The Foundation's earlier 8-foot solar post concept stays valid for low panels at trail edge. Some sites need more height and more sky — a taller post, a panel above understory, and canopy work at roughly 23 feet to open a clean sun window.
Why 23 feet
- Panel above lower maple branches and vine tangles
- Smaller crown opening than ground-level clearing would require
- Reach of bucket truck or qualified climber — not homeowner ladder work
- Aligns with utility and arborist practice for selective crown reduction
Pruning rules for maples
- Target one opening, not wholesale crown strip
- Remove dead, crossing, and vine-choked wood first — often enough without live cuts
- Live cuts only to clear the sun cone the panel needs — document diameter and species for tree preservation plans if city review applies
- Never top — reduce side branches back to lateral, keep leader where possible
- Best timing: dormant season; avoid heavy sap season on maples if aesthetics matter
Post and panel
- Post height + panel tilt = actual sun window — model before cut
- Battery at base — same low-draw uses as the 8-foot proposal: light, USB, trail counter
- No concrete in root zone if avoidable — driven post or screw anchor per engineer where required
Integration value
- Clean power without grid trench through roots
- Canopy health audit forced by the project — vines found, dead wood dropped
- Documented pruning for future permit packets — pairs with photogrammetry walks
Energy from above. Maples stay. Opening stays small enough to regret if you make it too big.