Photos show the world's first solar road that's turned out to be a colossal failure because it's falling apart and doesn't generate enough energy
It was all smiles and high hopes in 2016, when the world's first solar panel road, called Wattway, opened. France spent $5.2 million on 0.6 miles of road, and 30,000 square feet of solar panels. It was hailed as the longest solar road in the world.
Media gathered around to take a walk down what was thought to be the road of the future. The French minister for energy said she wanted to have solar panels on one mile of road every 621 miles in the country within the next five years.
Source: NBC
Despite grey skies on the day of the inauguration, France was leading the world for solar transportation.
But the brake was never removed, and the wheels never started rolling — so to speak.
It was a bold move beginning a solar panel trial in Normandy, France, since the region doesn't have the most sunshine. Caen, a city in Normandy, only has 44 days of strong sunshine in a year. Thunderstorms also reportedly broke solar panels on the road.
Sources: Le Monde, The Guardian
The trial road was meant to produce about 150,000 kWh a year, which is enough power to provide light for up to 5,000 people, every day. Instead, it was making just under 80,000 in 2018, and fewer than 40,000 by July 2019.
Sources: Business Insider, Le Monde
Colas, the company that built the road, said in 2016 that the solar panels were covered with resin containing sheets of silicon to make them capable of withstanding all traffic. But since the opening, panels have come loose or broken into little pieces.
Source: Business Insider, The Guardian
In May 2018, 300 feet of the road had to be demolished since it wasn't salvageable.
The engineers also didn't take into account the effects of leaves, which caused damage and limited the amount of electricity the panels could produce. They also didn't think about the pressure and weight from tractors, two locals told Le Monde.
Sources: Le Monde, Global Construction Review
And now the trial looks like it's all over. Wattway's managing director Etienne Gaudin told Le Monde that it would not be going to market. "Our system is not mature on long distance traffic," he said. The company would focus on creating electricity for smaller things, like CCTV cameras and lighting bus shelters.
Source: Global Construction Review
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