A small US - based company calledSolar Roadwaysare developing a solar road surface that , if put in across the nation , has the potential drop to produce more renewable vim than the entire country use . In fact , they ’ve really already build up a work prototype that ’s been installed in a parking plenty , and they ’re nowcrowdsourcingfunds so as to pluck the design and move towards production .
Solar Roadways , which was started by Scott and Julie Brusaw in 2006 , designed and develop hexangular Methedrine solar panels constellate with light-emitting diode lights that could be establish on a kind of surfaces such as road , pavement and playgrounds . These panels would more than pay for themselves and would profit both businesses and householder as the energy father from drive and parking lots could be used to power buildings , and any excess can be sold back to the control grid .
The panels also comprise heating elements to melt ice and snow so are ideal in wintertime conditions , and LEDs to make road bank line and sign which have been previously shown to reduce Nox time accidents . The surface could also be used to charge electric vehicles as oppose to fossil fuels , and next technology could even allow for institutionalize whilst ride via common evocation panels . Amazingly , the team also found that cable car headlamp can produce energy in the panel , so cars drive around at Nox would be acquire some electricity .
Snow test : the powered row of dialog box are loose of snow / ice . double credit : Solar Roadways .
A glass Earth’s surface may vocalize fragile , but the prototypes have been extensively tested and were find oneself to be capable to withstand even the heavy trucks . Recycled fabric can also be used to farm the panels ; the prototypes were constructed using 10 % recycled glass .
All of the board will bewired up , so mistake can be easily detect and repaired . They team have also design a place to stash power cable , called “ Cable Corridors ” , which would permit well-to-do access by utility workers . Furthermore , they also believe that these corridors could be used to domiciliate fibre optic overseas telegram for in high spirits - f number internet .
The team have done somecalculations ; there ’s around 31,000 straight miles of operational surface in the US , and if all of these were covered the Solar Roadways system could raise over three times the electrical energy that is used by the entire country . That ’s an unbelievable voltage that could lead to a vast decrease in dependency on extraneous oil . It would also cut CO2emissions by a considerable amount .
manifestly , this project is n’t going to be cheap . Solar Roadways are hoping to arouse $ 1 million on theirindiegogopage so that they can hire engineers to make final modifications and move from prototype to production . They suppose that if they reach their fair game they should be capable to begin installing labor at the end of the class , but a significantly larger amount of money would be required if they were to endeavor to cover all the road in the US !
Here ’s a YouTube picture from Solar Roadways if you ’d like to find out more :
