China Tests Photovoltaic (Solar-Powered) Highway
Keeping in line with their move to sustainable energy, China tests the country’s first photovoltaic highway. Although some outlets dub China’s effort the world’s first solar-powered road, France completed the first of the world’s solar roadways back in 2016.
But China’s is pretty impressive. Here’s why.
China’s first solar-powered highway is twice the size of France’s: 2km while France’s is just 1km. For you American readers, 2 kilometres is the equivalent to about one and a quarter miles.
It makes sense, right? Highways sit in the sun all day just getting hot and acting useless. Why not give them something useful to do?
How Do Photovoltaic Roads Work?
China used home-grown solar technology for this project. Located in the eastern city Jinan of Shandong province, this road contains three layers.
- Transparent yet concrete
- Photovoltaic panels
- Insulation to prevent moisture from reaching the solar panels
Now, you’re probably wondering “how could transparent concrete have enough traction to stop a car?”
It’s a fair point. You can either have traction or transparency but not both, right?
While flying down the highway — possibly in the rain — you want to know that your car can stop in a reasonable amount of time.
Well, testing shows that the road works just as it should. To rate the braking ability, China sent a mini-bus for the first test run. Turns out, it’s about the same as any average asphalt road. Plus, it can also melt snow on its own.
Although this solar road is similar to France, China stresses engineers used home-grown technology from China’s Tongji University.
How Much Energy Can Solar Roadways Produce?
Solar roadways can produce a considerable amount of power although there are some downsides. Traditional solar panels sit at an angle for a reason: they can catch more sunlight.
The photovoltaic solar roadways in France and China sit flat — so that reduces their energy capacity a little bit.
When China tested the highway’s capacity, they found it can produce 817.2 kilowatts at best and 1 million kilowatts over the course of its first year in operation. They’ll use this energy to power the country’s community national grid: mostly streetlights and car charging stations, but possibly also homes and other buildings.
Zhang Hongchao, the project’s engineer, says that these solar roadways could soon power electric vehicles as they drive.
Unfortunately, the real downside is the cost.
Per square foot (or square meter rather) photovoltaic roads are expensive. It’s difficult to say if the benefits really outweigh the costs yet.
The Netherlands ran into this same problem in 2014. They opened a solar-powered cycling path, and it produced quite a bit of energy, but it was super expensive. The amount of energy it generated definitely did not fit the price. But then again, the Netherlands aren’t known for their sunny days.
Either way, this photovoltaic road sets the stage for new advancements and helps secure China’s place as the world’s leader in clean energy.
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Randi Nord lives in Pontiac, Michigan. She is the co-founder of Geopolitics Alert Independent World News.