The world's first solar-powered highway now opens to traffic in East China's Shandong Province. A two-kilometer-long special section on the highway will provide electricity from the sunlight.
The road's composition is made of three distinct layers, with transparent concrete on top protecting the solar panels beneath. The bottom is an insulating layer to prevent moisture from getting to the photovoltaic devices in the middle layer. The sun will be able to generate electricity and it will be collected by the power grid through this highway. Furthermore, this road is also a part of a smart city, which is able to collect traffic information and form big data.