On November 12, 2014, the Netherlands will proudly open up the world’s first public solar powered road.
The smart highway connects the Amsterdam suburbs of Krommenie and Wormerveer. According to the Guardian, nearly 2000 cyclists ride the bike path every day. Now, in addition to providing an easy path for commuters, the bike path will also provide energy to the town.
Collective-Evolution notes that the solar panels embedded in the concrete bike path are not as efficient as panels installed on homes because they cannot be adjusted to the position of the sun. Of course, the solar panels on the smart highway cover about 75 yards of roadway which is slightly more than you can fit on a roof.
The Netherlands TNO research institute also gave the road a non-adhesive finish and built it at a slight tilt in order to keep it clean and give the road maximum exposure. The road will be expanded to a little over 100 yards by 2016 and will be able to produce enough energy to power three homes.
The smart highway, officially called SolaRoad by TNO, is just the beginning of Netherland’s solar transition. The institute said that about 20% of Netherland’s roads could be converted to smart highways.
The SolaRoad may be the first solar-powered bike path but it will soon have company. In 2009, two US engineers, Julie and Scott Brusaw, received a contract from the Federal Highway Administration to build a prototype in the United States.
If you happen to speak Dutch, you can check out a video about the SolaRoad here. If not, you can learn more about Solar Freakin’ Roadways below.