Apparently Techcrunch Staff doesn't read Hacker News

Either way, I don't understand the physics behind it :(

No, your confusion shows that - unlike the boy and half the media - you do understand the physics behind it just fine.

can you explain this title for me?

This same story was posted on HN a few days ago. Since then there have been some articles crop up that claim that "solar-panel" trees are inferior.

sigh, yes, unfortunately we are going to have to hear this on the main stream news tomorrow, and they will also have it wrong.