Solar Powered Roads May Lie Ahead

Photo by Marusjka Lestrade via flickr

There are miles and miles of asphalt roads all over the United States, and the mileage is growing every year with a deepening effect over global warming. What if we could replace roads with a different material, one that was more eco-friendly and just as efficient? Well, the Solar Roadway project is thinking outside of the box to create exactly that, a solar panel roadway.

In 2009 the Solar Roadway project was contracted by the Federal Highway Administration to build the first ever Solar Panel Prototype. The theory behind it was that making a road out of solar panels could collect solar energy, which could pay for the cost of the panel, thereby creating a road that would pay for itself over time, according to solarroadways.com. A solar panel roadway could also include LED lights to replace painted road lines, making it safer for night time driving, and even add a heating element to the surface that would prevent snow and ice from accumulating on the roads.

According to solarroadways.com, the solar roadway is a series of structurally-engineered solar panels that are designed in a way that allows them to be driven on. The panels are made out of three basic layers: road surface layer, electronics layer and base plate layer. The road surface layer is translucent and high strength, tough enough to provide traction and be driven on, yet the sunlight can still pass through to the solar collector cells embedded within. The electronics layer contains the microprocessor board with support circuitry for sensing loads on the surface and controlling a heart element. The base plate layer distributes power, and data signals to all homes and businesses connected to the Solar Roadway. It is also weatherproof which protects the electronics layer above it.

The hope is that solar roadways will replace every petroleum-based asphalt road, from driveways to parking lots. Panels could also be used in amusement parks, raceways, bike paths, parking garages, rooftops, and remote military locations. The goal would be to store excess energy in or along the Solar Roadways, and have the renewable energy replace the need for current fossil fuels, which in turn would cut greenhouse gases in half. In essence, imagine a world where everyone has power, this would solve power shortages, roaming power outages and eliminate the need to burn coal. According to solarroadways.com this would then lead to less dependency upon foreign oil and much less pollution.

Although this sounds like a fantastic idea, founders Julie and Scott Brusaw are aware that the switch to solar panel roadways will not happen overnight. The progress will be slow, starting with driveways, bike path, patios, sidewalks, parking lots and playgrounds as they perfect their system. After time they will move to residential roads, where speeds are slower than highways and trucks are not as common. After all trial and error has been done they will move to highways and complete their ultimate goal. For more information on solar panel roadway innovations check out solarroadways.com.

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