Technology: Solar panel

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 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.

The solar panels were originally tested in conjunction with The Ray, a nonprofit proving group for transportation. (Photo provided)

A place to learn, grow and thrive

Peachtree Corners hopes to leverage its investment in testing facilities to attract cutting-edge companies to the area, offering an extended invitation to innovators to test advanced deliverables and even potentially settle in Peachtree Corners. That’s where Peachtree Corners’ Technology Park comes in, offering companies everything from low-rent space in the innovation center to access to the test track at no charge.

As a result, companies can develop and then test innovative projects that not only promote road safety but also improve infrastructure resiliency and integrate current and future technology. In this sense, Peachtree Corners is living up to its tagline. It truly is an “innovative and remarkable” place.

For more information about these and other innovations, or to explore potential partnerships, visit peachtreecornersga.gov, curiositylabptc.com and theray.org. Pictured is an EV charging station installed by Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners. Curiosity Lab is an economic development initiative that leverages public money and private investments. (Photo provided)

Rooted in innovation

Gwinnett County’s newest city, Peachtree Corners’ roots date back to the late 1960s when businessman Paul Duke pitched the idea of creating a planned community to be built in the area once known as Pinckneyville. Duke’s dream included Technology Park Atlanta, a campus of low-rise buildings for high-tech industries.

Today, Technology Park is home to Fortune 500 businesses and continues to attract high-tech companies drawing top-tiered engineering talent from around the country. Founded on July 1, 2012, Peachtree Corners is also home to regional, national and international headquarters for a number of corporations.