We all know the benefits of harnessing solar energy, but the general population is still finding it difficult to switch over to it. In the meantime, organizations and governments have made efforts to utilize this which has generally helped their communities.
One of them includes South Korea which uses solar energy panels on one of their highways. While this is not a new concept, they utilize this differently as they cater to bikers. This might not be much in terms of solving all of our problems on energy consumption, but it’s very much on the right way towards future initiatives that support solutions for it.
Protection from other elements
The solar panels cover the 20-mile bike lane located between Daejeon and Sejong, South Korea. Not only do these panels create clean energy, but it also doubles as a roof over bikers’ heads as they pass along the highway. This is helpful as well since it can protect bikers from heat and probably even moderate rainfall.
via GIPHY
Looking at a bigger picture, there’s clearly a health and safety risk of bringing bikers so close to a highway due to car fumes. Some people would also complain about it being dangerous for cyclists to be placed right next to cars. Although that is true, one can also argue that there’s no difference from them being placed together within a city center. However, there is some hope that this will not be an issue in the future if more cars become electric vehicles (EV) in the future.
Paving the way towards the future
This incredibly inventive way to incorporate solar technology on bike lanes can easily be used around the world. This highway is a great example of a multi-purpose setup where solar panels don’t just take up space. Unique ideas like this and other small ways to incorporate solar energy could be the start people need to begin switching to greener sources.
Watch the stunning bird’s eye view of the highway below. Enjoy!
YouTube: Travel from Daejeon to Sejong by Bike
Photo credit: The feature image has been taken by Flo Karr.
Source: YouTube / Charlie Sorrel (Fast Company) / Patrick E. George (How Stuff Works)
