The Netherlands has completed the world’s first solar glass cycle path, which will be open to the public. This “SolaRoad”, about 70 meters long, runs through Krommenie, a suburb in the north of Amsterdam. Embedded with crystalline silicon solar panels, the cement slabs of the path can convert solar energy into electricity, which is transmitted to the grid. Since the outermost layer of the path is a layer of thermal insulation glass, the path surface is transparent to ensure sunlight transmission, but it is very strong. It is reported that the total cost of this project is about 23 million RMB and the power supplied by this solar cycle path is expected to feed at least three households.
The “SolaRoad” project is known to start in 2009. A team of a road construction and technology service provider, led by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), has studied the solar energy utilization potential of the Netherlands’ roads, and will test in three years the power generated by this solar cycle path and its safety state under different weather conditions. The energy generated by the path is expected to be used in street lamps, houses and battery cars.