Last week, the Absolar team took on a small idea that quickly became something much bigger.
The project started as the team collected reclaimed pallets from recent solar installation projects and made them into one of the most unique Christmas trees this year: a two-metre-tall celebration of creativity, sustainability and team spirit.
We wanted to create something meaningful, something that reflected the festival season and the values that drive Absolar forward every day
The timber for the Christmas tree was collected from recent Absolar solar installations.
Instead of letting the pallets go to waste, we brought them back to the workshop, dismantled into planks, cleaned, and passed through a planer to bring them down to a consistent thickness.
The team spent time to map out how the tree would take shape, sketching early layouts, experimenting with proportions, and testing how the planks could be arranged into a sturdy structure.
It was a careful balance between engineering, creativity and practicality, and the design gradually emerged through discussions, quick mock-ups and plenty of back-and-forth around the workbench.
Sometimes, the office dog Dobby joined the planning sessions, sitting proudly beside the woodwork as if supervising the process.
Before committing to the full two-metre build, the team built a 1:4 scale, smaller prototype to refine the idea, testing the structure, spacing and overall look.
These miniature models helped us understand how the reclaimed timber would behave once assembled and gave us the freedom to tweak the geometry, proportions and visual balance.
More importantly, the process turned into a creativity building of its own, allowing everyone to share ideas, challenge the design and steadily shape the final concept.
By the time we moved to the full-scale build, the team had already tested, adjusted and improved every element, and even had the chance to share the ideas with clients and receive their interest.
To bring the idea to life, every person at Absolar, including colleagues working remotely and overseas, was invited to paint a wooden “branch”, with no rules or restrictions.
The result is a vibrant mix of who we are: people who love art, people who love Formula One, people who sketch, people who play chess, people who support their football teams with pride, and people who simply enjoy creating something together.
On the day of painting, the office was filled with ideas, sketches, stencils, laughter and the kind of conversations that only happen when everyone is focused on building something by hand.
When the branches finally came together, the finished tree became a portrait of the team behind Absolar.
The tree has become a festive centrepiece that celebrates our team, their creativity and commitment to doing things with care, imagination, and engineering excellence.
It brings together everything we value at Absolar: sustainable thinking, hands-on innovation and pride in our craft.
We are welcoming visitors to come and see the tree at our office in Southampton Science Park - if you happen to be nearby, you’re very welcome to stop in and experience it up close. It’s a piece of our story that we’re excited to share.
From everyone at Absolar, wishing you a bright, creative and inspiring festive season.
© 2024 Absolar Solutions Limited
