Solar Road for Public Use

Netherlands: Engineers in the Netherlands have developed a new way of installing solar panels beneath the road.They created a test track along 70 metres of bike path near the Dutch town of Krommenie near Amsterdam.

The project, has been named as Solaroad. This project involved cheap mass-produced solar panels, and sandwiched them between layers of glass, silicon rubber and concrete. It is strong enough to have a 12 ton truck stand on it without any damage to the panels.

The solar panels are connected to smart meters, which can optimize their output and feed electricity, which can be used to power street lights and signals, and the likes.

The greatest challenge, of course, was creating a slab that was suitable for paving but also tough enough to endure outdoor conditions. A translucent resin was developed which provided the much needed grip to the smooth glass surface without blocking the sun.

The lifetime of solar panels is usually 20-25 years and the company is looking at a similar number for these slabs as well. The technology will be worked upon to make it cost-effective within five years. This project has taken 5 years to be implemented.

Solar energy is the world's fastest growing source of renewable electricity, and methods to use it have continued to evolve over the years.