China cuts the ribbon of its first solar highway which will charge the running electric vehicles

Beijing, December 30: China didn’t stop to make the first solar road of the world despite many sided the concept as impractically. The project will serve as a clean energy testbed to evaluate new technologies, with an overarching goal to reduce the amount of land needed for solar farms and transmission wires.

The road surface is made out of panels described as a “transparent, weight-bearing material” that still allows sunlight to pass through. Extending for 1 km (0.6 miles), the stretch is made of three layers: transparent concrete on the top, photovoltaic panels in the middle, and insulation on the bottom. The area covered comes out to 5,875 square meters (63,200 sq ft).

The panels, covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kWh of power in a year, enough to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households.

Electricity produced by the test section will be used to power highway lights, signboards, surveillance cameras, tunnel and toll gate facilities. Surplus power will be supplied to the state grid. Future functions to be developed include mobile charging for electric vehicles and providing internet connection.

 

But harvesting solar energy might put a burden on Chinese wallets as the cost to make the road can be around 3,000 yuan ($458) per sq m, significantly higher than regular streets.

Still, the project signals China’s solar-power ambitions. Last year the country became the world’s top solar-energy producer, boosting its photovoltaic capacity to around 78 gigawatts, and it’s aiming for 105 by 2020.