Transport & Highways
Solar roads: powering up the highway
A new system designed by Colas aims to generate electricity from solar photovoltaic panels embedded in the road surface. It might sound like science fiction, but the Wattway system is currently being tested in France and the USA, and is the result of five years’ research by the international infrastructure company and the French National Institute for Solar Energy. The company estimates 20m² of Wattway panels could provide enough electricity to power a single home. If the system proves successful, it could open up a previously untapped source of renewable energy.
Jamie Hailstone spoke to Philippe Harelle, chief technology officer at Colas SA’s Wattway unit, to find out more.
In a nutshell, how does the Wattway system work?
The challenges of sustainable transport
My first car was a Morris Minor, barely large enough to hold me. The paint was scratched and faded, one of the seat belts was attached by a knot and it seemed to use more oil than petrol. But for all its faults it was mine and I could go where I wanted, when I wanted. It never once occurred to me that the fume cloud that blossomed from my rattling exhaust was somehow affecting the planet. I had the independence of my own wheels and that was all that mattered then.
Though that was years ago, I suspect these sentiments endure through each new generation of driver, and feed the resistance to change that so many environmental managers meet when trying to promote sustainable transport within their companies and communities.
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