Wattway Solar Road, a Failure That Inspires Renewable Energy Research

Wattwal Solar Road is an ambitious project in France that was once considered the future of renewable energy but surprisingly ended differently. In 2016, the French government inaugurated the Wattway Solar Road, a 1-kilometer-long road paved with solar panels, claiming it could generate up to 280 MWh of electricity per year. This energy was targeted to be enough to power streetlights in a small town with a population of around 3,000 people.

This project, which costs around 5 million euros (equivalent to 83 billion rupiah), has become a global spotlight because it is called the world's first solar-powered road. The hope is that this innovation can pave the way for sustainable infrastructure while also reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

However, the reality is different. The solar panels installed on the road surface are quickly damaged due to heavy vehicle traffic. Additionally, the road surface causes loud noises that residents nearby complain about. Worse, the energy produced is far below the target, while maintenance costs have skyrocketed.

In 2020, just four years after its official inauguration, the Wattway Solar Road project was officially closed. Although considered a failure, the project is still remembered as a pioneer in renewable energy experiments. Many researchers believe that Wattway provides an important lesson that not all innovations can be immediately implemented on a large scale without thorough technical studies.

The Wattway Solar Road case reminds us that major innovations often come with significant risks as well. Its failure serves as a reflection that the transition to clean energy requires careful calculations, ongoing testing, and technological readiness to truly deliver tangible benefits.

Nah, can you imagine if someday this technology is fully developed and can be used properly… would it be suitable to install on Indonesian roads?

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Le Monde, DetikOto

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“Kebun Pangan Jupiter Rahayu” Breaks into the Top 10 in the SAE City Bandung Hunting Competition

Bandung (09/10/2025) - In commemoration of Bandung City’s 215th Anniversary in 2025, the Bandung City Government through the Food Security and Agriculture Office (DKPP) held the Buruan SAE competition, participated in by 56 groups representing 30 districts throughout Bandung. There were 27 groups in the large land category and 29 groups in the small land category. One of the groups that successfully advanced to the top 10 finalists is Jupiter Rahayu Food Garden, also known as Buruan SAE Jupiter Rahayu, in the large land category.

This success is inseparable from the usefulness of the food garden for the surrounding community. In addition to being a productive green space, this garden also serves as a source of healthy food that is easily accessible to residents, ranging from fresh vegetables and fruits to processed harvest products. The local community actively participates in its management, so the presence of the garden can strengthen togetherness and foster a sense of environmental care.

The assessment for Jupiter Rahayu Food Garden was conducted on Monday, September 1, 2025, with the presence of evaluators from the Food Security and Agriculture Office.

In addition to the tidiness of administration and the implementation of the 8 elements of Buruan SAE, which include cultivating various types of vegetables, raising livestock to produce animal protein, fish farming, cultivating family medicinal plants (toga), planting various types of fruits, plant and livestock breeding activities, managing harvest results, and planting various types of ornamental plants, Jupiter Rahayu Food Garden adds value by utilizing solar cells on top of the gazebo as a support for activities. This environmentally friendly innovation makes management more efficient and sustainable. It also receives support from and for groups, both government and non-government.

One of the managers of Jupiter Rahayu Food Garden, Tati Suryati, expressed her hope that this garden would become an independent garden capable of meeting the needs of the surrounding community.

“I hope that the achievements already attained will make Kebun Pangan Jupiter Rahayu a self-sufficient garden that can meet the needs of the surrounding community and empower residents to become more caring about the environment.

It should be noted that Jupiter Rahayu Food Garden is one of SEI's flagship CSR programs that continuously promotes the emergence of environmentally friendly innovations within the community.

Through the SAE Chase Competition, it is hoped that innovations and a spirit of collaboration will emerge from the community in maintaining family food security, while also creating a lush, productive, and beneficial environment for the residents of Bandung City.

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Vanguard 1, the Oldest Satellite, The First Evidence That Solar Energy Can Power in Outer Space

The history of renewable energy turns out not to have started only on Earth, but also in space. Vanguard 1 satellite, launched on March 17, 1958, is recorded as the world's first satellite to use solar cells as a power source in outer space. This achievement became a historic milestone in proving that solar energy can be harnessed to support technology in Earth's orbit.

This 1.46-kilogram satellite is an aluminum ball with a diameter of 15 cm and an antenna span of 91 cm. It is equipped with a simple solar panel capable of powering its transmitter. Although it stopped transmitting signals in 1964 due to declining power supply, this satellite remains in orbit to this day, making it the oldest artificial satellite still in space.

“The satellite stopped operating in 1964 when the power from the solar cells was no longer enough to power the transmitter.” Matt Bille, An aerospace research analyst from Booz Allen Hamilton who led the Vanguard 1 rescue scenario research, quoted from a Space.com report, Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

Now, after 67 years orbiting Earth, a group of scientists, engineers, and historians have proposed bringing Vanguard 1 back home. If successful, this satellite will become a valuable artifact for studying the condition of solar cells, batteries, metals, and the long-term effects of exposure to the outer space environment.

“We are not the first people to have this idea, and we hope not the last.” Bille. “But we have to wait and see if there is anyone capable of assessing whether this historical value is worth the cost.

More than just a satellite, Vanguard 1 is a witness to the birth of the solar energy era in space. It proved that solar power could go beyond Earth's limits, a legacy that continues to inspire the development of renewable energy technologies to this day.

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