Bicycle-friendly Netherlands offers a smart solution incorporating existing roadways, cycle paths and solar energy with this latest project.

Solar technology is great for generating renewable energy and revolutionising transportation as we know it, but they also require a lot of space. One solution is to look at incorporating existing roadways and cycle paths. Bicycle-friendly Netherlands offers a smart solution with this latest project by Dutch research organization TNO.

There’s no doubt with the increasing popularity of cycling, cities are going to have to incorporate safecycling paths into their infrastructure planning. Now, they can also include smart solutions. TNO, along with the Province of North Holland, the Ooms Avenhorn Group and Imtech plan to install a pilot project consisting of a modular cycle path system in 2012. The path is to be constructed of concrete panels with a thick glass layer on top. Embedded below the glass will be crystal silicon solar cells to collect the sun’s energy. Smart apps will maximize energy retention during peak sunlight hours while storing it during low-light times.  

SolaRoad expects the path to generate 50 kWh per square metre per year. The electricity can then be used for street lighting, traffic systems or even household use. As the Dutch road network is about 137,000 kilometers, the potential for collecting large amounts of energy is huge. With the continued wave of solar innovation applied to gadgets such as cellphones and lunchboxes, there is no end to potential of solar power technology in our everyday lives. As the technology and design grows, it only makes sense to incorporate transportation infrastructure to the solar power roster.