‘Smart’ palm trees in Dubai use solar energy to provide free Wi-Fi and charge your phone.
By | InTheCitySudan
From little more than a desert village to a fantastically modern city in just a few decades, Dubai has developed an international reputation as a place for technology and innovation.
As a result of the decision to make 2015 the Year of Innovation an initiative was launched in attempt to transform Dubai into a “Smart ‘City” and palm tree-shaped stations are being installed at the city’s beaches.
The Smart Palm -as the device is called- is a high-tech version of the date palm tree, which provides smartphone addicts and gadget lovers with new state-of-the-art trees, which allows them to have Wi-Fi access and the capability to charge their smartphones.
They are installed in the beaches where they harness solar power during the day so they can offer Wi-Fi and power to beach goers during the evening.
Each smart palm tree measures 20 feet high, has leaves measuring 18 square meters and eight charging points uses a green self-sustainable device with a capacity to serve about 50 users at a time.
A Wi-Fi service within a 100 meter radius through it, the public will be able to benefit from free direct access to the Internet while providing valuable public information covering a range of topics including weather forecasts, orientation guides, seating and shade for users during the day, screens and security cameras, as well as sea conditions and beach rules will also be displayed on the stations that run solely on solar energy at night.
The leaves are equipped matrices of photovoltaic modules that absorb the sunlight and while they may be useful to sneak some shade under during the day, it’s at night that passersby will undoubtedly flock.
Most importantly, these structures are entirely self-sufficient, thanks to their mono-crystal solar panels, which provide up to 21 per cent efficiency.
Fifty such Smart Palm stations are expected to come up at Dubai’s popular parks and beaches this year. While there is currently no data on the cost for this kind of technology, the implementation of smart palm trees is evidence of how technology can be both convenient and sustainable.
