Several companies from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have started a collaboration project focusing on the integration of solar cells in roads and infrastructure. The project is called Rolling Solar and aims to use the road surface as a solar panel in as many places as possible.
Solar cells will provide a large part of our energy in the future, as they can be produced at low cost and with high energy efficiency. But for power generation of hundreds of gigawatts, they need a large area to collect sunlight: roadmaps to 2050 predict a total solar area of up to 1,400 km2, for the Netherlands alone. The road network connecting Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium is no less than "To make optimal use of the available area and to generate power close to where it is needed, it is desirable to integrate solar modules into road building materials, as these materials are already used on large areas (that is more than 1,000 km2 in the Netherlands) and the energy demand for transport will increasingly be electric," a press release states.
Precious
To date, it has not yet been possible to integrate solar panels into road surfaces in a cost-efficient way, as was previously done, for example, in crash barriers. "The examples of solar energy in infrastructure demonstrated to date - such as the integration of crystalline silicon solar cells in cycle paths - are still relatively costly," Peter Toonssen, programme manager at Solliance, which organises Rolling Solar, states in an article on Engineersonline.nl. "Mainly because of the materials that have to be used to protect these types of solar cells. Within Rolling Solar, we are going to reduce those costs by using thin-film solar cells that are not only flexible but also less vulnerable. As part of the project, several field trials will be carried out to present viable business concepts for thin-film solar cells in infrastructure in three years' time."
Lots of space
The project aims to promote the innovative integration of thin and flexible solar cell materials into road surfaces and noise barriers, reduce costs and develop guidelines for safe and sustainable integration. Regional industry and construction companies, research institutes and public stakeholders are brought together in this consortium to boost both the regional economy and the energy transition. There are several companies in Euregio Maas-RIjn that can ensure thin-film solar cells can be installed from rolls. In any case, there is more than enough space to generate solar energy through infrastructure. Together, the road network connecting Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany is about 1 million kilometres long. The Dutch cycling network, covering some 35,000 kilometres, could also provide substantial solar power generation.
The 3-year, €5.7 million project is made possible by financial support from the European Union through the Interreg EMR programme, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and the provinces of North Brabant, Liège, Flemish Brabant and Limburg (B) . Some 20 knowledge institutions, web administrators and companies are involved. Rolling Solar is carried out by Solliance, the partnership of Dutch, German and Belgian companies and knowledge institutions, which focuses on the development of thin-film solar cells.
Source: Engineersonline.nl/Solliance
