The world's first photovoltaic cycle path, in Germany!

The Germans are one of the most austere people in the world. Yet, more than once, I have discovered the great creative capacity for innovation that lies beneath the rigour of the German nation.

Clean energy practitioners and environmentalists alike have spared no effort to promote innovations in the way clean energy is produced, even though some technologies or applications are still a concept or an experiment.

Now, the country that was the first in the world to put photovoltaic panels on railway tracks has built the world's first photovoltaic project for bicycle paths. Although, the idea may have occurred to more than one person before that:

A bike lane covered by a simple solar PV roof, with cyclists riding underneath using the cleanest form of transport on the planet, while being protected from the sun and rain, as well as from the threat of motorists.

As for the solar energy above the cycle path, it is very easy to install and does not take up additional space that is otherwise useful. What's more, a similar project should undoubtedly make a splash in the public eye.

However, solar PV cycle paths are not ubiquitous. In fact, they are rare. But Germany has just had its first, and perhaps this is just one of the country's various attempts at making the transition to photovoltaic energy. Also, recall that Germany has been a solar PV trendsetter in Europe since the past and has largely spearheaded the revolution in rooftop solar PV.

This solar PV bike path was created by the green energy company Badenova and the project is located in the city of Freiburg in southern Germany, close to the Freiburg football stadium. The project currently has an installed capacity of 287 kW. It uses 900 translucent glass photovoltaic modules made by Solarwatt, a 30-year-old photovoltaic module company based in Dresden, Germany.