The B9 expressway in Bonn has a new eye-catcher: Where it passes Deutsche Telekom's headquarters, a CityTree ensures clean air. The clever combination of nature and technology is like a miracle tree. It compensate a huge amount of C02 and fine dust. At the same time, it ensures good cell phone reception. And it's comfortable too.
CityTree? What's that? A piece of furniture to relax in? Air conditioning? It is striking that there is excellent mobile network coverage nearby. And not only that. If you sit down on the inviting bench, you will feel a breath of fresh air. To solve the puzzle: The CityTree is a so-called bio-tech filter. It was developed by the Berlin start-up Green City Solutions. Deutsche Telekom is the exclusive partner for the network technology.
Hard shell, green core
Behind the wooden cladding made of hard-wearing Siberian larch, special types of moss work as an air filter. The manufacturer is doing extensive research at the Bestensee location south of Berlin. In the latest model, mosses are at work with amazing efficiency. They compensate up to 150,000 kg of C02 per year. In other words, a CityTree with eight moss modules can purify the breathing air for up to 7,000 people (approximately 3,500 cubic meters of air) within one hour.
Mosses cool their surroundings and make waiting more pleasant
The first Bonn copy of the CityTree seems perfectly placed next to one of the city's main links, which was formerly called the "diplomatic race track". Bonn residents are stuck in traffic there almost every day. One more reason for Deutsche Telekom to present the cooperation with the startup Green City Solutions in front of their own door. Here, guests as well as Deutsche Telekom employees are waiting for the in-house shuttle service, which takes them to the airport, train station or another DT site. But people also meet for a coffee. The Telekom Shop also adds to the foot traffic. From now on, located next to the CityTree with optional seating. A "fresh air stop", so to speak. Fans cool the ambient temperature down by 2.5 degrees Celsius, accompanied by a mild forest smell. Here, too, the CityTree shines with 10 times less power consumption (approximately 0.12 kW) than air conditioning (approximately 1.7 kW). The cooling capacity is created automatically by the irritation of the moss. Especially now when the temperatures in Bonn rise again strongly due to its location in a mountain basin, it has a good chance of becoming a real hotspot.
Speaking of hotspot, where is Deutsche Telekom hidden within the CityTree? Gabriele Kotulla-Münster, responsible for the topic “Clean Environment” in the Deutsche Telekom Smart City Unit, and Peter Sänger, CEO and co-founder of Green City Solutions, accompanied the development. In the video they explain the successful collaboration:
A CityTree is therefore an investment in the future: Today, all cities and municipalities have to be measured against CO2 reduction measures.
Better climate from day one
According to the World Health Organization, 90 percent of the world's urban population breathes air with a pollutant concentration that is above the limit values. Today, the attractiveness of a company location or place of residence also depends on the prevailing climate quality. Here, the CityTree provides clearly measurable added value from the start. And is a good example of multifunctional services.
Overall, Deutsche Telekom wants to "become greener" with a Group-wide climate protection goal. And the reduction of C02 is at the top of its list. Deutsche Telekom's Smart City experts are working on numerous intelligent solutions for a greener city of the future and for a better quality of life. This also includes the topic of e-government, the digital citizens' office. More on that soon.
