Indian scientists have designed a new device they hope will solve one of the biggest problems with the use of solar energy.

印度科学家设计了一种新的设备，希望能够解决一个太阳能利用中的最大问题。

 

They call the device a solar tree.

他们将设备称之为太阳能树。

 

Solar trees have metal "branches" extending from a tall, central pole at different levels. Each branch holds a photovoltaic panel, also called a solar panel. These panels are flat surfaces that collect energy from the sun and turn it into electricity.

太阳能树有许多金属“枝干”，从中间一根支柱的不同高度伸展开来。每个枝干拥有一个光生伏打板photovoltaic panel)，也叫做太阳能板。这些面板表面平整，用来收集太阳能并将其转化为电能。

 

A picture from above of one of the devices called a "solar tree."

太阳能树俯瞰图

 

Daljit Singh Bedi is the chief scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, or CSIR, in New Delhi, India. The CSIR laboratories are where the solar tree was designed.

Daljit Singh Bedi 是印度德里(Delhi)科学和工业研究委员会（CSIR）首席科学家。太阳能树是由CSIR实验室设计的。

 

Bedi says the shape of the solar trees makes it possible to fit more photovoltaic panels in a space than traditional systems do. This means less land would be needed to produce solar energy.

Bedi指出太阳能树的这种形态使其比一般的传统系统能安装更多的光生伏打板，这意味着可以用更少的土地生产更多的太阳能。

 

"It takes about four-square meters of space to produce energy which otherwise would have required 400 square meters of space," he says. "So almost 100 times the space is saved, which as you know is very valuable."

"它（太阳能树）用大约用4平方米的空间生产能源，而不需要像传统方式那样要400平米，"Bedi说."正如你所知它是非常有价值的，几乎能够节省100倍的空间。"

 

Buying land to develop roads, factories and other infrastructure has been a disputed issue in India. Disagreements often lead to protests by those forced to move. Some of the protests have turned violent.

在印度，购买土地来开发道路，修建工厂或者其它基础设施是一个有争议的问题。反对者经常领导那些被迫迁移的人们抗议，一些抗议变得非常激烈。

 

Scientists believe the energy a solar tree collects will be enough to power five homes. The space-saving tree will make it easier to provide solar energy to homes in cities, they say. The trees will also take less space from farmers in rural areas.

科学家们相信一棵太阳能树所收集的能量足够五个家庭使用。节省空间的太阳能树也更容易在城市中为家庭提供能源。科学家们还说，在农村地区太阳能树也将占用更少的农场空间。

 

Bedi says solar trees will collect more energy than normal photovoltaic panels on the tops of buildings.

"This design, it facilitates placement of solar panels in a way that they are exposed more towards the sun, " he says. "And that way they are able to harness 10 to 15 percent more energy."

Bedi指出太阳能树比普通房顶上的光生伏打板收集的能量更多，"这种设计非常容易使太阳能板更多的朝太阳方向暴露"，Bedi说."那样能使得多利用10-15%的太阳能。"

 

 

India is the world‘s third largest producer of greenhouse gases. The country promised to reduce its rate of greenhouse gas production at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris last year. India said, by 2030, it would reduce its rate of greenhouse gas production by one third over its levels in 2005.

印度是世界上第三大温室气体生产国。国家在去年巴黎举行联合国气候变化会议上承诺减少温室气体排放率。印度声称，到2030年，它将温室气体的排放率减为2005年的三分之一。

 

The country‘s promise depends heavily on increasing solar energy. India has set a difficult goal of getting 40 percent of its total energy from renewable sources by 2030. It also plans to reduce its use of coal.

国家承诺的实现非常依赖于增长中的太阳能源。印度设置了一个非常大的挑战目标，到2030年新能源能占到所有能源的40%。印度也计划减少煤的使用。

 

The cost of photovoltaic panels has gone down in recent years. This has made solar power cheaper and easier to use. But, some people worry about the need to buy large areas of land for traditional solar energy collectors.

近年来，

近几年来，光生伏打板的价格走低，也使得太阳能变得更加便宜的使用。但是，一些人们担忧，传统的太阳能收集装置需要购买大面积土地来安置。

 

Amit Kumar is the senior director of the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi. The institute studies development in India and countries in the southern half of the world. Kumar says gaining access to land takes time and increases costs.

Amit Kumar是新德里(New Delhi)能源与资源研究所(the Energy and Resources Institute)的主要负责人。

 

He adds that it is still not clear how useful these new developments in solar power technology are.

"[Only when] we put those [trees] on a large scale ... will we be able to get that answer," he says.

他补充道，新能源技术的这项新进展到底有多少价值目前还不明朗，"只有到我们安置了大面积的太阳能树之后才能得到答案"Amit 说。