Can PV panels be installed on highways?

The implementation of PV systems on highways (Figure 1 ), that is, roofing highways with PV panels, holds great promise to increase renewable energy production and to alleviate the contradiction between land availability and energy accessibility through the three-dimensional space use of land.

Can solar panels be used in a roofing Highway?

Photovoltaic (PV) installations are a leading technology for generating green electricity and reducing carbon emissions. Roofing highways with solar panels offers a new opportunity for PV development, but its potential of global deployment and associated socio-economic impacts have not been investigated.

Why should you install solar panels on a highway?

Roofing highways with solar panels generates green electricity that is delivered to the grid to replace the electricity from fossil fuels, thereby contributing to CO 2 e emission reductions. This PV system also protects cars on the highway from adverse weathers, thus reducing traffic losses (road traffic deaths and socio-economic burdens).

What is a highway photovoltaic system?

Schematic diagram of the highway photovoltaics (PV) system. Roofing highways with solar panels generates green electricity that is delivered to the grid to replace the electricity from fossil fuels, thereby contributing to CO 2 e emission reductions.

How many solar panels would a highway use?

Installing solar roofs over the world’s highways and major arterial roads would use 52.3 billion solar panels, Yao said. The highway-covering solar panels would generate up to 17,578 terawatt-hours per year across the globe, which is more than four times the annual energy output of the United States.

How do solar panels work on a highway?

Roofing highways with solar panels generates green electricity that is delivered to the grid to replace the electricity from fossil fuels, thereby contributing to CO2e emission reductions. This PV system also protects cars on the highway from adverse weathers, thus reducing traffic losses (road traffic deaths and socio‐economic burdens).