# Solar-Paved Roads This Energy-Generating Pavement Produces Renewable Energy By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2016-02-08 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/energygenerating-pavement References: [fastcoexist](http://www.fastcoexist.com/3056394/france-plans-to-build-hundreds-of-miles-of-solar-paved-roads?partner=rss) & [wattwaybycolas](http://www.wattwaybycolas.com/en/) France is currently installing hundreds of miles of energy-generating pavement in order to provide the country with a more sustainable energy source. While the technology is already in use in both the Netherlands and South Korea, the experiment demonstrates how [solar-paved roads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-energy-technology) can be used on an even larger scale. As part of an effort to move towards the use of [renewable energy sources](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/land-aggregation), the French government is installing 620 miles of energy-generating pavement across the country. The roadways will be made up of Wattway panels, which are quarter-inch thick solar pads glued directly to the road. Like any other roadway, the pavement is strong enough to support cars and won't impact driving conditions. However, the benefit of the new roads is the ability to generate enough energy for about 8 percent of the country's population. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.0/10 - Popularity: 80% | Activity: 62% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Solar-paved Road Infrastructure:** Opportunities for innovative transportation infrastructure that generates renewable energy using paved roads. - **Energy-generating Pavement Technology:** Innovations in energy-generation technology and infrastructure using thinly solar-paneled pavement. - **Sustainable Energy Source Experimentation:** Experimenting with more sustainable energy solutions by installing hundreds of miles of energy-generating pavement in countries. ### Who This Affects Most - **Transportation Industry:** Opportunity for transportation industries to innovate using paved roads that also generate renewable energy. - **Renewable Energy Industry:** Opportunities for renewable energy industries to develop energy-generation technology using pavement. - **Construction Industry:** Opportunities for construction industries to build more sustainable and innovative energy infrastructure. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Grid-Connected Pavilions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solar-electric-pavilion.md) - [Solar-Powered Sleek Bikes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-solaris.md) - [Urban Solar Charging Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/perovia.md) - [Futuristic Solar-Powered Vehicles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lightyear-0.md) - [Solar-Powered Blankets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solarpowered-blanket.md) - [Consolidated Photovoltaic Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/photovoltaic-systems.md) - [Flexible Solar Film Energy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heliafilm.md) - [Swedish Electric Road Highways](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trafikverket.md) - [Roof-Mounted EV Charging Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gosun-sun.md)