Development and Application of Energy Producing Solar Pavement in Estonia

Following article describes the practical application of energy producing solar roadway in Estonia, developed by several technology companies in cooperation with Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) laboratories and research groups. Several challenges were defeated during the research and design process: development of proper potting compound and installation methods of energy producing pavement blocks, development of a novel photovoltaic microinverter technology with shade-tolerant global maximum point tracking, etc. There are several test sites of solar roadways producing energy around Tallinn, Estonia, that can produce a considerable amount of electrical power and direct it to the grid. The test period of the system has validated the overall feasibility of the solar roadway concept and provided the scientists and engineers with valuable experience.