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Technology
Solar panel roadways gain real-world testing in Peachtree Corners
By MARY JANE BOGLE | The Municipal
Peachtree Corners, Ga., is no stranger to innovation. Founded with the express purpose of promoting and improving technology in a wide range of applications, this forward-thinking city has done it again, offering smart city infrastructure for corporations and innovators interested in developing future-forward transportation. A planned community designed to attract innovation, Peachtree Corners works in collaboration with Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, an economic development initiative that leverages public money and private investments. Together, they have designed multiple options for high-tech companies, entrepreneurs and academicians to come and work alongside like-minded industries. Companies and universities of all sizes are invited to test, demo and deploy cuttingedge technologies in this environment. Testing infrastructure includes a 3-mile autonomous vehicle test track, complete with intelligent traffic signals and smart streetlights, along with access to a 5G testbed and lab space in a 25,000-square-foot innovation center. It’s all part of a 500-acre technology park, which offers amenities that are hard to beat. Solar panel testing One project currently under testing is roadway solar panels. Working with French company Wattway, Peachtree Corners and
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Curiosity Lab have embedded these solar panels in a small section of the test track. The track includes two narrow outer lanes designed for autonomous vehicles that run alongside two lanes of regular traffic. These roadway-embedded solar panels power an electric vehicle charging station in front of city hall. Broad range of options Originally tested in conjunction with The Ray, a nonprofit proving ground for transportation located in western Georgia, these roadway-embedded solar panels offer realworld testing options and serve as a proving ground for technology that has graduated from a closed testing environment. This collaborative relationship between Peachtree Corners, Curiosity Lab and The Ray has made it possible for Wattway to test their roadway solar panels in both rural and bustling suburban settings. At The Ray, solar panels are installed in the parking lot of the Visitor Information Center located along The Ray Highway,
ABOVE: Working with French company Wattway, Peachtree Corners, Ga., and Curiosity Lab have embedded solar panels into a small section of the test track. This allows autonomous vehicles to run alongside two lanes of regular traffic. The embedded solar panels power an electric vehicle charging station in front of city hall. (Photo provided) an 18-mile stretch of interstate along I-85 named in memory of Ray C. Anderson, a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business for pursuing a zero environmental footprint. In this setting, Wattway can learn how the solar panels work in a rural setting, while at Peachtree Corners, Wattway can conduct research in such realworld conditions as pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Open for testing Through Peachtree Corner’s collaboration with The Ray, entrepreneurs like Wattway can essentially take advantage of a twofor-one deal when they travel to the greater Atlanta area. At The Ray, they can gather data along the interstate. And at Peachtree Corners, they can test technology in a more suburban setting, complete with all the naturally occurring variables that a small city environment provides — think rolling hills, sweeping curves, walkways and right of ways.
