Visualization of a bridge design based on a solar road by The Civil Conqueror team from the ITS Civil Engineering Department

ITS Campus, ITS News – The rapid development of infrastructure in Indonesia also contributes to carbon emissions and is a major trigger for climate change. Seeing these conditions, three students from the Civil Engineering Department of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) innovated a road covered with solar panels on the bridge.

The three students are Royce Giovano Sutikno, Adi Drajad Budiman, and Nathaniel Nico Prawira who are members of The Civil Conqueror team. The team leader, Royce Giovano Sutikno, explained that this innovation stems from the issue of climate change which has become a global topic and fact. “The minimal use of new renewable energy (EBT) in infrastructure development was the starting point for this innovation,” he said.

Royce said that his choice of innovation was not without reason. With an average year-round irradiation of 2,000 – 3,000 hours, Indonesia has the potential to replace more environmentally friendly sources of electricity. Apart from that, implementing solar roads on bridges is also considered more effective than highways which are sometimes blocked by trees or tall buildings.

View of the road covered with solar panels on the bridge design by The Civil Conqueror ITS team

Therefore, Royce and his team designed this innovative bridge with minimal top and side frames. Therefore, through the 756.5 meter long bridge design made by the ITS team, it can produce 13,843.95 kilowatts of electrical energy per hour. “This electricity production simulation is calculated to be able to meet the electricity needs of 144 heads of families (KK) in Situbondo Regency,” explained the bespectacled student further.

Not only is it efficient in providing EBT, this breakthrough bridge from Royce and his team has also been proven to be twice as strong as asphalt. Made from tempered glass which consists of three main layers, namely, the road surface layer, the electronic layer and the base plate layer. The solar road can have a usage period of up to 20 years.

The ITS Civil Conqueror team wearing alma mater suits (from left) Nathaniel Nico Prawira, Adi Drajad Budiman, and Royce Giovano Sutikno after receiving the competition award

Furthermore, explained Royce, if we look at the effectiveness of the carbon emissions produced, the solar panels applied to the bridge only produced 678,353.5 grams. This has been proven to be 20 times lower than emissions from burning coal and 12 times lower than emissions from using natural gas.

Due to this innovation, the team guided by lecturer Dr Ahmad Basshofi Habieb ST MSc succeeded in winning 1st place at the National Paper Competition Civil Engineering Festival held by the Jakarta State Polytechnic on 24 August. “Hopefully our team will become more solid and can win various competitions in the future,” concluded this class of 2022 student. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Mifda Khoirotul Azma