CLEANTECH / DCUBE editions

TREENETIC came 4th in the competition Cleantech! JOURNAL LE TEMPS DU 25.08.2014: "Treenetic, created by the Geneva design company DCube. Davide Oppizzi, its founder, designed long stems that end in a palmate shape and have the capacity to produce energy from the movement engendered by wind or air displacement. "With the controversy over wind turbines that spoil the countryside, I decided to look at a new system for providing energy that would merge into the natural scenery", Davide Oppizzi explains. He hopes to be able to install these long stems along railway tracks or in highway dividers one day in order to take advantage of the artificial wind arising from trains or passing cars. "The movement induced by air displacement causes the stems to transmit a swaying movement to their roots which, in turn, activates a dynamo type system that creates electricity by kinetic force", notes its creator. Measurements of the energy cost effectiveness must yet be made. "We must define the correct formula between the rigidity of the stem, its height and the resistance of the spring that actions the pivoting of the dynamic wheels", states the Director of DCube, who plans to finalise the first prototype between now and October, when the competition finals are to be held. "We will never be able to compete with the enormous wind turbines, but our system could, for example, provide all the energy for highway signage and its output may be very surprising", forsees its inventor, who hopes to meet with the same success encountered with his "Eclipse" lights that have been adopted by numerous watchmakers and luxury brands such as Chanel or Louis Vuitton, to light their showcases. Article Ghislaine Bloch/Le Temps 25.08.2014