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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Tourovre-au-Perche, Orne, France, 2016/12/27 - After five years in the works, the world's first public solar panel road, stretching more than a half a mile, opened in the small village of Tourovre-au-Perche in Normandy, France.
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Solar panels can be seen propped on the roofs of houses and lined up in rows off of roadways to harness the sun's energy. But after five years in the works, the world's first public solar panel road, stretching more than a half a mile, opened in the small village of Tourovre-au-Perche in Normandy, France.
When all is said and done, officials say 621 miles of the route dubbed the "Wattway" will be paved with solar panels. With the road expected to be used by 2,000 motorists a day, the electrical output of the road is estimated at 280,000 kWh per year, enough to power all of the street lights in the village.
Each photovoltaic panel is made up of a thin polycrystalline silicon sheet, which converts the solar energy into electricity. The panel are then treated in a resin coating, containing five layers of silicon, to protect and mimic traditional pavement.
Additional road trials for the $5 million project will begin in 2017 in the Marseille Fos port, which sees about 126 more days of sunshine a year, compared to Normandy. Ecology minister, Ségolène Royal has said she would like to see solar panels installed on one in every 1,000 km of French highway. However, solar panels have been found to be less efficient on flat surfaces, which is sparking controversy over whether the project is a cost-effective use of public money.
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