Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development
Energy: Innovative photovoltaic panels to pave roads and highways
ENEA, jointly with TeaTek Spa, an international leader in the construction of photovoltaic systems, is developing photovoltaic panels capable of withstanding heavy loads and harsh weather conditions, suitable for motorways, urban pedestrian streets and bike lanes.
“At ENEA we are studying modules which, unlike common photovoltaic panels, can withstand static loads of up to several tonnes, the passage of moving vehicles and even harsh weather conditions” said Girolamo Di Francia, project coordinator and head of the ENEA Laboratory for the Development of Digital Photovoltaic and Sensor Applications. “When we talk about photovoltaic road applications we mainly refer to surface coverings, wind barriers, pedestrian streets, bike lanes or tram lines” he continued.
Application studies in this segment have begun recently at a global level with particular attention to the possibility of making safer and more efficient driving environments. ENEA has calculated that installing photovoltaic panels on just 10% of Italian roads and motorways would result in an energy production capacity of more than 20 GW.
“Developing modules for road applications is one of the most interesting ways for expanding photovoltaics without using precious land but instead valorising it, with the additional benefit of clean electricity generation” said Ezio Terzini, head of the ENEA Division of Photovoltaics and Smart Devices.
ENEA and TeaTek are evaluating photovoltaic research and development activities to be conducted in the former Whirpool headquarters in Naples, recently taken over by TeaTek with the re-hiring of all 320 employees. The historic industrial site, known for the production of washing machines, will therefore be reconverted to manufacture components for photovoltaic systems.
ENEA and TeaTek already cooperate in the MARTA project[1] and are widening their collaboration as part of an agreement, still under definition, aimed at identifying research activities to be conducted in the former Whirpool.
Photovoltaic panel for road applications