A pilot project in Poland is deploying renewable energy sources near service areas along a major highway.
The installations include a micro solar array with a vertical east-west layout using bifacial solar panels and power optimizers. The project also features solar panels with different micro-inverters installed in various configurations.
The pilot project also includes wind turbines, a 10 kWh energy storage system, electric vehicle chargers, and a heat pump for utility water. All components are installed to avoid disrupting traffic safety.
All of the installations, which have been operating since February, are located near two service areas on the S5 expressway, a more than 350 km highway that runs from Grudziądz in northern Poland to Wrocław in the southwest.
The electricity is helping reduce operating costs for road infrastructure and increase the energy independence of the road operator. Any surplus will be sold to the grid or used to power electric vehicle charging stations.
Poznań University of Technology is leading the research under its Road Innovation Development program, supported by the National Center for Research and Development and Poland’s General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA).
Scientists from the university are collecting data on the output of the solar and wind systems, as well as performance metrics from the storage unit. The information will inform the design of future hybrid energy systems tailored to GDDKiA’s infrastructure.
“The results obtained will constitute the basis for selecting the most economically, environmentally and functionally advantageous system for obtaining, storing and distributing electricity from renewable sources using infrastructure located in the road area,” said GDDKiA.
Poland added 4 GW of solar in 2024, bringing its cumulative installed capacity to nearly 21 GW.
In February, the government reopened its loan and subsidy program for rural solar installations. It later launched a $1 billion energy storage subsidy scheme, which closed for applications at the end of May.
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