Gallery: Clear Solar Panels Double as Highway Sound Barriers

  • Image may contain Road Car Transportation Vehicle Automobile Freeway Highway Train Track Rail Railway and Tarmac
    Eindhoven University of Technology
    01

    3048222-slide-s-3-these-beautiful-translucent-barriers

    Right now, along the A2 Highway near Den Bosch in The Netherlands, a chemical engineer has installed roadside noise barriers that double as solar panels. These renderings imagine the new technology implemented at scale.
  • Image may contain Tarmac Asphalt Road Advertisement and Billboard
    Dr. Michael Debije
    02

    DSC02503

    The actual test panels.
  • Image may contain Road Vehicle Transportation Bus Train Wheel Machine Freeway and Highway
    Eindhoven University of Technology
    03

    3048222-slide-s-1-these-beautiful-translucent-barriers

    The test panels use a new kind of renewable energy technology called luminescent solar concentrators. These panels look more like a stained-glass window pane than a sleeping computer screen.
  • Image may contain Building Nature Weather and Architecture
    Eindhoven University of Technology
    04

    3048222-slide-s-2-these-beautiful-translucent-barriers

    Because the panels are essentially sheets of colored plastic that can capture diffuse lightwaves, they also work in cloudy and dark environments.
  • Image may contain Bus Stop Outdoors Transportation Vehicle Automobile and Car
    Dr. Michael Debije
    05

    DSC02497

    The screens pair the new LSC panels with traditional silicon solar cells, so the research team can compare results once the year of testing is complete.
Read More
Staunch Trump Supporters Are Now Asking If He’s the Antichrist
The Iran war and a series of social media posts, including one depicting Trump as Jesus Christ, have some conservative commentators and fans suspecting the president may be the antichrist.
Makena Kelly
The Best iRestore Deals on Hair Growth and Red Light Therapy
Today, iRestore is offering up to $900 off select devices and up to $1,550 off bundles.
Boutayna Chokrane
Meta Is Warned That Facial Recognition Glasses Will Arm Sexual Predators
More than 70 organizations, including the ACLU, EPIC, and Fight for the Future, say the AI smart glasses feature would endanger abuse victims, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ people.
Dell Cameron
The Best Fitness Trackers Check Your Sleep, Heart Rate, or Even Your Blood
With almost ten years of hands-on testing, WIRED knows what separates the best fitness trackers from the rest.
Adrienne So
You Should Be More Freaked Out by Shingles
The viral infection leaves millions with chronic pain, increased stroke risk, and lifelong nerve damage—yet vaccination rates remain dangerously low.
Rosie Taylor
BYD’s Fastest-Charging Car in the World Is Astonishing—in Good and Bad Ways
WIRED witnessed the game-changing Denza Z9 GT charge its battery in just 9 minutes. But the pricing for BYD's premium brand looks like a huge mistake.
Jeremy White
The Best Water Filter Pitchers for PFAS- and Lead-Free Living
Water filters promise the moon—but only some back up their claims. Here are the best filtered-water pitchers for those who prefer their water free of heavy metals and forever chemicals.
Matthew Korfhage
The Internet's Most Powerful Archiving Tool Is in Peril
As major news outlets cut off the Wayback Machine, journalists and advocacy groups are rallying to protect the Internet Archive’s vast collection of web pages.
Kate Knibbs
The Dumbest Hack of the Year Exposed a Very Real Problem
Last April, a hacker hijacked crosswalk announcements to mimic Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Records obtained by WIRED reveal how unprepared local authorities were.
Paresh Dave
AI Agents Are Coming for Your Dating Life
The developers of Pixel Societies are using AI agents to simulate social interactions. It's an attempt optimize the process of choosing new colleagues, friends, and even romantic partners.
Joel Khalili
The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For
AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.
Miles Klee
A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why
Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.
Stephanie Pearson