Envision Solar International does not aim to make solar projects blend in and disappear.

“Every solar project we build ends up being highly visible,” said Envision CEO Desmond Wheatley.

And its newly commissioned solar tree at the new Alameda County training center for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in San Francisco is no exception.

Envision will build a massive solar tracking tree that will create an iconic entrance for the new 46,000 training facility for electrical workers.

The tree will be a massive structure covered with solar photovoltaic panels on a giant mechanical tracking system. It will follow the sun throughout the day to generate the maximum amount of power.

The solar tree will offset the facility’s power consumption, Wheatley said. But that’s not necessarily why IBEW selected Envision.

The tree is also symbolic.

“Everyone who visits this facility or goes there to train will see it,” Wheatley said. “And they will know IBEW has made a commitment.”

The facility will be the training grounds for all of the future electricians in the area, the people who will be dealing with power day in and day out throughout their careers. And Wheatley said he’s extremely excited that those students will see the solar tree as the future and current source of power.

“When you see the mainstream begin to adopt this technology, that’s when you know we’re doing it,” Wheatley said. “That’s what tells you we have hope. It’s not just the tree huggers anymore.”

And the fact that an electrical training facility would elevate solar energy to such prominence serves as a major endorsement for the technology, Wheatley said.

Envision’s solar trees make both an environmental and architectural statement, he said. They’re not just there to generate power, they’re also beautiful and add aesthetic value.

“We need to figure out how to fold this technology into the fabric of our built environments,” he said.