The solar-powered bike lane, dubbed “SolaRoad,” was unveiled Wednesday in Krommenie, Netherlands, near Amsterdam. The approximately 100-metre-long stretch is the beginning of a pilot project that, if successful, will see 20 percent of Netherlands’ 140,000 km road network embedded with solar panels.
The path features concrete modules with embedded solar panels. On top is heavy glass to prevent excessive wear and tear and then a rough plastic to make sure passing cyclists don’t slip.
The stretch of road connecting Dutch suburbs Krommenie and Wormerveer will generate enough electricity to power two or three homes.
CTV News reports that this project doesn’t come cheap, however. The three-year project will cost 3 million euros (about $3.7 million). The funding comes from the province of North Holland and several Dutch companies looking to profit from solar roads.
Despite the price tag, Sten de Wit of the TNO engineering firm said Tuesday that successor projects could become profitable within a decade as solar cells become cheaper to produce.
As well, the Netherlands has huge potential for solar panel locations; in addition to its roads it has 35,000 km of bike path. Embedding solar panels in roads and bike paths eliminates the need for power plants.
Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp and Provincial-Executive Elisabeth Post were the first two cyclists to test out the SolaRoad.
