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2.8-MW A3 Highway Solar System Nears Completion

February 26, 2009 | 5 Comments

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Massachusetts, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] Evergreen Solar Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR) announced that the first phase of construction of an installation placing more than 16,000 solar panels on the roof of the tunnel of Germany's A3 highway using Evergreen Solar panels is nearing completion. When finished, the 2.8-megawatt solar installation will be one of Germany's largest and first to be located on a public highway.

"Theoretically, there's a huge amount of free space on highway bridges and tunnels. If this example is replicated throughout Germany, the country's market share on solar energy could rise substantially."

-- Peter Rusch, Director of Marketing & Sales - Europe/Middle East/Asia, Evergreen Solar

The installation, located near Aschaffenburg, Germany, occupies 2.7 kilometers of the A3 tunnel roof. German-based solar installer Ralos is overseeing the construction and Goldbach-Hoesbach, which purchased the land from the German government, will oversee the projects interconnectivity to the power grid. The €11 million investment in the project is expected to be paid back through cost savings over 16 years.

“This project is a testament to the fact that when both government and developers work together in a creative and goal-oriented way, positive results such as clean, renewable energy can be the result,” said Peter Rusch, Evergreen Solar’s director of marketing and sales for Europe, the Middle East and Asia. “Theoretically, there’s a huge amount of free space on highway bridges and tunnels. If this example is replicated throughout Germany, the country’s market share on solar energy could rise substantially.”

Solar Energy

5 Reader Comments

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1 of 5

rupert-wolfe-murray-146447

February 27, 2009

This type of project should be happening all over UK and Romania, where I work, but they are not even being discussed.
www.productive.ro/blog

Comment
2 of 5

rod-ward-able-118784

February 27, 2009

I have tried to get the UK Department of Trade and Industry interested in using the verges alongside railways and highways to carry Photovoltaic arrays, but have found an almost total lack of interest. They would be easy to build, and would provide "free" energy,even in a cloudy climate.

All we need is one Champion in government to get the ball rolling. Is anyone out there ?

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3 of 5

john-harlan-81273

February 27, 2009

16 year payback is a long time when technological advance may lower the payback time considerably.

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4 of 5

ann-malone-48191

February 27, 2009

And technological advance won't happen unless there's a market, so thank God for those taking the plunge first!

After those 16 years, it's free power for at least 9 more years (PV warranty: 25 years) and extremely likely longer. Given the uncertainty of energy costs in the next 25 years, buying 25 years of power up-front lowers stress--maybe the health benefits could give it a higher MRR :)

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5 of 5

hatem-abed-135690

February 28, 2009

16 years is long time for the return of investment. Yet, I must agree that there is a lot more than Money in life. I just hope that the researchers and scientists would invest more in developing such technology to benefit Mother Earth and humanity. Residing in Egypt, I can just imagine what such a project can do for this country that has such an ideal weather for Solar Energy.

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