Ecacia: A Solar Experience Of The Innovative Kind

30 Sep 2022 CW Team

Ecacia is a prototype of a tree-like structure designed by London-based architect Samuel Wilkinson that collects solar energy and provides shelter to the public during extremely hot weather. Ecacia was designed by Wilkinson's Studio on the lines of a species of acacia tree native to the savannahs of eastern and southern Africa, which is distinguished by a broad canopy that allows it to absorb a lot of sunshine.

Recently, prototypes of Ecacia were developed in collaboration with US start-up Solar Forma, which aims to create solar products that serve more than just power generation in public urban spaces.

Embedded in the Ecacia's faceted nonagonal roof are 708 monocrystalline silicon solar cells. In conjunction with accompanying electricity storage, this solar canopy can power nearby public amenities or kiosks, or charge electric vehicles (EVs) and bikes. Ecacia can also be plugged into the grid. Moreover People can gather under the large shaded area under the timber-lined roof, which measures seven metres wide. With four programmable LED lights concealed within the "branches," Ecacia illuminates the surrounding area at night with a soft glow, allowing the canopy to glow at night. Solar Forma intends to incorporate a misting active cooling system into the product so that it can provide additional relief from extreme heat.

The "trunk" of the prototype can be either 6.7 metres or 5.2 metres tall, consists of a steel frame and an aluminium plate, installs in just one day, and can withstand gusts of up to 160 kph. In designing this prototype Ecacia has put Biomimicry which attempts ‘to mimic nature in order to address human difficulties’ to good use.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..