Power up your iRoad ITS with these glass solar roadways [Video]
Photo: solarroadways.com
Who said glass has to be delicate? Eco-minded couple Julie and Scott Brusaw certainly did not. They believe we’ll be able to glide on top of a glass roadway that not only blows our mind with the pure physical feat, but also is made of recyclable materials and powers up our iRoads!
These Solar Roadways consist of three layers: the Road Surface Layer which holds solar cells, LED’s, and heating elements, the Electronics Layer that holds the processor and circuitry to monitor and control the surface, and the Base Plate Layer which distributes all the collected power to the roadway and to any possible homes and businesses connected to the grid.
Not only can we imagine these Solar Roadways powering (and being a part of) a sustainable ITS in the future, but these roads will be packed with LED lights to keep drivers safe at night, heating pads to melt away any dangerous road conditions, and additional solar cells to not only power the roadways but to power grids of energy for daily usage.
We all might get a chance to experience some of this glass roadway magic as the FHA recently gave a contract to build a prototype in 2009.
Catch the video of the Solar Roadways Prototype after the break…
[Via: Conscious Media Network]
[Source: Solar Roadways]
So, what’s the friction co-efficient to keep vehicles from sliding off on a corner when it has rained? Seriously, I didn’t watch the whole video, but if you texture it to a level equivalent to asphalt or concrete, its likely to lose the ability to generate power to actually “pay for itself” and then you have a rough glass sheet that is likely to puncture tires. This is really a poor idea and I wish the writers of this blog with take a bit more of a critical eye to such ideas that seem to so often make it on here.
I think this is a great idea. What we really need in America is creative, out-of-the-box thoughts like this. How else will we hope to overcome climate change? With China’s lead on solar power, it is great to see some creative thoughts from American designers/engineers.
It may seem like a crazy idea, but if they are able to pull it off, this could revolutionize the transportation and energy industries. The US has about 44,000 square miles (size of Ohio!) of impervious roadway surface area, so just imagine all the energy we could capture with just a fraction of that area!
If it doesn’t serve the primary purpose in lousy weather (ie moving vehicles/trucks) WHAT IS THE POINT! Can you imagine the cost, labor, and extraction of volatile raw materials involved in building and maintaining these?
Interesting concept! I like the idea of finding another use for the pavement, since so much of it at any given time is not actively being used. Maybe this could be applied in those large parking lots for shopping centers and sports stadiums that sit empty for the greater majority of hours in the year.
True, unless it is as useful and practical as asphalt, an idea like this could never take off. It could only become a viable option if the benefits from green energy generation and savings could offset the cost of materials, labor, etc. in the long run.
There do seem to be some obvious down-falls to the idea and the innovation but I believe there must be some potential as well! I feel the FHA must have seen something positive or a contract would not have been awarded. That being said, good or bad I’m glad the GGC community has had a chance to see whatever sustainability news is out there. Conversation-inspiring pieces is what we strive for and it looks like that’s what we got!
In terms of Fiddie McGhees comment, I agree that all these cool techno innovations must have strong “cradle to grave” and even “cradle to cradle” assessments for maintenaning, constructing and re-use of materials. Even Greenroads.us should take a look at that. We don’t do enough certainly. All said tho – I am a big fan of rolling the big ideas out there else we won’t find solutions. Not long ago we scoffed at ideas like solar panels to power remote traffic devices and now they are common place– pay parking stations, dynamic and portable signs all powered without a plug and never needing to dig trenches to replace cables.