China is building the world’s first photovoltaic highway in Jinan The 2-km-long photovoltaic expressway is scheduled to open for public traffic by this year.
This solar-powered highway consists of three layers: a protective surface layer made of transparent concrete, a middle layer of solar-powered batteries to generate electricity, and an insulation layer to prevent dampness below.
The expressway could handle 10 times more pressure than the normal asphalt variety and in a year generate 1 million kWH of electricity, which will be used to power street lights and a snow-melting system on the road.
It’s also designed to supply power to charging stations for electric vehicles. But the cost for building this road is significantly higher than the regular roads.
News Source: http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/1214/c90000-9304543.html
https://qz.com/1166975/a-new-solar-highway-in-china-perfectly-captures-its-clean-energy-ambitions/
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