What was the 3.5 million euro’s used for?
The €3.5 mln was invested by the various partners in the research and development process, which has so far taken five years. The test route in Krommenie represents just a small part of this. We consciously opted for an initial pilot involving a short length of cycle path and yielding only a small amount of energy (enough to power around three households). This is enough to generate a wealth of practical information while keeping pilot costs down so that we can allocate a larger part of the available funds to developing SolaRoad into a marketable product.
What are the costs per squared metre? How do these costs compare to ordinary roads and cycle paths?
In the current development stage it is too early to make reliable statements about this. The starting point for the development is that the balance of costs and benefits of the life span is positive, compared to existing road surfaces. SolaRoad is being developed by a tripartite consortium of partners, in which industry, knowledge institutes and government join forces in order to innovate. The intention is that the product will soon become available on the open market and that an appropriate and healthy business model will be developed.
Is it economically feasible?
The techno-economic feasibility study indicates that it is possible to achieve a return of investment within a life span of 20 years. A side note here is that the production, management and maintenance of this new type of road are yet to be optimized. Eventually, we are aiming for a payback period of 15 years or less.
Does SolaRoad have additional maintenance costs? How much?
In the development of SolaRoad the starting point is that SolaRoad meets the same requirements as regular pavement types. In current studies, we assume regular maintenance regimes. According to expectations, an optimization can still be made, in which the maintenance of the technical systems will be integrated.
Can pollution of the road surface reduce the yield of SolaRoad?
Pollution will certainly affect the amount of light that falls through the top layer. By making the top layer dirt repellent and by putting the road under a sufficient slope, we make sure that the effects of pollution as small as possible. The exact degree of pollution is not clear yet. Currently, we are performing experiments on this topic. The profits are expected to be lower than solar panels on rooftops. What the yield will be exactly is one of the research questions in the pilot.
Even the most optimistic scenarios foresee in 2030 not more than 10% share of electric vehicles. What is the use of such a road then?
SolaRoad provides solar electricity, which can be used for vehicles that drive across/over it, but also for other energy users, such as street lighting, households, etc. The success of the transition to electric vehicles is therefore not a prerequisite for SolaRoad. In contrast, a large-scale application of SolaRoad may work as an enabler or incentive for electric mobility: together they may have a greater chance of success than separately.
