Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands have over 800,000 kilometres of road that could be used for some of our energy needs. On a 400 metre long stretch of motorway in the Netherlands, sound barriers not only reduce noise, but they also create green energy for 60 local households as they are equipped with solar panels. This renewable energy pilot scheme has inspired ‘Rolling Solar’, a European project that aims to create more energy from roads in a cost-effective and efficient way using photovoltaics. The total cost of the ‘Rolling Solar’ project is 5.7 million euros and over 2.8 million of this is financed by the European Cohesion Policy. Around 20 industrial partners and laboratories from three countries (Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands) are also part of the project. In a sound wall in Rosmalen in the Netherlands, they are experimenting with three types of solar cells with the main goal of reducing costs. At Heijmans, a partner of the ‘Rolling Solar’ project and a real estate, construction, and technology company, they test these new panels.
Another of the project’s goals is to develop sustainable cross-border collaboration and share skills across research and industry sectors. In a laboratory in Eindhoven, thin and flexible photovoltaic cells made from silicon-cadmium are being developed in various forms. The objective is to move from custom-made to mass production. In Genk in Belgium, there’s another photovoltaic sound barrier on the Energyville campus. Three different types of solar cell units are connected to the grid there. Temperature and mechanical deformations are closely measured. The next stages are also already being considered there.