DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jsp.0.28838

Feasibility Study, Design, and Installation of Solar PV Tree to Cover the Electricity Demand at Mangrove Park

Karnoto Karnoto scopus  -  Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia
Denny Nugroho Sugianto orcid scopus  -  Department of Oceanography, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia
*Ariana Aisa scopus  -  Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia
Pangestuningtyas Diah Larasati scopus  -  Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 Ariana Aisa, Karnoto Karnoto, Dessy Ariyanti, Denny Nugroho Sugianto, Pangestuningtyas Diah Larasati, Vijayakumar Varadarajan
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation Format:
Abstract
To mitigate climate change, transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources and expanding carbon sinks such as forests and mangroves are essential strategies. This study explores the integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) tree technology to achieve a net-zero emission concept within the mangrove conservation area at Science Techno Park (STP), Teluk Awur, Jepara, Indonesia. Mangroves play a critical role in carbon sequestration, yet limited land availability for conventional solar panels in such ecosystems necessitates innovative solutions. Solar PV trees, designed with a capacity of 50 Wp per unit and 10 Wp panels per leaf, are deployed to supply electricity for LED lighting (6 W) and mobile charging stations. A total of 70 units, yielding 3500 Wp, are planned for the mangrove boardwalk. Several factors influencing system performance, including non-optimal solar incidence angles, ambient temperature, and dust accumulation, are analyzed due to their potential to reduce efficiency and induce hotspot formation. The installation of a prototype banana-style solar PV tree results in a Net Present Cost (NPC) of USD 828 and a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of USD 1.080/kWh. The findings demonstrate that solar PV trees offer a feasible and sustainable solution to meet local energy needs while enhancing renewable energy implementation in ecologically sensitive areas.
Fulltext View|Download Email colleagues
Funding: LPPM Universitas Diponegoro under contract 753-29/UN7.D2/PP/IX/2022

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Original Articles
Language : EN
  1. Bagaskara A, Hapsari A, Kurniawan D, Tumiwa F, Vianda F, Padhilah FA, et al. Indonesia Energy Transition Outlook 2023: Tracking Progress of Energy Transition in Indonesia: Pursuing Energy Security in the Time of Transition [Internet]. Jakarta: Institute for Essential Sevices Reform (IESR); 2022. Available from: https://iesr.or.id/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Indonesia-Energy-Transition-Outlook-2023.pdf
  3. Mahmoody F, Sharafmal F, Razafindrakoto H, Dhakal NR, Ayuthia I, Yuliani F, et al. A Brief Summary of Good Practices and Challenges on Renewable Energy Development [Internet]. Jakarta: Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and Indonesian Ministry of State Secretary; 2021. Available from: https://www.esdm.go.id/assets/media/content/content-brief-summary-sstc-renewable-energy-1.pdf
  5. Djamaluddin R. Mangrove : Biologi, Ekologi, Rehabilitasi, dan Konservasi. Manado: Unsrat Press; 2018. p. 238
  7. Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia (DPR RI). Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 5 Tahun 1990 tentang Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam Hayati dan Ekosistemnya [Internet]. Jakarta: Sekretariat Jenderal DPR RI; 1990. Available from: https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Details/46710/uu-no-5-tahun-1990
  9. Beatty B, Macknick J, Mccall J, Braus G, Buckner D. Native Vegetation Performance under a Solar PV Array at the National Wind Technology Center [Internet]. Colorado, USA: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); 2017. p. 54. Available from: https://docs.nlr.gov/docs/fy17osti/66218.pdf
  10. Adeh EH, Selker JS, Higgins CW. Remarkable agrivoltaic influence on soil moisture, micrometeorology and water-use efficiency. PLoS One. 2018;13(11). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203256
  11. Nordberg EJ, Caley MJ, Schwarzkopf L. Designing solar farms for synergistic commercial and conservation outcomes. Solar Energy. 2021;228:586–593. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2021.09.090
  12. Handayani NA, Ariyanti D. Potency of solar energy applications in Indonesia. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development. 2012;1(2):33–38. doi: 10.14710/ijred.1.2.33-38
