Malta’s very first solar pavement is set to be installed as part of the Għeriexem project in Rabat, announced the transport minister Ian Borg last week.

The fascinating technology is set to power 40% of the road’s lighting with renewable energy! The solar footpath takes up 40 square metres of the promenade and will include between 30 and 40 photovoltaic panels, which can generate more than a whopping 4,600kWh of electricity. It is estimated that the generation of this amount of electricity will result in the reduction of up to 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The concept of solar pavements is being introduced in several other countries and for Malta, this would be the first, very impressive step, for the development of more photovoltaic footpaths and cycle lanes in the future. According to the minister, this initiative will be marking another step forward towards higher levels of sustainability and improving people’s quality of life.