Solar Road
A solar road is quite literally a road which provides the added function of generating solar power by embedded panels beneath the surface. They have been tried out in various areas like the Netherlands and certain parts of the United States and have been deemed and effective yet initially expensive investment. The concept is applicable to just about any kind of flat surface such as sidewalks, bike paths, highways and residential area roads.
Benefits
• A small bike path can generate enough voltage in normal sunlight to power a small house for an entire year. If most of the roads in an area were fitted with the glass solar panels it could be an abundant source of free energy in the years to come and a very worthwhile investment.
• If one panels is damaged or covered in grime or dirt as is to be expected on roads then the entire system is not compromised and only that one tile is shut off from absorbing energy till it can be cleaned. The solar road tiles are made of glass photovoltaic technology and while solar roads are still in the beginner’s phase they have been declared a success on the basis of power output and the efficiency of the overall system.
• The road is made to sustain large trucks and there is minimal chance of damage since the materials used are concrete, glass and silicone rubber for maximum power generation. There is just some speculation of the overall considerable cost of converting most roads to this format since that is no small task.
• The panels are engineered to absorb as much sunlight as possible with minimal upkeep which is a wonder since even regular cement roads require coatings every 7 to 8 years. Even the solar road markers are engineered to generate power in their own capacity.
• There is the obvious benefit of clean energy being generated in great amounts without any kind of inconvenience. There is a lot of potential for aesthetics as the solar powered road studs really stand out when they gleam at night and these roads have the in-built capacity to turn on their LED lights at night providing a surreal experience.
Long-Term Implications
If the initial investment can be made the roads are going to power the electric grid providing energy for nearby houses and buildings as well as traffic signs and street lights (if they aren’t solar powered themselves) and this means that a lot of money can be saved and applied for the good of the community. They also inspire local homeowners to install photovoltaic systems in their houses or additions like solar windows and roofs.
Regular roads are built using various materials like asphalt which can get cracked easily with the weight of trailers for example and this mean costly and problematic repair as whole parts of the road need to be replaced. With solar roads this entire ordeal can be largely prevented making infrastructure more durable on the whole.