Solar Ivy

We would love to be able to create an entire orchard from the amazing solar ivy PV cells by SMIT. They combine solar generation with piezoelectric generators that create additional energy from the movement of the leaves in the wind:

Discovered via inhabitat

I have long thought about how beautiful an orchard of 100 (10×10) trees with PV leaves would be. The most beautiful place I can imagine to sit and contemplate is on the grass in the middle of an orchard. The sun makes such a beautiful tapestry of shadow on the ground and the multi-point perspective that the grid of trees constructs is ever-changing as you walk within. My personal favorite is an olive tree orchard with its tiny silvery leaves. Just imagine sitting in the midst of all that beauty while knowing that it is generating electricity. I figure an orchard that size would be enough to run more than a dozen homes. The above sketch is from an olive orchard on the Northern outskirts of Florence.