge your mobile phone and tablet in your office or home, using solar energy. It absorbs the sun’s rays and uses solar energy to charge your mobile devices. Even when your phone is not plugged in it will continue to charge the built-in battery ready to transfer the power to your device. 

Here are three models of mini solar tree chargers. You can find on the market only the first and the second one. The third model is looking for investors. 

SunTree - this solar tree charger gives you an awesome way to charge your devices. It is made to look like an actual tree - has a wooden bamboo trunk and branches, and each branch has a small solar panel on the top of it. SunTree has 9 solar panels to charge your mobile devices using PV technology. You can place the SunTree next to a window and it'll charge its internal battery, and in turn, that battery will charge your phone, tablet, and other electronic devices. SunTree is designed by XDDesign, Netherlands. 

Ginkgo Solar Tree - It is made of aluminum, recycled plastic, and bamboo. Ginkgo Solar Tree is a mini solar charging station inspired by the Japanese Ginkgo tree. Gingko solar charger is an environment-friendly source of power. It gets its power from the sun, so it’s green and very easy to use, you just need sunlight. Ginkgo Solar Tree charger aims to make solar energy more approachable and user friendly. Bringing solar energy down to smaller gadgets can help reduce harmful emissions to the atmosphere caused by the growing need to power mobile phones and tablets. Ginkgo Solar Tree can charge your iPhone or iPad up to two times after charging. It has a powerful 4000mAh battery and two USB ports. This product is also designed by XDDesign, Netherlands.

Electree Mini - inspired by bonsai trees, this little solar charger tree collects sunlight to charge your gadgets attractively. Electree Mini is a product of the designer Vivien Muller, who worked together with an electrical engineer to turn his idea for the tree into a reality. This small solar charger has 27 flexible silicon solar panels that can be easily adjusted to harness the maximum amount of sunlight. The device can be used to directly power your gadgets when sunlight is available or use the internal batteries that store solar energy during daylight time. The Electree Mini turns into a miniature light show when the darkness falls. You can also change the color of the LED lantern just by rotating the Electree Mini. The mini solar charger isn’t yet strong enough to charge a tablet, but it can charge your phone or smartwatch once per day.

Solar-Powered Tree as a Solar Charging Station

Israeli eTree

Photo Credit: gajitz.com

A solar-powered tree is a type of solar-powered charging station that can capture solar energy and provide free electricity from the sun to public places.

In 2010, a group of students In Belgrade, Serbia developed the first solar-powered tree in the world - the Strawberry Tree. This is the first public solar charger for mobile devices. The innovative solar charging station has Wi-Fi, USB ports and 16 chargers for various types of mobile phones and other portable electronic devices. The Strawberry Tree won first place in the European Commission’s "Sustainable energy week 2011" competition in Brussels, in the category “Consuming”. 

Another example of a high-tech futuristic solar-powered tree is eTree created by the Israel-based company Sologic. This “tree” is a place to take a break while recharging your mobile gadgets and accessing the Internet via free Wi-Fi. Similar to a real tree, the eTree has brown trunk and branches. But, instead of having leaves, there are solar panels that are angled towards the sky. The eTree has USB ports and provides a small amount of lighting during the night. There are also benches located beside the solar-powered tree. The first eTree was installed at a nature reserve in Israel. 

Solar-powered palm is a variation of a solar-powered tree. This stunning solar design absorbs sunlight during the day through "leaves" covered with ultra-thin solar modules and converts to an exotic solar-powered lamp at night. The trees’ energy can also be used to charge mobile devices through its integrated USB connection. 

The first Smart Palm installed on Jumeirah beach in Dubai is one more example of solar-powered palm. Now, these Smart Palms, or "self-sustaining community tech hubs" are on every public beach in the city, as part of an ambitious plan to convert Dubai into a "Smart City". There are 50 solar-powered Smart Palms on public areas, and each of them provides Wi-Fi, USB socks for mobile phones and tablets, as well as updated information on the weather and local attractions. The solar-powered palm trees are illuminated at night using the system’s battery where solar energy is stored. 

And finally, I should mention solar-powered supertrees, although they are not solar charging stations.

                                 Supertrees in the Gardens of the Bay

                                     Photo Credit: woo siang boon

There are amazing gardens in Singapore - Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay with 18 manmade steel supertrees varying from 15 to 50 meters in height. 11 of them have solar photovoltaic systems to convert sunlight into electricity, so they can light up at night. The supertrees also function as vertical gardens, air venting towers, and rainwater collection devices. These incredible constructions are designed by Grant Associates. 

The above solar-powered trees are just several examples of the beautiful innovative design, which is also a growing solar trend in the world.