The Dutch city of Utrecht is trying out a new bike lane paved in solar panels as a way to both improve transportation and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
At 330 metres, about four city blocks, it’s claimed to be the world’s longest solar panel bike lane. There are other, shorter ones, in two other Dutch cities. The lane is a pilot project of the Utrecht Province Council, and cost €1.3 million to build.
The cost was acknowledged as too high to allow replacing all current bike paths with panels, but officials said they expect that mass production of the panels, covered with a special protective glaze, would bring down the cost in the long run. In its location in the village of Maartensdijk, it is already generating enough power for 40 homes.
