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Broadcasting Zeeland
NOS News•
Building solar panels on a dike with grass is not a good idea. The grass under the panels dies, which affects the strength of the dike.
A trial that TNO carried out together with the water board near Vlissingen has therefore been stopped prematurely, reports Broadcasting Zeeland. The trial was supposed to last three years, but it now ends after two years.
“Solar energy generated on dikes has great potential”, wrote research institute TNO at the start of the trial in the municipality of Ritthem. The Netherlands has about 17,000 kilometers of flood defences, mainly dikes. About 1600 kilometers of that would be suitable for laying solar panels on.
Dike safety
But the initial results of the trial are disappointing. “Systems in which the grass covering of the dike is largely shaded by the solar panels are not suitable for the time being, because the quality of the grass mat deteriorates quickly,” says TNO now at the website.
That is bad news, because according to the research institute, the turf is essential for dike safety. Grass prevents the dike body from eroding. “Attempts have been made in a number of ways to get the light to the right places, but not yet with the desired result,” says Maarten Dörenkämper of TNO.
Quality grass cover
Yet Dörenkämper does not give up. You could replace the grass on the dike with, for example, brick, asphalt or concrete slabs. “It does not have to take into account the quality of the grass covering and is therefore simpler and promising.”
An additional advantage: you can quickly start installing solar panels on paved dike surfaces, without much additional research. “You shouldn’t want that in places where there is a lot of recreation, there is no social support for that. It fits better on dikes that are more remote, with an industrial character.”
