Solar powered roads

An American company, Solar Roadways, is proposing to replace conventional bitumen and asphalt roads with solar panels.

Scott Brusaw, an American scientist and founder of Solar Roadways, has just been given a six figure grant from the US Department of Transportation to develop the technology further.

As well as the energy generation that tens of thousands of square miles of solar panels across a country like the USA would create, which Brusaw claims could supply America's electricity needs three times over, the Solar Road Panels he is working on will also incorporate LEDs.

These could not only provide instant traffic updates and road signage, but in colder climes they have the potential to generate heat, thus reducing the amount of snow and ice on the road.

One of the questions posed to Brusaw about the Solar Road Panels was the surface. Because the top layer is a glass finish, could traction be affected? Brusaw says that this will not be an issue as the glass is textured "to the point that it provides at least the traction that current asphalt roads offer – even in the rain."

The use of solar-powered roads would also potentially de-centralise the power grid and reduce the need for overhead power lines.

Solar Roadway's Scott Brusaw says he will dedicate his life to the project and with a grant from the US Department of Transportation lending credence to the project, it's possible that one day we may be driving on solar roads.

For more info on the Solar Road Panels, check out the Solar Roadways company FAQ.