The Wattway system, developed by the French road builder Colas, glues thin photovoltaic panels directly onto existing road surfaces. The panels are rugged enough to carry an 18-wheel truck. After nearly five years of research and laboratory tests, the company began building about 100 outdoor test sites to see how the panels cope with real traffic and weather in different climates.
The largest pilot is a 1 km stretch of road in Tourouvre-au-Perche, Normandy, covered with 2,800 m² of panels and opened in December 2016. It is expected to generate about 280 kilowatts at peak, enough to power the village’s public lighting.
via Electric Avenue: Solar-Panel Roads Headed for Four Continents in 2017 | IndustryWeek