Abandon the asphalt and use special photovoltaic panels on roads around the world. This is the idea of Scott and Julie Brusaw, an old acquaintance of ours. The two spouses, in fact, already in 2010 announced the Solar Roadways project which now, however, wants to go further, aiming to spread this technology all over the world.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Abandon theasphalt and use appropriate photovoltaic panels on the roads of all the world. This is the idea of Scott and Julie Brusaw, an old acquaintance of ours. The two spouses, in fact, already in 2010 had Solar Roadways project announced which now wants to go further, aiming to spread this technology all over the world. Meanwhile, the prototype of a fully functional parking lot.
For this the couple launched the campaign on Indiegogo, trusting in crowdfunding to realize their great dream: to ensure that the streets around the world can accumulate light thanks to the photovoltaic cells they contain and illuminate them, without using other energy sources. Street lights, luminous signs but also stripes could be replaced by lights powered by the sun.
The first results have already been achieved: tests have shown that despite the cover being made of glass, the sheets containing the cells can withstand very heavy loads and guarantee good road holding. But to start production and expand it worldwide, you need a lot of money: a million dollars. Reason why Solar Roadways needs more support than the two loans previously obtained by the US Federal Highway Administration for system research and development.
Solar Roadways, we remind you, is a modular system made up of many small hexagons inside which there are three levels. The lower layer contains the electronic elements, the second houses LEDs, solar cells and sensors, and the uppermost part is a thick layer of glass. Here are some pictures of the prototype already made:
But the idea of the Brusaws goes beyond the streets and aims to bring the special panels also to parking lots and sidewalks, where electronic devices can be recharged. But the list of possible uses is vast and includes homes and emergency situations. "Your home could be all or almost off grid thanks to a solar driveway, which no longer needs to be shoveled or plowed, or a patio," explain. The panels would in fact be able to melt ice and snow. The system could also be used to provide clean energy in the event of magnet, such as earthquakes or tsunamis. “After the Haiti earthquake, they asked us if we could send some panels. Unfortunately, we did not have ready products ".
Solar Roadways also uses recycled materialswhere possible: "We were able to use 10% recycled glass in the base layer for our parking prototype and we want to work with engineers to make sure that many more recycled materials can be incorporated into each stage of production" .
In the long run, however, the Brusaws look to electric cars, hoping their system can get the industry off the ground. In fact, ecological vehicles could be charged practically anywhere using the clean energy provided by the sun, without the need to search for recharging points.
Francesca Mancuso
Foto: Solarroadways
READ also:
Solar Roadways: on the roads photovoltaic solar panels instead of asphalt
How to get energy from the streets: the 4 proposals of the University of Rhode Island
Photovoltaic on the roads: solar panels on the traffic dividers of highways
