http://www.emagazine.com/blog/solar-roadways-just-a-dream

 

I am sure that we have all heard of the novel concept of solar roadways but the realities of the cost and scope of this project have made it a distant dream. That said with improvements in technology and more and more funding flowing in there is now a real opportunity for a surge in publicity. The basic idea has always been sound but the implementation of the program has always been a huge hurdle baring the way. However now there is government support of the system, abet more than a little hesitant but still real, and an IndieGoGo campaign has raised 2 million dollars for the project. The only real thing stopping this project from continuing is the mass production of the panels. So far they are being made by hand and have had little chance to be tested because of it. The theory claims that America could meet 75% of its energy needs by using Solar Roads.

 

Personally I think Solar Roads are just about the coolest thing in the world. Not only do they produce electricity but they also collect water, melt the snow off roads and  provide lighting on poorly lit sections of road. In bad weather conditions they can be programed to sense weight on them and warn people of obstacles and other vehicles that may be in the way. Not mention they have LEDs in them so you can have ultra visible reprogrammable roads. All that pails in comparison to the fact that the panels would provide the bulk of our energy needs as a country, which is something that would help wean us off foreign oil dependency. This is even cooler when you realize that this tech combined with other sustainability innovations may very well provide us with a way to totally decentralize our power grid.

Cools, Ellen. “Solar Roadways: Just a Dream? | EMagazine.com.” E Magazine Print Issue. E Magazine, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2014. <http://www.emagazine.com/blog/solar-roadways-just-a-dream>.