Much-hailed solar bike path is cracking
We’ve been posting about this solar cell bike path since 2011 and now the truth is, when this year’s first frost hit the ground, the solar panels cracked.
In November, De Orkaan website had said that the solar cell bike path was possibly a bad idea (Dutch), quoting an article from Renewables International that had dissed the project altogether.
A 70 metre bike path in Krommenie, North Holland was fitted with solar cells, protected by a glass surface ‘strong enough to drive a truck over it’, but apparently not strong enough to deal with a bit of frost. Granted, it was a pilot project, but it is important to show people what failure looks like before the Dutch government spends tons of tax payers’ money on something that doesn’t work.
(Link and photo: deorkaan.nl)
[…] glow-in-the-dark roads stopped glowing after the first day when they got wet and a solar-powered bike path cracked at the first sign of […]
It is great a great idea, not bad at all. There are some problems, but it could be built where I live, Brazil, as the ground does not frost here! And soon they may find a solution for the cold, maybe changing some of the materials.
By the way, nice blog, thanks for sharing this information with the world ;)
Henrique