Product development

SolaRoad develops road pavement elements with integrated solar panels, producing electricity and strong enough to deal with heavy traffic.

SolaRoad’s product development is based on a simple concept. Robust solar panels with a skid resistant, translucent coating are mounted on a concrete slab. The concrete provides support and loading capacity, the solar panel generates electricity from the sunlight, the coating protects the solar panel, and offers skid resistance for the traffic. The combination is a robust road surface, offering safety and comfort to bikes or vehicles, while harvesting electricity from the sun.

Product goals

  • Durable as a normal road
  • Producing solar power at 130 kWh/m2/yr (Dutch conditions), 75% efficiency compared to rooftop panels
  • Prefab, easy to install on regular road foundation
  • Easy to incorporate in existing electricity grids
  • Similar total cost of ownership compared to regular roads, higher investment covered by sale of electricity
Energy production

Development approach

  • SolaRoad’s product development is based on two cornerstones:
    • partnerships with committed and skilled development partners
    • down-to-earth development approach in cycles, where technological and product improvements are driven by client value and cost efficiency, and validated by laboratory testing, field tests and pilots, providing essential, real life feedback to the development team.
  • Field-tests with SolaRoad in light-traffic applications are being scheduled from mid 2020 until 2022 in collaboration with the European Rolling Solar consortium and partners of SolaRoad, which will be carrying out a pilot at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen (Netherlands) in cooperation with Hogeschool Zuyd.
  • Want to know more? Interested in cooperation with SolaRoad? Please contact us.