  13. Arumugham DR, Rajendran P. Modelling global solar irradiance for any location on earth through regression analysis using high-resolution data. Renewable Energy. 2021;180:1114–1123. doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2021.09.030
  14. Olson M, Rupper S. Impacts of topographic shading on direct solar radiation for valley glaciers in complex topography. The Cryosphere. 2019;13(1):29–40. doi: 10.5194/tc-13-29-2019
  15. Solargis. Terrain data. 2023
  17. Ali W, Farooq H, Rehman AU, Awais Q, Jamil M, Noman A. Design considerations of stand-alone solar photovoltaic systems. In: 2018 International Conference on Computing, Electronic and Electrical Engineering (ICE Cube). 2018:1–6. doi: 10.1109/ICECUBE.2018.8610970
  18. Chen J, Li Y, Zhang X, Ma Y. Simulation and Design of Solar Power System for Ocean Buoy. Journal of Physics Conference Series. 2018;1061(1). doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/1061/1/012018
  19. Green DW, Perry RH. Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill; 2008
  21. Wicaksono EA, Gunawan F. Artificial Lighting Composition for City Garden Study Case : Taman Kota 1, BSD, Tangerang. Idealog. 2020;5(1):1-14. doi: 10.25124/idealog.v5i1.2336
  23. Gol AE, Ščasný M. Techno-economic analysis of fixed versus sun-tracking solar panels. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development. 2023;12(3):615–26. doi: 10.14710/ijred.2023.50165
  24. Gbadamosi SL, Ogunje FS, Wara ST, Nwulu NI. Techno-Economic Evaluation of a Hybrid Energy System for an Educational Institution: A Case Study. Energies (MDPI). 2022;15(15). doi: 10.3390/en15155606
  26. Afdhil RM. Tinjauan Pustaka dan Landasan Teori. In: Analisis Potensi Sumber Daya Matahari serta Perancangan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) Berbasis Aplikasi PVSYST di Pantai Congot, Kulonprogo [Thesis]. Yogyakarta: Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta; 2019. p. 7–21
  28. Solargis. Solar Resource Map of Jepara [Internet]; 2023. Available from: https://globalsolaratlas.info/map?c=-6.599498,110.783221,11&s=-6.599498,110.783221&m=site
  30. Brito MC, Amaro e Silva R, Pó M. Geographical distribution of the angle of incidence uncertainty on the measurement of global horizontal irradiance. Measurement: Sensors. 2022;22. doi: 10.1016/j.measen.2022.100382
  31. Liao X, Zhu R, Wong MS. Simplified estimation modeling of land surface solar irradiation: A comparative study in Australia and China. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 2022;52. doi: 10.1016/j.seta.2022.102323
  32. Solargis. PV energy modeling | Solargis [Internet]; 2023. Available from: https://solargis.com/docs/methodology/pv-energy-modeling
  33. Gueymard CA. The sun’s total and spectral irradiance for solar energy applications and solar radiation models. Solar Energy. 2004;76(4):423–453. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2003.08.039
  34. Gueymard CA, Myers D, Emery K. Proposed reference irradiance spectra for solar energy systems testing. Solar Energy. 2002;73(6):443–467. doi: 10.1016/S0038-092X(03)00005-7
  35. Thio SK, Park SY. Dispersive optical systems for highly-concentrated solar spectrum splitting: Concept, design, and performance analyses. Energies (MDPI). 2019;12(24). doi: 10.3390/en12244719
  36. Baran D, Ashraf RS, Hanifi DA, Abdelsamie M, Gasparini N, Röhr JA, et al. Reducing the efficiency-stability-cost gap of organic photovoltaics with highly efficient and stable small molecule acceptor ternary solar cells. Nature Materials. 2017;16(3):363–369. doi: 10.1038/nmat4797
  37. Cheng J, Park S, Chen CL. Optofluidic solar concentrators using electrowetting tracking: Concept, design, and characterization. Solar Energy. 2013;89:152–161. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2012.12.018
  38. Schmidt-Mende L, Fechtenkötter A, Müllen K, Moons E, Friend RH, MacKenzie JD. Self-organized discotic liquid crystals for high-efficiency organic photovoltaics. Science. 2001;293(5532):1119–1122. doi: 10.1126/science.293.5532.1119
  39. Maurer C, Baumann T, Hermann M, Di Lauro P, Pavan S, Michel L, et al. Heating and cooling in high-rise buildings using facade-integrated transparent solar thermal collector systems. Journal of Building Performance Simulation. 2013;6(6):449–457. doi: 10.1080/19401493.2013.766263
  40. Pasamontes M, Álvarez JD, Guzmán JL, Berenguel M, Camacho EF. Hybrid modeling of a solar-thermal heating facility. Solar Energy. 2013;97:577–590. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2013.09.024
