Photovoltaic roof for cycling paths

Badenova is installing 912 glass-glass PV modules along a cycling path in the city of Freiburg, Germany, as part of a new pilot project.

Image: Badenova

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From pv magazine Germany

Several companies have tried to deploy solar modules along cycling paths over the past few years. However, the feasibility and economic viability of solar roads remain controversial. The problem is that the modules in recent projects were installed on the pavement, exposing them to excessive mechanical stress from bicycles and pedestrians.

With this in mind, German system integrator Badenova has decided to install the solar panels above the cycling paths, on a roof-like structure. It has deployed a total of 912 glass-glass modules over a 300-meter section of a cycling path. The municipal government provided the land and supported the project with funds from its climate-protection fund.

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The 282.7 kW solar system, mounted on 38 galvanized steel roof segments, will generate around 280,000 kWh of electricity per year. The leaseholder of the system is the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

The project uses solar modules from German manufacturer Solarwatt. Together with Clickcon's newly developed “Click Plain Pro” mounting system, the modules form a closed rooftop structure. Fraunhofer ISE said it wants to use the electricity generated by the pilot project for its laboratories.

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