France has opened what it claims to be the world's first solar panel road in a Normandy village.
A 1km (0.6-mile) route in the small village of Tourouvre-au-Perche covered with 2,800 sq m of electricity-generating panels, was inaugurated on Thursday by the ecology minister, Ségolène Royal.
It cost €5m (£4.2m) to construct and will be used by about 2,000 motorists a day during a two-year test period to establish if it can generate enough energy to power street lighting in the village of 3,400 residents.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday December 28 2016, @07:33PM
If all you wanted to do was power the light poles with minimal wiring, then you could put the solar panels on the top of the light poles. Or, depending on the situation, you could put the solar panels next to the road on a purpose-built rack mount, like those used in many solar installations in rural areas right now. Both of those options would be cheaper and easier than putting solar panels in the middle of the road.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.