Solar Roadways

About eight years ago, an electrical engineer and his counsellor wife started throwing around an idea to replace asphalt on highways and byways throughout the US with electricity-producing solar panels that were tough enough to be driven upon. The idea blossomed into a project, where the panels featured built-in LEDs that could "paint the road" with markings and warnings, and could be heated to prevent snow and ice build-up. 

The US Federal Highway Administration paid the couple to produce a working prototype, which they did, and then again to expand the concept into an operational parking lot setup. As the latter contract comes to an end, the Solar Roadways project has released photos of the (almost) completed installation at its Idaho electronics lab. Now the team is dipping into crowd-funding waters with a campaign to raise funds for the move into commercial production.

Brief History

Sunlight can even break through gridlock to the road below. In 2006, Scott and Julie Brusaw hatched a plan to make use of all that untapped energy by replacing asphalt with toughened PV panels that would also include embedded lighting to act as road markings and driver alerts, as well as communication and power cables to replace overhead lines. The project received funding from the US Dept of Transportation to the tune of US$100,000 in August 2009, and work began on the first proof-of-concept prototype.

By February 2010, the first 12 x 12 ft (3.7 x 3.7 m) road panel (made up of 16 smaller connected panels) was ready, complete with embedded LEDs that could be programmed to deliver custom messages. The proof-of-concept Phase I prototype didn't include any PV cells and lacked the custom-hardened glass with integrated heating element for the upper face, but it served to demonstrate that the proposed electronics worked as promised. The team also built smaller crosswalk panels featuring load cells to test a pedestrian/wildlife detection mechanism, which would flash instructions to slow down when a weight was detected on the surface.

Around this time, Scott Brusaw was invited to give a TED talk in Sacramento (which is worth a watch as it details much of the project's inspiration, history and aims), and the project went on to win first prize in two of GE's

Methodology

Solar Roadways describes its Methodology to consist of three layers that are mentioned below:

• Road Surface Layer

It is rough enough to provide sufficient traction, yet still passes sunlight through to the solar collector cells embedded within, along with LEDs and a heating element. This layer needs to be capable of handling today's heaviest loads under the worst of conditions and to be weatherproof, to protect the electronics layer beneath it. The surface layer will also be responsible for redirecting sunlight to hit the solar panels at the optimal angle.

• Electronics Layer

Contains a microprocessor board with support circuitry for sensing loads on the surface and controlling a heating element with a view to reducing or eliminating snow and ice removal as well as school and business closings due to inclement weather. The microprocessor controls lighting, communications, monitoring, etc. With a communications device every 12 ft (3.7 m), a solar roadway can be an intelligent highway system.

• Base Plate Layer

While the electronics layer collects energy from the sun, it is the base plate layer that distributes that power as well as data signals (phone, TV, internet, etc.) down the line to all homes and businesses connected to the solar roadway. It needs to be weatherproof to protect the electronics layer above it. Protect environment from Pollution.

Normal Road

Road projects are intended to improve economic and social well-being. Increased road capacity and improved pavements can reduce travel times and lower the costs of vehicle use, while increasing access to jobs, education, and health services. However, along with the positive benefits there are negative impacts on the community and natural environment. 

Solar Roads

Solar Roads facilitate global warming through air pollution from fossil fuel powered vehicles. Emissions include particulate emissions from diesel engines, carbon dioxide, NOx, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide and various other hazardous air pollutants including benzene.

While carbon dioxide is non-toxic to humans at low levels, it is a major greenhouse gas, and motor vehicle emissions are an important contributor to the growth of CO concentrations in the atmosphere.

Another way, roadways affect the environment is urban runoff from roads and other impervious surfaces, which is a major source of water pollution.

Rainwater and snowmelt running off of roads tends to pick up gasoline, motor oil, heavy metals, trash and other pollutants. In addition, de-icing chemicals and sand can run off into roadsides, contaminate groundwater and pollute surface waters. Road salts (primarily chlorides of sodium, calcium or magnesium) can be toxic to sensitive plants and animals.

However, there is a lot of surface area covered by roadways, and transportation by roadway vehicles as it is here to stay. Solar Roadways has the potential to address the issues mentioned above.