Solar panels on roads might seem like a bit of a far-out idea now, but the U.S. DOT is actually investing in funding the  building of a prototype road.  Building a solar road would be the ultimate green job.

What it will take for this to seem less odd is more people getting used to seeing solar panels everywhere, something that will happen soon, and a desperation for clean power, another thing that will happen very soon.   The barriers to this include:  the panels have to be strong enough to withstand traffic.  They will have to be heated.  The road panels will initially be expensive (what isn’t?).   And we will have to get trucks and super-heavy vehicles off the road, (which should happen anyway because they cause accidents and destroy the roads we have.)  The smoothness of the panels will also be an energy saver as they will reduce friction between vehicle and roadway. And they will generate lots of power.

Here’s a video explaining the idea.

From Grist:  “The Solar Road Panels would contain not just solar panels but LED lighting (to enable real-time communication with drivers), heating units (to prevent icing), high-voltage power transmission lines, and even electric-vehicle recharging stations. It’s transportation, power, and grid infrastructure in the same place.

At the limit, if all paved surfaces in the U.S. were replaced with 15% efficiency solar panels, the resulting distributed power network could provide three times the electricity the nation consumes, with zero carbon emissions and no additional power grid infrastructure. (Yes, I’m aware manufacturing, installing, and maintaining it would generate emissions, as with any infrastructure project.)

So crazy it just might work? Apparently the Dept. of Transportation thinks so:  Solar Roadways has received a $100,000 contract from DOT to build a prototype”

I love the idea.  If it can work, why is it any crazier than CCS or geoengineering?

Continue Reading   → Solar Panels on Roads to Generate Power