What are solar-powered roads?

Solar-powered roads, also known as solar roads or solar roadways, utilize specially designed solar panels integrated into the road surface. These solar panels capture sunlight and convert it into electricity through photovoltaic technology.

What are solar photovoltaic technologies for roads?

Solar photovoltaic technologies for roads encompass various innovations such as solar panel roads [44, 76], acoustic photovoltaic barriers (APVB)—also referred to as photovoltaic sound barriers (PVSB) or photovoltaic noise barriers (PVNB) —and solar arches .

What is a solar pavement module?

Solmove GmbH in Germany developed a type of PV pavement module with a self-clean profile that rainwater can drain well . A specific structure was designed to optimally direct the sunlight on the solar cells. Besides, some extra functions such as LED lighting, heating, and inductive power transmission were also equipped.

How much power does a solar pavement module generate?

The prototype built by the Chinese research group. The daily power generation of the solar pavement module was found to be 0.152 kWh/m2, which is about 16.28% of the original solar panel.

What are solar road panels?

Solar road panels are integrated directly into the road surface. These panels are designed to withstand vehicles’ weight, resist wear and tear, and maintain high energy conversion efficiency. They can be made from durable materials such as tempered glass or specialized solar cells embedded in an asphalt or glass surface.

Can solar energy be used in roadways?

Of these, solar energy, which is clean, renewable, and widely distributed along highways, illustrates great potential in the field of roadway clean energy harvesting to support the energy consumption of infrastructure and vehicles. Moreover, photovoltaic (PV) power generation is commonly used to convert solar energy into electricity [ 4, 5 ].