--- title: "Report: The World’s First Solar Road is an Absolute Disaster" description: "Three years later, the world's first solar road in France turned out to be an absolute disaster, as French newspaper Le Monde reports." date: "2019-08-15" modified: "2019-08-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/worlds-first-solar-road-disaster" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "france" - "solar roads" - "solar roadways" - "the digest" --- # Report: The World’s First Solar Road is an Absolute Disaster ![]() *\Image: Florian Pépellin\* ## Sorry State In 2016 France turned a one-kilometer stretch of roadway into the [world's first solar road](). And three years later, the trial project has turned out to be an absolute disaster, French newspaper [*Le Monde* reports](). The photovoltaic panels that made up the 2,800 square meter (just over 30,000 square feet) of road surface have deteriorated beyond recognition, according to the paper. The panels have reportedly started peeling off the road and splintering. ## Speed Trap The speed limit even had to be lowered to 70 kmh (43 mph) because of rotting leaves generating a significant amount of noise for nearby residents. It also never reached the expected 790 kilowatt-hours a day the panels were supposed to generate. At most, the road only produced [half]() of that. The project may have been doomed from the start. 75 percent of the panels were broken before even being installed back in 2016, [according to *Daily Caller*](). ## Brighter Future But the idea of having roadways generate solar power is far from dead, according to Business Insider. In the Netherlands, a solar bike lane has fared much better, exceeding the expected energy production. A solar panel road is also being tested near Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. American company Solar Roadways is hoping to turn highways smart using solar panels, sensors and LED lights for [traffic warning systems](). While they're expensive, they could generate enough power to heat up enough to at least clear the road of ice and snow. **READ MORE:** [The world's first solar road has turned out to be a colossal failure that's falling apart and doesn't generate enough energy, according to a report]() \[*Business Insider*\] **More on solar roads:** *[China's First Solar Highway is Nearly Complete, May Soon Be Able to Charge Electric Cars]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()