AIT, German partners announce solar road canopy project

solar array
This is part of two solar arrays above the neighboring Glen Ivy Spiritual Center, making them the largest private solar energy source in Riverside County..
By miheco on 2009-09-08 06:10:08
tags AIT, German partners announce solar road canopy project

July 13 (Renewables Now) – The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) is leading a project for the development of a solar photovoltaic (PV) canopy that could help prolong the life of roads, in addition to producing green electricity.

The institute is partnering in the PV-SÜD project with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE of Germany and Austrian company Forster Industrietechnik GmbH. The first phase will involve work on a prototype for which the trio needs to identify the most suitable modules and supporting structure. A demonstrator with measuring equipment will be built in the second part of the project.

The partners want to see whether PV canopies on the road network can add value by reducing maintenance costs and even help with noise reduction. For now, they are sure that such installations provide a solution to the challenge of finding space for solar projects in certain areas. How PVs work in combination with existing maintenance management, such as snow removal, is also important.