Electric Avenue: Solar Road Panels Offer Asphalt Alternative

Der Spiegel ^ | May 24, 2013 – 06:14 PM | Sören Harder

[Olog-hai]

A lot of thought is put into how much energy we use to drive from point A to B. But what if the road itself could generate energy? Julie and Scott Brusaw, a married couple from Sandpoint, Idaho, have taken on just such a concept, which they hope will make the auto transport of the future cleaner and safer.

The idea is as simple as it is ingenious. Wherever roads are laid, solar panels could go instead. They would generate electricity, which would in turn be fed into the grid. Thus, oil is conserved twice: Electric cars could be charged with the energy produced by the panels, and the panels would replace the use of asphalt, the production of which requires petroleum.

Moreover, Solar Roadways, as the Brusaws have dubbed their invention, are heated and equipped with integrated LED screens, which act not only as street markings, but can also show warnings directly on the road. …

[Olog-hai]

Uh, traction issues? Dust adhesion? Weather damage, never mind earthquake damage (which is mentioned later in the article)?

Not really original, though. Exploration of capture of solar/heat energy that blacktop usually radiates away has been pondered in the past.

[Jonty30]

I think that it would be far more feasible to transfer the energy from the asphalt heat to something useful.

If solar panels will be used, it’d be far better to have them along the highway, rather than have them be the highway.

[RoosterRedux]

Would like to see a good old-fashioned cost/benefit analysis on this idea before wasting any time reading about it.

[Tupelo]

While I agree with your answer, I must admire their thinking.
My guess is most of the obstacles could be over come except:

Can you just imagine using solar to supply electricity in Ohio where it is cloudy at least 360 days a year.

[glyptol]

This is just some kind of money grab. No way you can build a road out of solar panels. It doesn’t take much force to break one much less having a large cargo truck running over them on a daily basis. BS

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Aside from everything else, I wonder how efficient solar panels are covered in road grime and leaking automotive fluids?

[Jonty30]

I agree.

You also cannot readily change the panels during times of heavy traffic. It would create big problems than anything it could solve.

[Jeff Chandler]

The idea is as simple as it is ingenious.

Damn translators. The original German text said, "The idea is as stupid as it is ridiculous."

[GeronL]

bump

[teeman8r]

wind turbines on cars... so that when they go fast, more energy is created and we will never have to buy gasoline again.... yea green team yea

sarcasm tag not included.

[Jeff Chandler]

This will go about as well as their previous project, where they attempted to create a road surface out of rice crispy treats. It was supposed to simultaneously reduce the use of petroleum for asphalt and address the problem of hunger in the world. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but then the birds . . .

[Bryanw92]

>>wind turbines on cars... so that when they go fast, more energy is created and we will never have to buy gasoline again.... yea green team yea

I was talking to one of the watermelons at work one day and suggested this to him. He took off with it and was sketching out designs by the end of the day. He thought that “we” had just discovered the thing that would save the planet.

[sonofagun]

Cost/benefit:

Cost - horrendous when considering maintenance

Benefit - "In 2009 they received their first government grants to construct the prototypes."

Benefit - "The Brusaws' work was impressive enough that this spring, they are launching a pilot project, for which the state awarded them $750,000."

The last sentence in the article - "It sounds almost too good to be true."

Anybody want to finish that sentence?

[alloysteel]

Unh, the solar panels are the road surface?

Aren’t such panels just a little FRAGILE for such an application?

Make more sense to lay down mirrored surfaces, and let the tortoises crossing the road admire themselves. The energy such narcissism would give the turtles is surely greater than all the electrical energy that is likely to be generated by the solar panel roadways.

The first pressure greater than about 2 psi would almost certainly crack the panel and leave it useless.

[Olog-hai]

The government likes cost-benefit analyses, especially done before spending 100 times more on a public transportation project than should have been spent.

[teeman8r]

i want in and i’ll throw this out there.... feed tuna mayonaisse... cut out the middle man in tuna fish...

thanks

have a great memorial day weekend...

i am not driving on the solar panels this weekend

but will face palm when chevy comes out with the new wind energy car... blows...

[Bryanw92]

>>but will face palm when chevy comes out with the new wind energy car..

I’m sure that Chevy will come out with the Shake-Weight drive first.

[Paleo Conservative]

The idea is as simple as it is ingenious. Wherever roads are laid, solar panels could go instead. They would generate electricity, which would in turn be fed into the grid. Thus, oil is conserved twice: Electric cars could be charged with the energy produced by the panels, and the panels would replace the use of asphalt, the production of which requires petroleum.

Asphalt is more of a petroleum by product. It's what' left over after everything else has been distilled out.

[RedMDer]

Day 56
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$618 to YELLOW!!

[Sacajaweau]

beanie cars....We need some graphics....Joe...where are you??