The Future Of Solar Panels

www.nytimes.com

Alexis Bitnar, Fresh Face Editor

en.wikipedia.org

In 2016 the French government announced that they made a 620-mile highway passing through Normandy, France built of solar panels instead of asphalt. The plan failed its first year as it was for it to produce 790 kilowatts per day and power 5 million homes; the panels ended up just producing half of that amount.

Solar panels have been around for over 100 years.  Most of the ones we see are being held up by multiply metal bars.  As solar panels are getting cheaper and more efficient, there are more being made in different shapes and sizes and they’re popping up everywhere, even as roads and sidewalks. The Netherlands, America, and China are developing roads that double as solar-power generators. The state of Georgia is working with a transportation lab, The Ray, who is working with Wattaway — the company behind the French project — to make the creation come to life. They have currently an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 Solar Roadways in Idaho.

“I can see it easily powering municipal smart-city technology at the very least,” said Allie Kelly, executive director at The Ray.

inhabitat.com