PV roofing for high ranking road networks: Technical feasibility and yield estimation

As renewable energies need to be extended massively, new concepts are necessary to prevent land conflicts with other uses. Such concepts should have a high generality to offer a swift expansion of renewables anywhere. Within the project Photovoltaic Road Roofing Concept (PV-SÜD), a concept for the roofing of roadways with solar panels was investigated and its effects on the road infrastructure were analyzed. The technical boundary conditions and requirements resulting from this application area were determined with regard to the photovoltaic technology used, the possible energy generation and the required supporting structure. This was done in a generalized and multipliable approach differing from previous studies, which mainly aimed at a singular site or demonstrator project. The requirements were maximum flexibility in the road integration potential and that interferes as little as possible with traffic operation and which further guarantees an electric yield with minimized variation from site or orientation. The solution was selected in the form of a gable roof elevated in steel for road sections with a predominantly north-south course and in the form of an elevated pent roof for road sections with a predominantly east-west course in accordance with the optimum PV yield utilization. This roofing is to be realized as a steel frame construction with active PV elements in glass-glass technology.