China successfully tested its first photovoltaic highway, based on home-grown technology, in the country’s eastern Shandong province on Thursday, China Central Television (CCTV) said in a video report posted on its official social media account.
The 1-kilometer (0.62-mile) segment of solar-powered highway covers a surface area of 5,875 square meters (about 63,238 square feet), with three layers including translucent concrete on the top, photovoltaic panels in the middle, and insulation on the bottom, the broadcaster specified.
A mini-bus traveled at the speed of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour over the tested road, with the driver praising the braking distance of the new surface as almost identical to that of a traditional asphalt surface, according to the CCTV report.
China??: world’s first photovoltaic highway opens in Shandong #solar @XHNews pic.twitter.com/WVPhnMvonA
— Geogralphy (@geogralphy) December 28, 2017