The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and Forster Industrietechnik, has sounded out the possibilities of how long-distance roads and motorways could be roofed with solar modules. The main aim of the project PV Süd is to find out whether and how such a roofing system can add value to the road system beyond the production of electricity and can also be integrated into the ongoing maintenance and servicing routine. In the case of the latter, one of the questions is how snow removal and the cleaning of the road and the solar system can be combined.
Double benefit of the canopy
The added value that roofing provides for the street, on the other hand, is obvious: It better protects the road surface against rain and damp, but also against heat. The extent to which this extends the life of the pavement is also the subject of this research project. In addition, there are also aspects of traffic safety to consider, among others. In a first step, the project partners will develop a suitable substructure and combine it with suitable modules.
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The system must be stable and meet the requirements regarding wind and snow loads. After all, such a canopy will be higher than the elevation of modules in a solar park. On the other hand, the mounting structure must also meet the requirements for impact safety so that it does not tip over if a vehicle collides with it at high speed or a heavy truck hits the posts of the mounting system.
One year trial period
Once the project partners have found a suitable solution, it will then be installed along a road. The researchers will fit it with extensive measuring equipment to collect the relevant data for over a year. In this way, the researchers can investigate how such a construction can meet the diverse requirements of the road network. "The various requirements are to be examined in terms of technical and economic feasibility," explains project manager Manfred Haider from the AIT Center for Mobility Systems. "From the analyses of the concept phase as well as the measurement data of the demonstrator, we hope to gain valuable insights for the future use of such photovoltaic systems in Germany, Austria and Switzerland". (su/mfo)
