Along a six-mile stretch of roadway in a village in Normandy, France is an all-new solar road that's been dubbed the 'Wattway.' The solar road features 2,880 solar panels with polycrystalline silicon cells that are capable of transforming energy from the sun into usable electricity.
In the village of Tourouvre-au-Perche, it is estimated that Colas' Wattway solar pavement will be used by about 2,000 motorists each day. The electricity generated by the solar road system will be fed into a network that belongs to French electric provider Enedis and used to power the street lights in the village.
From now, a two-year test of the solar road will be conducted to determine if the use of these kinds of roads would be of benefit for the rest of the country.
Electricity-Generating Solar Roads
France's 'Wattway' Powers Street Lighting in a Small Village
Trend Themes
1. Electricity-generating Solar Roads - Creating infrastructure that generates electricity through solar roads.
2. Wattway - Developing and implementing Colas' solar pavement system to power street lighting.
3. Renewable Energy Integration - Exploring ways to integrate renewable energy generation into existing infrastructure.
Industry Implications
1. Transportation - Developing solar road technology to improve energy efficiency and sustainability in transportation infrastructure.
2. Renewable Energy - Harnessing the power of solar energy to generate electricity for various applications like street lighting.
3. Smart City - Integrating renewable energy systems like solar roads to create more sustainable and energy-efficient urban environments.