SOLAR PANEL ROADS? WHY NOT!

 

A genial American couple have come up with a nifty idea for using solar panels: build roads with them.  They would then serve a dual purpose, allow transit and make electricity. 

Julie and Scott Brusaw, from Idaho, are hoping that their idea will translate in cleaner, safer transportation. 

Instead of covering the earth with black tar, they thought, why not cover it with solar panels?  The invention is not only genial, but simple.  

Since asphalt or black top is made with petroleum there would a double saving on the energy side. 

Solar Roadways, as the Brusaw call their invention , is heated and has LED screens that can be used for all sorts of direction, warnings and street signeage. 

The idea will have to start slowly, obviously, but the rewards could be huge. 

In 2009 they received the first government grant to construct prototypes.  By this spring they'll have built the first parking lot made with solar panels.  

The panels that will be laid on the road are made of three parts.  On top a hard glass layer with the solar panels, led lights and heating.  Then a second layer, below, which contains the microprocessor unit that activates the lights and communicates with the panels, and lastly a bottom layer that collects the current generated and delivers it to homes and charging stations for electric cars and the likes. 

Even more crafty, the Brusaws have added canals to the sides of the modules that can collect water which could be reused for fields and other industry after filtering. 

Because the road is made of many tassels like a mosaic, in the event there is damage from earthquakes or other disaster, the pieces can simply be replaced. 

The project has no obstacles, since there is really no argument against it, and they might not be as efficient as sun-movement positioned panels but considering the scope of their use, there is no doubt that they can provide energy and pay for itself.   

Although the technology right now is more expensive than building conventional roads, the energy it generates could actually turn a profit for the states that use them. 

Source : Spiegel online 5.25.13