The Netherlands saw the official launch of two groundbreaking solar cycle paths last Monday, December 11. These projects mark the country’s first-ever solar cycle paths to cover 1,000 square meters (10,764 sq. ft.) of surface area each.
Solar cycle path commissioning
Colas Group firm Wattway and Dutch construction contractor BAM Royal Group announced the commissioning of the two photovoltaic cycle paths in North Holland and North Brabant last week. As per the press release, the paths feature Wattway’s photovoltaic coating with a surface area of 1,000 m² each.
Impressively, the Dutch installations boosted the power to 148 Wp/m² from the older paths with only 119 Wp/m². It reportedly provides a 21% efficiency per square meter.
North Holland and North Brabant expect to generate an annual renewable energy capacity of 160 MWh in the initial year, potentially reducing the stress of the Dutch grid. The project proponents will monitor and maintain the sites for five years.
Solar cycle path development
Electrek noted that Wattway developed the solar cycle paths using a new type of solid solar panel that has a thickness of just a few millimeters. It attached the solar panels to the already existing cycle paths.
It is also worth noting that the company coats the solar cells in a resin- and polymer-based multilayer substrate. Impressively, they are translucent enough to receive sunlight and solid enough to resist bike traffic.
In addition, Wattway ensured that the surfaces were not smooth like the normal rooftop panels to offer the same grip as typical road mixes.
“Wattway has evolved considerably since its launch in 2015, thanks in particular to the introduction of more than 50 pilot sites around the world.This unique experience in the traffic-ready photovoltaic coating market means that we can continue to make technological and practical advances to improve the life span of our installations and make them more competitive.”
Laurent Le Boulc’h, Deputy Director for Infrastructure and Intelligent and Sustainable Mobility at Colas
“Zon op Infra” plan
According to PV Magazine, solar road projects are not new in the Netherlands. For instance, it had a solar panel-equipped bike path near Amsterdam in 2016, followed by another Utrecht project in 2020.
In addition, the Dutch government is reportedly working on a “Zon op Infra.” It is basically a plan to evaluate the overall feasibility of integrating solar power systems on road infrastructures, such as solar installations along highways and noise barriers.
However, the government has yet to determine the ideal surfaces for large-scale PV plants due to the lack of available land. Nonetheless, such projects are undoubtedly a significant boost to the country’s shift to renewable energy. It currently has more than 35,000 km (21,748 miles) of cycle paths, cutting the need to locate new sites for development.
