World’s first solar panel highway debuts in Shandong

The world’s first solar panel highway opened in Jinan, the capital of China’s Shandong Province, on Thursday, reports CCTV news. 

World’s first photovoltaic highway in Jinan, capital city of China’s Shandong Province, is officially put into use on December 28, 2017. [Photo: IC]

The highway was officially opened at 2 PM on Thursday afternoon. The road is about one kilometer long, and contains over 10,000 photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight into electricity. 

There is no noticeable difference for drivers between the new photovoltaic road and traditional roads. In fact, the safety standard of the surface of the photovoltaic road reportedly surpasses that of traditional asphalt and concrete roads. 

World’s first photovoltaic highway in Jinan, capital city of China’s Shandong Province, is officially put into use on December 28, 2017. [Photo: VCG]

Electromagnetic induction coils have been installed under the road. This will allow electric cars to be recharged wirelessly as they drive along the road, as wireless charging technology becomes available in the future. 

In winter, the photovoltaic highway can turn the solar power it generates into heat so that snow and ice on the road can be melted away, helping to improve driver safety.

In addition to the road’s power generation technology, the road contains a variety of sensors that collect data on the use of the road, which can inform the future management of this and other roadways. 

World’s first photovoltaic highway in Jinan, capital city of China’s Shandong Province, is officially put into use on December 28, 2017. [Photo: VCG]

Qilu Transportation Development Group was responsible for investing in and constructing the photovoltaic highway project. Xu Chunfu, president of Qilu Transportation Development Group, said that the project is a state of the art and revolutionary development.