Solar Roads and Parking Lots

Can it happen? Our roads and parking lots covered with solar panels generating power everyday to power our world in a way that would mean the end of oil dependence? Well a couple from Idaho has had that grand vision and they have been working hard to make it a reality. Watch the video below to see their vision.

They are in the middle of fund raising to be able to build out the system and get the first large scale projects on the boards. You can see their Indigogo campaign here.

You have to admit the idea is brilliant and if it can be pulled off on a large scale this could be a game changer. I do wonder though what the oil companies and for that matter cash strapped government agencies will or won’t do to cooperate with this effort.

From their Indiegogo campaign:

Solar Roadways is a modular paving system of solar panels that can withstand the heaviest of trucks (250,000 pounds). These Solar Road Panels can be installed on roads, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, bike paths, playgrounds… literally any surface under the sun. They pay for themselves primarily through the generation of electricity, which can power homes and businesses connected via driveways and parking lots. A nationwide system could produce more clean renewable energy than a country uses as a whole (http://solarroadways.com/numbers.shtml). They have many other features as well, including: heating elements to stay snow/ice free, LEDs to make road lines and signage, and attached Cable Corridor to store and treat stormwater and provide a “home” for power and data cables. EVs will be able to charge with energy from the sun (instead of fossil fuels) from parking lots and driveways and after a roadway system is in place, mutual induction technology will allow for charging while driving.