This past summer IndustryTap wrote “Solar-Powered ‘Smart’ Roads Would Turn the World’s Transportation Network into a Massive Power Plant” in which husband and wife team designed a solar road and raised $980,000 and an additional $2.2 million from Indiegogo.
This week, engineers in the the Dutch town of Krommenie, Netherlands, laid down components of what they believe is the world’s first solar road. The road is part of a bike path and a total of 230 feet long. Its manufacturer, Solaroad, will use the new installation for testing.
The road is made of concrete modules covered with a thin layer of tempered glass and the energy produced will be used to power road signs, lamps and possibly nearby buildings.
At the opening Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp said, “SolaRoad is a world first that will put the Netherlands on the map as a leader in sustainable innovation.”
Related articles on IndustryTap:
- Solar-Powered ‘Smart’ Roads Would Turn the World’s Transportation Network into a Massive Power Plant
- 4 Million Miles of Solar Panel Roads Powering the USA
- HitchBOT, the Hitchhiking Robot, Hits the Road
- Chemical Compound Found in Tofu and Bath Salts Could Revolutionize Solar Panel Production
- How the U.S., and Maybe Even the World, Can Run 100% On Wind, Water & Solar by 2050
- World’s Largest Solar Plant Lights Up 140,000 California Homes with Clean Energy
- New Solar Energy Chips 100 Times More Efficient
- Making Millions of Miles of Road Safer
- Japan building a “mega solar” power and wind energy plant
- Tiny Houses, BIG Movement: Sometimes More Isn’t Better, It’s a Burden.
References and related links:
- The Netherlands’ new solar bike lane totally rules | Grist
- Solar-Collecting Roads Heat Buildings in The Netherlands
- Solar Roads: the Science, Potential, and Lingering Questions |
