Energy Bands in Portugal and Lithuania

The present study focuses on Germany, with a regional Energy Bands concept: A major advantage of Energy Bands is that they can be set up anywhere on a small scale and do not require a large construction project, which would be complex, slow and thus more expensive to implement due to its size.

The concept of Energy Bands can also be applied decentrally and comparatively easily and quickly in all other European countries: Large amounts of solar energy can be generated not only in the sunny south, but also in more northern areas of Europe.

However, even if at the beginning all Energy Bands are created in a decentralized manner according to demand and flexible in size and scope, in the long term they can be expected to grow together within countries and, over time, across national borders.

In Portugal, Energy Bands on just one highway can already cover 5% of the country's electricity needs

Portugal has extremely high solar power potential. As domestic electricity demand is expected to increase due to the demand for e-cars, and at the same time all the more northern countries in Europe will have import needs, Portugal can become one of the largest electricity exporters in Europe.

At the same time, however, the land area is currently comparatively bright in large parts, so that solar fields of significant size can lead to a negative albedo effects in the respective region.

Accordingly, it is attractive to use the space along the already darker sealed highways to produce photovoltaic electricity in Portugal as well.

Portugal consumes around 47 terawatt hours of electricity per year - theoretically, it could cover large parts of this with solar power

And with more than 80% of Portuguese intending to buy electric cars in the near future, electricity demand is expected to increase significantly in the near term.

But although Portugal has invested heavily in renewables in recent years, and only about 35% of its electricity supply still comes from fossil sources, solar energy nonetheless accounts for less than 5% of its energy mix

Huge potential: Energy Bands on highways could help significantly to increase the share of solar energy in Portugal's energy mix and to meet the expected rapid increase in electricity demand

Like everywhere, it is also in Portugal crucial to seek out areas for black high-efficiency photovoltaics that are already dark and sealed - such as highways

Portugal's comparatively bright land area can only be selectively covered with large solar parks if regional warming due to negative albedo effects is to be avoided: Portugal, like many other countries, has lost vegetation due to rising temperatures and falling precipitation over the last 20 years. If one darkens the areas thus lightened by planting and afforestation, it is not problematic because vegetation areas are dark but still cooling. If, on the other hand, the area is darkened over a wide area by black photovoltaics from solar parks, this can be climatically problematic.

Energy Bands are a land-saving and environmentally friendly solution: on the highway-section between the two industrial areas of Fundao and Santarem alone, Energy Bands could generate about 2 TWh per year - that's about 4 % of the 47 TWh that Portugal currently consumes per year

Adding further Energy Bands at highways distributed in the country, another 5 TWh/a, i.e. a total of 7 TWh/a, can be produced - however, it is important here as well that the Energy Bands stop before towns or beautiful landscapes

Tourism is an important part of Portugal's economy, accounting for 18% of GDP. Accordingly, only highways should be provided with Energy Bands, and even there the poles of the Energy Bands should always be suspended if they are an aesthetic nuisance, so that only the underground cable continues.

An example of the possibility of using Energy Bands from Northern Europe: Lithuania

Energy Bands can also make other European countries less dependent on fossil fuels - take Lithuania, for example: The country produces only one third of its total electricity demand of approx. 13 TWh itself.

Despite lower solar irradiation, significant amounts of electricity can also be harvested here with the help of Energy Bands.

With bifacial photovoltaic modules, certain amounts of energy can be generated at these latitudes, as well, even in snowy winters.

In Lithuania, both domestically produced electricity and imported electricity still largely come from fossil fuels

With the help of Energy Bands on its widest highway sections, Lithuania can produce 1.5 TWh per year in an environmentally friendly and land-saving way

Even if countries in the north of Europe have a significantly lower solar energy potential than Mediterranean countries, it is still worthwhile for them to install Energy Bands along their highways as the core of a new smart grid.

Conclusion: Since all European countries have good highway infrastructures, Energy Bands are a simple and easy way to produce large amounts of energy