Energy Can Grow on Trees!

We’ve all heard the saying, “money doesn’t grow on trees” but now we can say that energy really can grow on trees! The “eTree” is an innovative Israeli idea that combines clean, green energy with an invitation to slow down and relax. Modeled after the acacia which provides welcome shade in the desert, the eTree has small solar panels rather than leaves. Designed for urban environments such as parks and gardens, passers-by can stop to take advantage of the USB charging ports, free wi-fi, water cooler (even a pet watering station), nighttime illumination and ultimately a connection to other “e-Tree” communities around the world.

Michael Lasry, an Israeli entrepreneur with a vision to create a greener future, founded Solgic whose original market was providing solar systems to homes and businesses. The “eTree [project] is a social enterprise which aims to promote environmental awareness and sustainability, to create a link between the community environment” (sologic website).

The prototype was introduced in Israel in 2014. The following year, at the COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris, an operational eTree was demonstrated. Since then, 10 cities in Israel and the US have installed eTrees. Nevers, a city on the Loire River in central France, became the company’s first location in Europe in 2017. Although there are “solar trees” being developed in other areas of the world, Israel’s model with its extra perks embodies the idea of slowing down, relaxing and reconnecting to the environment around us.