Producing solar energy on the road
Does charging your EV with solar energy directly from the road sound like a futuristic tale? Not in the Netherlands, where two more SolaRoad test tracks were opened last week.
The SolaRoads are equipped with solar panels which produce about 30,000kWh of electricity per 100 meter per year. If the entire road network of the Netherlands were equipped with the SolaRoad technology, they would produce as much energy as needed for 9 million cars.
The cooperation between the Province of North Holland, TNO and Strukton Civiel already deployed a SolaRoad test track for bicycles in 2014, and is now expanding its innovation to heavy traffic. Both new test tracks for real traffic will be deployed in Spijkenisse en Haarlemmermeer, where one of the SolaRoads will be used as a bus lane.
The produced electricity can be used locally for traffic lighting, street lighting, and why not, charging your electric vehicle? Solving some critical distribution and transportation issues considering renewable energy production, hence going the extra green mile.
From: https://www.fleeteurope.com/en/safety-environment/europe/news/producing-solar-energy-road?t%5B0%5D=solar%20energy&t%5B1%5D=zero%20emission&t%5B2%5D=on-street%20charging&curl=1
