SIG has built a solar-roofed cycle path together with the Canton of Geneva. According to the project partners, it is the first of its kind in Switzerland. The cycle path runs along the Satigny cantonal road. There, SIG has equipped a 200-metre section with a substructure covered with 486 bifacial solar modules.
200,000 kilowatt hours of solar power
The installation offers cyclists protection from the weather on this section of the path - after all, the modules are mounted waterproof - and generates electricity at the same time. With a solar surface of more than 860 square metres, the project partners expect a yield of almost 200,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
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This high yield is achieved through the use of bifacial modules. These can generate between five and 15 per cent more energy, depending on the colour of the ground. The electricity is fed into the Geneva distribution grid, which is located under the cycle path anyway.
Using other surfaces
With this project, the Canton of Geneva and SIG also want to show which areas are suitable for the installation of solar systems. To this end, SIG has launched an architectural competition in 2021 to create a prototype solar roof for a cycle path in the canton of Geneva.
Focus on aesthetics
This competition was won by the architectural firm Colucci & Colucci - Design and Architecture. The structure was then built in consultation with the nature conservation, monument and landscape protection authorities. The foundations are made of recycled concrete on which a metal structure stands.
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Attached to this is a secondary structure made of local wood. This way, the solar bike path blends in well with the landscape. With the project now implemented in the municipality of Satigny, SIG also wants to assess the technical feasibility of such a plant.
Further projects planned
The pilot status of this installation is also reflected in the costs. SIG has invested around 1.5 million Swiss francs for the 200 metres of solar cycle path. However, this prototype of a solar cycle path canopy could be further developed in Geneva and also in other places in Switzerland.
After all, SIG is already looking into the implementation of further installations of this kind. As the number of projects increases, the costs could then decrease. Moreover, SIG has not only attached importance to the generation of electricity, but also to the aesthetics of the installation. (su/mfo)
