World's first solar bike lane installed in the Netherlands!

The worlds first solar bike lane has been installed in the town of Krommenie, 25 kilometres from Amsterdam, and produces enough solar energy to power 3 homes!

This pilot project by SolaRoad is 70 metres long, and will be 100 metres by 2016. The path is made from rectangular concrete modules containing solar cells and is layered with a one-inch thick sheet of glass strong enough to withstand a truck.

Although it is 30% less efficient than roof-mounted solar panels, as these can be aligned to the sun, it has the capability of producing enough energy to power three homes.

It is to be officially launched on the 12th of November. The project has costed €1.5 million euros, though will ultimately cost up to €3 million once finalised.

The SolaRoad website states:

"The idea behind SolaRoad is simple: sunlight falling on the road surface is absorbed by solar cells and converted into electricity – the road surface acts as a large solar panel. The electricity generated in this way will find practical applications in street lighting."

Dr Sten de Wit, the innovator behind the project from SolaRoad, believes this sustainable energy could be really big, he states, 'This could be a breakthrough in the field of sustainable energy supply. In particular, if the road concept will develop into a system, with which the generated electricity is transported to the vehicles driving on the road. Try to imagine that power will then be generated at the place where it is needed. Subsequently, a big step towards an energy-neutral mobility system will be possible.'

The only catch is that it is more expensive to install. What do you think? Leave your thoughts below.

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