Solar road

The world’s first solar power-collecting roadway has opened in Netherlands, which converts sunlight on the road surface into electricity to be used for road lighting and traffic systems.

The €3m SolarRoad project is the brainchild of a consortium consisting of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the province of Noord-Holland, Imtech and Ooms Civiel.

A 230ft-long solar panel has been placed along the N203 near Krommenie and Wormerveer, which is expected to be passed by 2,000 cyclists every day.

The road is made using solar cells that are protected by two layers of safety glass.

"A 230ft-long solar panel has been placed along the N203 near Krommenie and Wormerveer, which is expected to be passed by 2,000 cyclists every day."

It features concrete modules measuring 2.5m by 3.5m with a translucent top layer that act as a solar panel.

When sunlight falls on the surface of the road, it will be absorbed by the solar cells, which will then convert the solar energy into electricity and make the road act as a large solar panel.

Unlike the solar panels, the road cannot be angled to absorb maximum solar energy, and to address the issue the consortium has designed the road in a way that it will absorb more light and shed any excess water and/or dirt on its surface.

The consortium has used tempered glass in the top layer and the solar cells underneath it, so that the road can be skid-resistant and suitable for everyday use.

Image: SolarRoad near near Krommenie Netherlands. Photo: courtesy of SolarRoad .