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<\/p>\nSolar Roadways is a company based in Idaho that is working to perfect and implement the idea of solar panels embedded within road surfaces, sidewalks and parking lots. The company was started by Scott and Julie Brusaw.<\/p>\n
A solar roadway is a road surface that generates electricity by collecting solar power with photovoltaics. The idea is to replace current petroleum-based asphalt roads, parking lots, and driveways with solar road panels that collect energy to be used by homes and businesses, and ultimately to be able to store excess energy in or alongside the solar roadways. Thus renewable energy replaces the need for the current fossil fuels used for the generation of electricity, which cuts greenhouse gases and helps in sustainable development.<\/p>\n
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Theoretically, if the entire United States Interstate Highway system were surfaced with Solar Roadways panels, it could produce more than three times the amount of electricity currently used nationwide.<\/p>\n
The main advantage of the solar roadway concept is that it utilizes a renewable source of energy to produce electricity. It has the potential to reduce dependence on conventional sources of energy such as coal, petroleum and other fossil fuels. Also, the life span of the solar panels is around 20 years, much greater than normal asphalt roads, which only last 7\u201312 years.<\/p>\n
In the event of an environmental disaster or military emergency, solar roadways would provide power when it is needed most. As solar power is renewable, it obviously requires no external connection to an artificial power source.<\/p>\n
Another advantage of solar roadways is that they do not require the development of unused and potentially environmentally sensitive lands. This is currently a very controversial issue with large photovoltaic installations in the Southwestern US and other places. But since the roads are already there, this is not an issue. Also, unlike large photovoltaic installations, new transmission corridors \u2013 perhaps across environmentally sensitive land \u2013 would not be required to bring power to consumers in urban areas. Transmission lines could simply be run along already established roadways.<\/p>\n
With induction plating embedded inside these roads, electric cars can be recharged while in motion on top of these roads. This would reduce the costs and the time-inconvenience of waiting at a charging station.<\/p>\n
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The parking lot will also warm itself in cold weather to melt away snow and ice. A layer of embedded LEDs will be used to create traffic warnings or crosswalks, and excess electricity could be used to charge electric vehicles or routed into the power grid. The electrical components will be embedded between layers of extremely durable, textured glass.<\/p>\n
The United States Department of Transportation awarded the company Solar Roadways Incorporated a $100,000 research contract in 2009.<\/p>\n
In year 2014 Solar Roadways Inc. announced that the Federal Highway Administration awarded it a follow-up $750,000 contract to take it to the next step.<\/p>\n
Installation costs of building such roadways and parking lots are initially expected to be substantially higher than conventional road surfaces. Maintenance costs will also be higher because road surfaces accumulate rubber, salt, soil and other substances that block sunlight and must be removed. The durability of the panels may also be less, further increasing maintenance costs. However, with the cost of Asphalt going up due to rising oil prices, the solar roadways panels may be on par with the costs of replacing the blacktop. In addition, the solar roadways system is designed to replace many other road features that are also cost drivers for road systems.<\/p>\n
Source: http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Solar_Roadways<\/a><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.solarroadways.com\/intro.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Solar Roadways is a company based in Idaho that is working to perfect and implement the idea of solar panels embedded within road surfaces, sidewalks and parking lots. The company was started by Scott and Julie Brusaw. A solar roadway … Continue reading