Applications of solar PV tree systems with different design aspects and performance assessment

Solar energy is deemed as the most abundant, reliable, eco-friendly and totally free resource of energy. There is a wide range of techniques to harness solar energy for different purposes. Among all the available methods, direct conversion of sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic (PV) phenomenon is the most mature and popular process. Progress of PV technology in market is perspicuous; however, it has still some drawbacks such as notable land requirement in cities, energy conversion efficiencies that already reached the theoretical limits and social acceptance issues due to aesthetic details. To overcome the aforesaid challenges, solar PV tree concept has been recently developed, and the simplicity, compact structure and elegance of this novel technology have been in the focus of researchers. Within the scope of this review, the concept of solar PV tree has been extensively investigated in terms of various design aspects and potential applications. Current performance characteristics of solar PV tree systems and power management strategies in real applications have been discussed. Challenges involved with the solar PV tree technology have also been addressed as well as suggestions on the direction of further works.