Driving on Glass? Inventor Hopes to Lay Down Solar Roads

[Soylent Brice]

U.S. roads paved with glass panels encasing photovoltaics and LEDs would double as national grid

A truck tire supporting a 36,300-kilogram load repeatedly traverses an 18-meter stretch of road, day in and day out, rolling up 483,000 kilometers on the odometer at the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DoT) testing facility in Virginia. The goal is to thoroughly challenge any new paving techniques and see how the road surface holds up. Now imagine putting a solar panel under there.

That's exactly what Scott Brusaw of Sagle, Idaho–based Solar Roadways hopes to do next February. The electrical engineer is currently at work building a prototype of his so-called "Solar Road Panel" with the help of a $100,000 small business grant from the DoT.

"We're building solar panels that you can drive on," Brusaw says. "The fact that it's generating power means it pays for itself over time, as opposed to asphalt."

There are about 260,000 kilometers of roadway in the U.S. National Highway System alone, and thousands more in state highways, suburban thoroughfares and rural roads. Could all that asphalt be replaced with a solar technology that would also double as the nation's power grid?

much more: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=driving-on-glass-solar-roads

[Skidmore]

1. Wonder how those roads would hold up under ice and snow removal conditions...

not for all climates, I think.

[Ian David]

2. Now, if you could "run them in reverse" to melt ice and snow, that would be even better. n/t

[Soylent Brice]

3. still a cool idea.

it can certainly be developed further.

[Overseas]

4. K&R. Excited about solar's potential. //nt

[Taverner]

5. Wow - never thought of that

Imagine a road that could charge your car if you get stuck without power

[Soylent Brice]

6. yup.

“The goal is to produce a 12-foot by 12-foot panel for $10,000 that is capable of producing 7,600 kilowatt-hours of electricity daily, enough per panel for more than 240 average U.S. homes, which use 936 kilowatt-hours per month”

crazy.

[timeforpeace]

7. If he can figure out how to keep the cars and truck off them so the sun can hit it, he's jake!

[FreedomFlower]

8. Better yet....

It could power electric cars!