Here's a very interesting Project, of Mammoth Proportions! That I found out about today. Julie and Scott Brusaw, have been working on this for many years now and it is beginning to look like their Solar Roadways Idea, could become a reality. Check this out...

Don

Tractor demo

Video Link...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKO-sDdJzTw

Introduction

From Earth Day (April 22nd) to June 20th, we are in the midst of an Indiegogo crowdsourcing campaign to raise the funding needed to gear up for production of our Solar Road Panels.

Our technology works. Now it's time to gear up for manufacturing.

To visit our Indiegogo page and/or to donate, simply click on the Indigogo banner above.

Solar FREAKIN' Roadways

Years ago, when the phrase "Global Warming" began gaining popularity, we started batting around the idea of replacing asphalt and concrete surfaces with solar panels that could be driven upon. We thought of the "black box" on airplanes: We didn't know what material that black box was made of, but it seemed to be able to protect sensitive electronics from the worst of airline crashes.

Suppose we made a section of road out of this material and housed solar cells to collect energy, which could pay for the cost of the panel, thereby creating a road that would pay for itself over time. What if we added LEDs to "paint" the road lines from beneath, lighting up the road for safer night time driving? What if we added a heating element in the surface (like the defrosting wire in the rear window of our cars) to prevent snow/ice accumulation in northern climates? The ideas and possibilities just continued to roll in and the Solar Roadway project was born.

Read More and see more videos...
http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml

Frequently Asked Questions

We're in the process of updating this page daily with more current information. Please come back often.

Index

What are you going to do about traction? What's going to happen to the surface of the Solar Roadways when it rains

How much weight can these panels support? Semi-trucks get pretty heavy!

Why don't you start with something easier like sidewalks, driveways or parking lots before installing roads?

How can a Solar Roadway pay for itself? How can it generate revenue?

Would you have to rip up perfectly good roads and parking lots to install your system?

If a parking lot is full of cars or a highway has lots of traffic, how are they going to produce any energy?

These panels must be valuable. What's to keep people from stealing them for home use?

How much will your panels cost?

Won't the LEDs cause light pollution?

In the winter, will the solar cells be able to power the heating elements in the panels?

You say that these roads will charge electric vehicles and will "pave the way" for EVs to be a viable option. But how much more electricity would we consume if every vehicle being driven in the US were an EV? And would the solar roadway grid be able to keep up with that much demand?

What kinds of things have you tested for during your contract with the Federal Highway Administration?

What can Solar Roadways do to help Electric Vehicles?

Wouldn't it make more sense to just build canopies over the roads to hold the solar panels? That way, we wouldn't have to be able to drive on them?

How much power does your parking lot generate?

How will you keep the panels clean and how much power do you lose when they are dirty?

This is such a great idea. Don't you hear from investors who express interest in investing in your project? Why are you asking for help on Indiegogo?

What are all of the different applications for your panels?

How do you store the excess energy?

Why don't you just do projects where it doesn't snow and you won't have to worry about how much energy the heaters use?

How will you replace damaged panels in a highway?

Don't solar cells produce DC energy? How does a home or business use this?

I understand your system is a decentralized power grid. Why is that important?

Can Solar Roadways help driverless vehicles like the Google car?

How can this technology be used to make crosswalks safer?

Are you using rare earth metals in your Solar Road Panels? Will there be enough? Will it be toxic?

How are you going to handle skid marks from tires? Won't that block your sunlight?

Have you thought about adding piezoelectric elements to your panels?

What about motorcycles and bicycles? Won't they slip on the glass surface? What about strollers, skates, skateboards, wheelchairs, etc.?

How are you going to distribute the power? Won't you have to have cables along every road?

What is the maximum heat that the panels can endure?

Can your Solar Roadways handle Army tanks?

Will the LEDs even show up in direct sunlight?

Wouldn't animals be all over the road during winter? Won't the warmth of the road be attractive to them?

How long will these Solar Road Panels last?

Who owns the electricity that your new infrastructure produces?

What will an earthquake do to a Solar Roadway?

What happens if lightning hits a Solar Roadway? Won't that fry the electronics?