France has revealed the first ever solar roadway! This is an extreme breakthrough for technology and is a giant leap towards environmental preservation!
The industrial revolution took a violent turn in the last two decades, and we are met with an important decision: To keep building, destroying, and killing for our own benefit, or to be satisfied with our place in life and work to keep it sustainable for our children, grandchildren, etc. France has made their choice, as they have finally unveiled the world’s first ever solar roadway!
The roadway is made completely from solar panels. France’s Minister of Environment, Segolene Royal says the solar road is one kilometer in length and features 2,880 solar panels in Tourouvre-au-Perche. The roadway was developed by the Colas construction companies Wattway Technology and will hopefully be able to produce enough energy to power the lighting of some 3,400 people! It is only a small village beside the roadway, so it is expected to be extremely helpful to the community. The roadway produces over 280-megawatt hours of power each year, however, it will fluctuate due to weather.
The road reportedly cost close to $5.2 million to build, and the construction company used a mix of resin and several layers of silicon over top of the solar panels to ensure they remain functional and resilient. Both lifespan and resilience to damage will be the main things tested over the course of the next two years.