As a member of "The Clan" I am privy to much you plebs are not. I found this out on the "clan" members only web site. If it works out, it might be a significant breakthrough, though I'm not going to hold my breath!
PHOTOVOLTAIC ROADS, A “MADE IN FRANCE” PROJECT
A thousand kilometres of road will be paved with solar panels instead of asphalt.
This is the project that has just been approved and funded by the French government. It will take five years and between 200 and 300 million euros to complete the section, but if the initiative is successful it will provide energy for 5 million families (8% of France’s population) for 20 years.
The construction and installation of the photovoltaic panels will be carried out by Colas. Called Wattway panels, they cannot be damaged by motorcycles or cars and not even by trucks or articulated lorries. Sunlight will be captured by various layers of 7 mm-thick polycrystalline silicon which can stand up to heavy weights and do not need special installation procedures. It won’t be necessary to remove existing road surfaces as the panels can be applied on top and the job is done. In optimal conditions, each 20-square-metre panel can provide enough energy for a whole house. An innovative way to take advantage of an infrastructure that on average is used by vehicles only 10% of the time. Clever, isn’t it?
