The Dutch province of North Brabant is commissioning a 500-meter-long solar bike line and testing its performance for five years. The photovoltaic system to be integrated into the surface layer of asphalt consists of 600 solar panels of an unspecified type.
The PV system will be integrated to the surface layer of asphalt and consists of 600 solar panels of an unspecified type. “The purpose of this project is mainly to gain more experience with the deployment of solar cells on cycleways,” the county government said, noting that two similar systems have already been deployed along the N395 near Oirschot and the N324 near Grave in the north. Brabant itself.
Over the course of five years, experts from the Lääninhallitus evaluate the durability of solar modules against mechanical stress caused by pedestrians and cyclists, their maintenance costs and the energy yield of the photovoltaic system.
Solar roads are not a new concept in the Netherlands. A bicycle path near Amsterdam was equipped with solar panels in 2016 and another was built in 2020 in the province of Utrecht. However, the feasibility and financial viability of solar roads is still controversial.
The provincial government said the construction of a solar bike path in Wagenberg is part of a larger project called “Zon op Infra”, a plan by the Dutch government to test the viability of solar electricity generation on road infrastructure. The plan includes the installation of solar power plants along highways and noise barriers.
The Dutch authorities are having trouble finding land on which to place large solar power plants due to the scarcity of land. In recent years, research institutions and private companies have tried to prove the feasibility of solar projects on non-agricultural lands, including dams, rooftops, coastal and offshore water bodies.
