PRESS RELEASE
Minister Kamp opens SolaRoad solar cycle lane in Krommenie, the Netherlands
World premiere: first-ever road to convert sunlight into electricity
Krommenie, 12 November, 2014
The Netherlands' minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp and Elisabeth Post of the North
Holland Provincial Executive biked into the future on November 12, officially opening
SolaRoad with an inaugural ride along the solar cycle lane on modern e-bikes. 'SolaRoad
is a world first that will put the Netherlands on the map as a leader in sustainable
innovation', minister Kamp said. Post, a member of the Provincial Executive, agreed:
'Today marks a milestone in SolaRoad's development. I am proud of our participation
in the consortium and I'm looking forward to the future, which will see SolaRoad developing
from a pilot into a fully-fledged product.'
SolaRoad is being developed by the Netherlands' TNO research institute, North Holland
Province, Ooms Civiel and Imtech Traffic&Infra.
Test phase
The 100-metre test route is made up of a series of concrete modules measuring 2.5 by 3.5
metres. Along one of its two lanes, solar cells have been embedded in the modules and
covered with a layer of tempered glass of about a centimetre thick. The other cycle lane,
which hasn't been fitted with solar cells, will be used to test the relative merits of various
types of surfacing. Over the coming weeks tests will be carried out to see how much
energy the cycle path can generate.
This SolaRoad test route is situated in Krommenie, running alongside the N203 motorway
from the Texaco filling station on the railway side (GPS data: 52.493875, 4.767134).
Preliminary results
Solar energy generated by the road can be used to power anything from street lighting to
traffic lights, electric cars using the road and even households. Over the coming three
years various measurements and tests will be carried out to develop SolaRoad further.
The first test results since the cycle path was first taken into use on 24 October are
according to expectations: some 140 kWh of electricity was generated by this first
stretch of SolaRoad.
Road of the future
A group of thirty children allowed to test the new cycle path agreed it offered a 'smooth
ride' but above all that it was 'cool to be able to bike along the world's first-ever SolaRoad.'
The children feature in the new SolaRoad video launched today, which shows them
cycling along this road of the future.
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Note for editorial staff (not for publication)
http://www.solaroad.nl/en/beeldbank/
Citing: SolaRoad Netherlands
For more information and interviews, please contact one of the people listed below.
Sten de Wit, spokesperson for SolaRoad, telephone: 00 31 (0)6-1202 1647,
Soraya Roasa Saenz, press officer for North Holland province, tel: 00 31 (0)6-53446839,
To request an interview with minister Kamp, please contact Heleen Haverkort, spokesperson
For questions about images and footage, contact our communications manager Jannemieke van Dieren,
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