World’s first ‘solar panel road’ opens in France at Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy village covered with 2,800 sq m of electricity-generating panels, was inaugurated on by the ecology minister, Ségolène Royal.
The 1 KM road could generate enough electricity to power the street lights. The panels have been covered in a silicon-based resin that allows them to withstand the weight of passing big rigs. As per Colas France could become energy independent by paving only a quarter of its million KMs of roads. Solar panels have become increasingly popular in recent years as cost of operating them has come down significantly, making it cost competitive with traditional energy sources.
It cost €5m (£4.2m) to construct and will be used by about 2,000 motorists a day during a two-year test period to establish if it can generate enough energy to power street lighting in the village of 3,400 residents.
The solar-powered road was called Wattway and the panels were tested at four car parks across France. The constructor was Colas, part of giant telecoms group Bouygues, and financed by the state.
Normandy is not known for its surfeit of sunshine: Caen, the region’s political capital, enjoys just 44 days of strong sunshine a year compared with 170 in Marseilles.
