The German city of Freiburg, south of Stuttgart, has inaugurated Europe's first cycle path covered by solar panels. A novelty that bodes well for the future of renewable energy.
For better or for worse, Germany Uber Alles
On the subject of energy, it could only be the German "locomotive" that catalyzed the media's attention on the subject of renewable energy.
First the give up on nuclear power, with the shutdown of the last 4 plants (discussed due to the possible energy consequences associated with the conflict in Ukraine). Then the appeal, hopefully temporary, to coal. Now, the choice to accelerate as much as possible, to cross the goal of zero emissions 5 years early, in 2045.
In this context, an innovative and sustainable project like this cycle path is welcomed with open arms, and sets another category record for green (wannabe) Germany.
A small cycle path for the Germans, a great trailblazer for Europe
It's a small stretch, nothing huge as in Saudi Arabia: just 300 meters long, the cycle path is made up of over 900 translucent glass solar panels produced by Solarwatt, capable of generating 280 MWh of solar energy per year.
Most important thing? The modules used in the cycle path project have obtained general technical approval from the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt). This means that they can be used without any restrictions for both private and public projects, without the need for case-by-case testing.
Apart from the figures of this pilot project, however, identifying the way to replicate solutions like these in Europe (by testing companies and processes that do not depend on other continents) is of crucial importance.
There is a significant delay to cover
In countries like South Korea, photovoltaic projects of this type have been operating for years. Between the cities of Daejeon and Sejong there is the longest photovoltaic cycle path in the world: 9 kilometers by 4 meters wide, and energy for 600 families.
If other cities follow the example of Freiburg (which also has the third stadium in the world with solar coverage) we could witness a real revolution in the world of cycle paths and solar energy.
