There are 2 million miles of paved roads in the United States. Each of those miles has to be resurfaced periodically and the material generally used to pave roads is asphalt which is a petroleum product. So not only do you need to put gas in your family car, but the road you drive on also contributes to this country’s thirst for fossil fuels. But, what if that same road could instead be part of the production of green energy using solar panels. That wonderfully crazy idea is the brainchild of Scott Brusaw who is the CEO of Solar Roadways.
According to Erick Schonfeld at TechCrunch,
Brusaw wants to create solar panels strong enough to support the weight of cars and trucks driving at 80 miles per hour. There is so much road surface in America, that the collected energy could replace other forms of fossil fuel energy, even with really inefficient solar panels. Even better, since roads go to each home and business, the roads themselves would not only collect the energy, but distribute it. The energy wouldn’t power cars themselves, except maybe electric vehicles juicing up at roadside charging stations. LEDs could be built into the roadways and used as signs.
Solar Roadways ran the numbers and estimates that a solar panel road segment might be able to pay for itself in about 22 years depending on what assumptions you use for efficiency and hours of sunlight. Is this an idea that could take roads from part of the problem to part of the solution? Perhaps the Joni Mitchell song will have to be changed to “they paved paradise and put up a mechanism for creating green energy”. That might be lyrically less catchy but more intriguing as we struggle with global warming and energy independence.
(Via TechCrunch) (images via TechCrunch)
with so much traffic the sun may never see the surface of a heavily traversed roadway. Is there any posibility that the “wind” generated from traffic could be harnessed and used to operate utilities that would otherwise be costly for the states and cities to provide their citizens.? Such as lighting in the streets and park at night, the operation of signals, power for local government buildings and county services etc.? Or would they be opposed to less reason for federal handouts? Anything is possible?
Excellent idea!!! The only problem I see with this, is vandalism. A few sharp blows with a heavy, sharp or blunt instrument, or even an explosive could indeed shatter the layers enough to shut down a panel or two. The system would have to be smart enough for the panels to bypass a damaged area so the surrounding structure would remain electronically intact & functional… “B”
Seems it would make more sense to put small pipes in the road, let the heat from sunlight on dark asphalt (and from the passing cars) heat fluid in the pipes, and then convert the heat in the fluid to electricity in a turbine. Just a thought.
That actually is done in some places, PWBREWER, as I understand it. The problem is it’s difficult and expensive to do, and does nothing to alleviate the need for asphalt. The solar panel idea is nice because not only does it contribute to energy production, it replaces asphalt and the resulting need for fossil fuels.
Good luck trying to stop in a blizzard or ice storm in the Northeast. I hope it works but maybe we should just start with all our driveways and use it for our houses.
This is simply amazing! Solar power is definitely a solution for our future energy needs. It will be interesting to see these panels not only in our consumer products, but on our roadways. I hope this idea takes off.
Terrible idea!!!!!! Good initiative bad judgement if these are ever implemented on our roadways, I can just see law suits pending from accidents caused by lack of tire traction. Cars leak oil and all other sorts of fluids which would hinder the absorbtion rate of (sunlight). Hey lets pay people to clean the roadways constantly then these things “might be able to pay for itself in about 22 years depending on what assumptions you use for efficiency and hours of sunlight.”