ABSTRACT
ZEDfactory replaced the white tedlar common in virtually all solar panels with clear tedlar. This allows sunlight to penetrate between the silicon wafers with around 7.5% daylight transmission. Solar electric panels can be mixed with clear glass panels because there are no longer any opaque layers of roofing material underneath. The concept of the interlocking roof structure can be extended to create solar canopies, similar in principle to ground-mounted solar farms except that they are lifted 6 metres off the ground, allowing use to be made of the space underneath. The solar panels have been made to look attractive from below, avoiding the usual large expanses of opaque white plastic. The solar tree is a sculptural piece of street furniture that creates a memorable public space, while generating green electricity and integrating public amenities. The primary function of the solar tree, though, is to harvest and store solar electricity without requiring any existing building to be modified.
