A prototype solar panel pavement in France confirmed “the utter absurdity of insisting on innovation at the expense of solutions that already exist.”
Solar energy has become one of the cheapest sources of electricity production. However, one of the biggest drawbacks to getting energy from solar panels is that it only produces energy when the sun shines. It also requires large surface areas to produce it at utility scale.
The latter problem has sparked new ideas about where to place solar panels to avoid covering the landscape with endless rows of structures to support them. One idea was tested in Normandy, France. In December 2016, the first solar panel road was inaugurated in the small village of Tourouvre-au-Perche by the then Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Ségolène Royal, reported France 24.
“This new use of solar energy takes advantage of large swathes of road infrastructure already in use … to produce electricity without taking up new real estate,” the minister said in a statement.
Wattway solar roads
Photovoltaic road surfacehttps://t.co/IcJGrG1xkO HT @loc8ingoil #RenewableEnergy pic.twitter.com/c12S726QDU
A one-kilometer stretch, roughly 0.6 miles, was installed on one of the two lanes of a rural road of Tourouvre-au-Perche. The “Wattway,” as it was dubbed, was built at a cost of €5 million ($5.5 million) as part of a two-year experiment. Although the energy produced by the project would cost 13 time more than rooftop panels, Royal said that as more roads like this one were developed, “the costs will be driven sharply down”.
It was promised that the 30,000 square feet of solar panels on the road would be able to power the local street lighting for the town of 5,000 residents. In order to tolerate the traffic, roughly 2,000 motorists per day, the manufacturer Colas covered the panels with a special resin containing silicon that could withstand even big trucks rolling over it.
La route solaire est née en 2015 suite à 5 ans de R&D du @GroupeColas & @ines_solaire : une 1ère mondiale! Longue vie à #Wattway #Bouygues65 pic.twitter.com/1tZtpaNOEM
The project was part of a bigger plan to create a network of solar panel highways with other projects slated to be installed in the provinces of Brittany and Marseilles. There were big expectations as France could become energy independent, in theory, by paving just a quarter of its roadways in solar panels according to Colas, which is a subsidiary of construction giant Bouygues.
One might not think Normandy would be the best place to install solar panels in the first place, given that the region’s capital Caen “only gets 44 days of strong sunshine” as The Guardian pointed out. That compares with 170 days in Marseilles. Another drawback to the project is that solar panels that are laid flat are less efficient than those that are placed at an angle.
But those were the least of the worries in the end for Wattway. While the panels were designed to withstand big trucks, the tractors that frequently use the road proved too much for them. The panels began to splinter and peel off to the point that some became unrepairable.
Drivers reported that traveling over the damaged solar roadway produced a sound like that of a helicopter. The speed limit had to be reduced from around 60 mph to just above 40 to alleviate the disturbance.
Furthermore, the stormy weather in the region blew out circuits, wreaking havoc with the system. In its first year, the road produced just half the promised energy, and declined precipitously each year thereafter, reported Le Monde.
“Politicians haven’t thoroughly examined the technical aspects and economic viability of the project. This confirms the utter absurdity of insisting on innovation at the expense of solutions that already exist and are far more cost-effective, such as rooftop solar panels,” noted Marc Jedliczka, vice president of the Network for Energy Transition (CLER).
“If we really wanted this to work, cars definitely shouldn’t be driving on it,” he added “with a touch of irony.”
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.
Complete your personal details to comment

source