Follow the solar panel road. That’s what a modern day adaptation of The Wizard of Oz might opt to go with instead of the more traditional yellow brick road. And thanks to advances in technology, this solar panel road can exist right here in the real world.
Over the next five years, France has the rather ambitious plan of installing 1,000 kilometers of solar panel roadways, according to CityLab and Global Construction Review.
7-millimeter-thick photovoltaic panels called Wattway, which are produced by Colas, a French transportation Infrastructure firm, are to be glued onto existing road surfaces and absorb the sun’s energy without affecting the ability for cars and trucks to find grip.
According to Colas, one kilometer of Wattway is enough to power public lighting for a city of 5,000 and 20 square meters can power a single French home.