TREENETIC

LE TEMPS WALLPAPER August 25, 2014 : "Treenetic is the invention of DCube, a Geneva-based design company. Davide Oppizzi, its founder, devised these long stems topped with palmate shapes that are capable of producing energy by harnessing the movements generated by wind or air displacement. “With the controversy over disfiguring the countryside with wind turbines, I decided to apply myself to a new system that could provide energy while blending into the scenery”, Davide Oppizzi explains. He hope one day to see these long stems placed alongside railway tracks and in the medians of motorways in order to take advantage of the air currents generated by trains or vehicles. “The movements induced by air displacement cause a swaying movement in the roots of the stems that activates a type of dynamo, creating electricity through kinetic energy”, says its creator. Energy efficiency measures must still be carried out. “It means finding the correct formula between the rigidity of the stem, its height and the resistance of the spring that causes the dynamic wheels to pivot”, clarifies DCube’s Director, who plans to finalise the first prototype between now and October when the finals of the competition take place. “We will never be able to compete with huge wind turbines, but our system could be used to power all the motorway signage for example and its output may be very surprising”, says its designer, who hopes that it will meet with as much success as his «Eclipse» lights which were adopted by numerous watchmakers and luxury brands, such as Chanel or Louis Vuitton, to light their showcases. By Ghislaine Bloch/Le Temps 25.08.2014