  41. Barlev D, Vidu R, Stroeve P. Innovation in concentrated solar power. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. 2011;95(10):2703–2725. doi: 10.1016/j.solmat.2011.05.020
  42. Guerrero-Lemus R, Martínez-Duart JM. Concentrated Solar Power. In: Renewable Energies and CO2. London: Springer; 2013. p. 135–51. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4471-4385-7_7
  43. Narasimhan V, Jiang D, Park SY. Design and optical analyses of an arrayed microfluidic tunable prism panel for enhancing solar energy collection. Applied Energy. 2016;162:450–459. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.10.051
  44. Slocum AH, Codd DS, Buongiorno J, Forsberg C, McKrell T, Nave JC, et al. Concentrated solar power on demand. Solar Energy. 2011;85:1519–1529. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2011.04.010
  45. Vignarooban K, Xu X, Arvay A, Hsu K, Kannan AM. Heat transfer fluids for concentrating solar power systems - A review. Applied Energy. 2015;146:383–396. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.01.125
  46. Venkateswari R, Sreejith S. Factors influencing the efficiency of photovoltaic system. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2019;101:376–394. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.11.012
  47. Yuliarto B. Solar Cell, Sumber Energi Terbarukan Masa Depan [Internet]. Jakarta: Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral (Kementerian ESDM); 2011. Available from: https://www.esdm.go.id/id/media-center/arsip-berita/solar-cell-sumber-energi-terbarukan-masa-depan
  48. Aakala T, Shimatani K, Abe T, Kubota Y, Kuuluvainen T. Crown asymmetry in high latitude forests: disentangling the directional effects of tree competition and solar radiation. Oikos. 2016;125(7):1035–1043. doi: 10.1111/oik.02858
  49. Baek SC, Park JH, Na S Il, Park JK. Distribution of solar radiation including slope effect in South Korea. Land Surface Remote Sensing. 2012;8524. doi: 10.1117/12.977420
  50. Binkley D, Campoe OC, Gspaltl M, Forrester DI. Light absorption and use efficiency in forests: Why patterns differ for trees and stands. Forest Ecology and Management. 2013;288:5–13. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2011.11.002
  51. Chen JM, Chen X, Ju W. Effects of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography on spatial scaling of net primary productivity. Biogeosciences. 2013;10(7):4879–4896. doi: 10.5194/bg-10-4879-2013
  52. Prévost M, Raymond P. Effect of gap size, aspect and slope on available light and soil temperature after patch-selection cutting in yellow birch-conifer stands, Quebec, Canada. Forest Ecology and Management. 2012;274:210–221. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2012.02.020
  53. Fan W, Chen JM, Ju W, Nesbitt N. Hybrid geometric optical-radiative transfer model suitable for forests on slopes. In: IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 2014;52(9):5579–5586. doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2013.2290590
  54. Nath B, Ni-Meister W. The interplay between canopy structure and topography and its impacts on seasonal variations in surface reflectance patterns in the boreal region of alaska—implications for surface radiation budget. Remote Sensing (MDPI). 2021;13(16). doi: 10.3390/rs13163108
  55. Li J, Yu P, Wan Y, Wang Y, Liu B, Yu Y. Effects of Topography and Social Position on the Solar Radiation of Individual Trees on a Hillslope in Northwest China. Forests (MDPI). 2023;14(3). doi: 10.3390/f14030561
  56. Zhang X, Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhang S, Zhao X. Effects of social position and competition on tree transpiration of a natural mixed forest in Chongqing, China. Trees. 2019;33:719–732. doi: 10.1007/s00468-019-01811-y
  57. Mian SH, Moiduddin K, Alkhalefah H, Abidi MH, Ahmed F, Hashmi FH. Mechanisms for Choosing PV Locations That Allow for the Most Sustainable Usage of Solar Energy. Sustainability (MDPI). 2023;15(4). doi: 10.3390/su15043284
  58. Dubayah R, Rich PM. Topographic solar radiation models for GIS. International Journal of Geographical Information Systems. 1995;9(4):405–419. doi: 10.1080/02693799508902046
  59. Almadhhachi M, Seres I, Farkas I. Significance of solar trees: Configuration, operation, types and technology commercialization. Energy Reports. 2022;8:6729–6743. doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2022.05.015
  60. Hyder F, Sudhakar K, Mamat R. Solar PV tree design: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2018;82(Part 1):1079–1096. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.09.025
