On the initiative of the United Nations Development Program, 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 the Internet and relax against the trunk of these trees. In the evenings, the trees will light up the surroundings due to the stored sun energy during the day, IPN reports.

Solar trees can generate 800 kW of electricity per day from renewable sources. In a public consultation on the installation of solar trees, the people came up with proposals for locations, names, as well as design and layout ideas for solar technology spaces. “Solar trees are a technology that will benefit the Chisinau’s inhabitants. Therefore, it is important to carry out this initiative together with them so that we can finally create a product that meets the needs and wishes of the capital’s inhabitants,” said Dumitru Vasilescu, Policy Specialist at UNDP Moldova.

The locations proposed by citizens are to be examined according to these criteria: An open space with a surface area of at least 200 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 initiative is implemented by the innovatory laboratories of the United Nations Development Program: Green City Lab, MiLab and Business Innovation Lab.