Amsterdam subway station rooftops to get solar panels

Solar panels may soon be installed on the rooftops of 19 above-ground subway stations in Amsterdam. The goal is to save on energy and reduce the subway's CO2 emissions, the Telegraaf reports.

This is a joint initiative by transporter GVB, the Amsterdam municipality and City Region Amsterdam. Money saved on electricity will be used to manage and maintain public transport in the city. The electricity generated will be used to power escalators and lighting, among other things.

In total the Amsterdam subway stations have about 10 thousand square meters of rooftops. This means that about two football fields worth of solar panels can be installed. The amount of energy generated is equivalent to about 40 thousand household's energy for a year.

The subway station on Van der Madeweg is getting the largest solar panel installation.

The municipality still has to decide whether and how much it will contribute financially.