  61. Verma NN, Mazumder S. An investigation of solar trees for effective sunlight capture using Monte Carlo simulations of solar radiation transport. In: ASME 2014 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. 2014;8A:1–10. doi: 10.1115/IMECE2014-36085
  62. Vyas M, Chowdhury S, Verma A, Jain VK. Solar Photovoltaic Tree: Urban PV power plants to increase power to land occupancy ratio. Renewable Energy. 2022;190:283–293. doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.03.129
  63. Mafimidiwo OA, Saha AK. Generating optimum solar output energy with three-dimensional photovoltaic system–the effect of solar radiation. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development. 2017;9(4):417–424. doi: 10.1080/20421338.2017.1341092
  64. Abuzaid H, Awad M, Shamayleh A. Impact of dust accumulation on photovoltaic panels: a review paper. International Journal of Sustainable Engineering. 2022;15(1):266–287. doi: 10.1080/19397038.2022.2140222
  65. Falayi EO, Rabiu AB. Solar Radiation Models and Information for Renewable Energy Applications. In: Babatunde EB, ed. Solar Radiation. IntechOpen; 2012. p. 111–30. doi: 10.5772/35390
  66. Cabanillas RE, Munguía H. Dust accumulation effect on efficiency of Si photovoltaic modules. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 2011;3(4). doi: 10.1063/1.3622609
  67. Chanphavong L, Chanthaboune V, Phommachanh S, Vilaida X, Bounyanite P. Enhancement of performance and exergy analysis of a water-cooling solar photovoltaic panel. Total Environment Research Themes. 2022;3–4. doi: 10.1016/j.totert.2022.100018
  68. Santhakumari M, Sagar N. A review of the environmental factors degrading the performance of silicon wafer-based photovoltaic modules: Failure detection methods and essential mitigation techniques. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2019;110:83–100. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2019.04.024
  69. Labban A, Farahat A. Effect of Major Dust Events on Ambient Temperature and Solar Irradiance Components over Saudi Arabia. Atmosphere (MDPI). 2023;14(2). doi: 10.3390/atmos14020408
  70. Cattani G. Combining data envelopment analysis and Random Forest for selecting optimal locations of solar PV plants. Energy and AI. 2023;11:100222. doi: 10.1016/j.egyai.2022.100222
  71. Kazem HA, Chaichan MT, Al-Waeli AHA, Sopian K. Effect of dust and cleaning methods on mono and polycrystalline solar photovoltaic performance: An indoor experimental study. Solar Energy. 2022;236:626–643. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2022.03.009
  72. Chaichan MT, Kazem HA, Al-Waeli AHA, Sopian K, Fayad MA, Alawee WH, et al. Sand and Dust Storms’ Impact on the Efficiency of the Photovoltaic Modules Installed in Baghdad: A Review Study with an Empirical Investigation. Energies (MDPI). 2023;16(9). doi: 10.3390/en16093938
  73. Wu SL, Chen HC, Peng KJ. Quantification of Dust Accumulation on Solar Panels Using the Contact-Characteristics-Based Discrete Element Method. Energies (MDPI). 2023;16(6):2580. doi: 10.3390/en16062580
  74. Touati FA, Al-Hitmi MA, Bouchech HJ. Study of the effects of dust, relative humidity, and temperature on solar PV performance in Doha: Comparison between monocrystalline and amorphous PVS. International Journal of Green Energy. 2013;10(7):680–689. doi: 10.1080/15435075.2012.692134
  75. Salari A, Hakkaki-Fard A. A numerical study of dust deposition effects on photovoltaic modules and photovoltaic-thermal systems. Renewable Energy. 2019;135:437–449. doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2018.12.018
  76. Shi C, Yu B, Liu D, Wu Y, Li P, Chen G, et al. Effect of high-velocity sand and dust on the performance of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules. Solar Energy. 2020;206(5):390–395. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2020.06.018
  77. Mani M, Pillai R. Impact of dust on solar photovoltaic (PV) performance: Research status, challenges and recommendations. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2010;14(9):3124–3131. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.065
  78. Vedulla G, Geetha A, Senthil R. Review of Strategies to Mitigate Dust Deposition on Solar Photovoltaic Systems. Energies (MDPI). 2023;16(1). doi: 10.3390/en16010109
  79. He B, Lu H, Zheng C, Wang Y. Characteristics and cleaning methods of dust deposition on solar photovoltaic modules-A review. Energy. 2023;263(PE):126083. doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2022.126083
  80. Mohamed ASA, Maghrabie HM. Techno-economic feasibility analysis of Benban solar Park. Alexandria Engineering Journal. 2022;61(12):12593–607. doi: 10.1016/j.aej.2022.06.034

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.