The first solar bike path is producing more energy than expected

Back in November, SolaRoad launched a test bike path that generates energy through solar cells embedded in the concrete. It sounds like an outlandish idea, but it’s apparently paying off very quickly. The company has revealed that its road has generated much more energy than expected – it produced 3,000kWh of electricity in the space of just six months, or enough to power a single person’s home for a year. That doesn’t sound like much, but SolaRoad notes that its path only covers a 230-foot stretch in a Dutch village. You’d get a lot more energy from longer, wider roads.

If we’re going to cover the planet with roads and highways everywhere turning them all into solar panels would be a neat trick.