Solar Powered Roadway Lights

By John Farrier in Science & Tech on Sep 7, 2009 at 7:49 pm

The U.S. Department of Transportation granted $100,000 to the Idaho-based startup Solar Roadways to build a prototype roadway composed of solar cells and glass. The accumulated energy could, hypothetically, be used to light the roadway and provide electricity to consumers:

The 12- x 12-foot panels, which each cost $6,900, are designed to be embedded into roads. When shined upon, each panel generates an estimated 7.6 kilowatt hours of power each day. If this electricity could be pumped into the grid, the company predicts that a four-lane, one-mile stretch of road with panels could generate enough power for 500 homes. Although it would be expensive, covering the entire US interstate highway system with the panels could theoretically fulfill the country’s total energy needs. The company estimates that this would take 5 billion panels, but could “produce three times more power than we’ve ever used as a nation – almost enough to power the entire world.”

The Solar Road Panels also contain embedded LED lights that “paint” the road lines from beneath to provide safer nighttime driving. The LEDs could also be programmed to alert drivers of detours or road construction ahead, and can even sense wildlife on the road and warn drivers to slow down. The roads could also contain embedded heating elements in the surface to prevent snow and ice from building up on the road. Further, in the future, fully electric vehicles could recharge along the roadway and in parking lots, making electric cars practical for long trips.

Image: Solar Roadways

Tags: solar energy, solar panels, Solar Roadways, U.S. Department of Transportation

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apefrog
Sep 7th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
"Although it would be expensive..." It would cost 34.5 TRILLION dollars. That seems to be more than "expensive."
D Bozko
Sep 7th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
$100,000 is less than 15 panels or 168 feet X 12 feet. Not much of a roadway. Still the technology sounds promising. Not many innovations started out exactly how they end up.
aftershock
Sep 7th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
That sounds like a great idea... only if we had the money. Any lenders?
Oates
Sep 7th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
First off, I'd much rather see the US putting trillions into clean power initiatives than effecting their dreams of manifest destiny abroad.
Secondly, I'd be interested to see the combined cost of all the coal and nuclear power plants across the US(including the cost of mining, processing, and dealing with the coal and nuclear fuel) along with the costs associated with road painting(one might be surprised at how much that costs) as compared to the projected costs of installing and maintaining these solar roads
Ahundred
Sep 8th, 2009 at 3:24 am
One, how much traction does this surface have compared to regular asphalt, concrete, or brick. If I'm driving my electric buggy down this road and a sausage dog runs out in front of me will I just skid when I step on the brakes or swerve into the next lane? Two, the city in which I live has trouble maintaining our pockmarked and rutted roads already, if they lay a couple of these down they'll never keep them working properly. And three, we haven't even figured out how to make a low-cost easily installed solar panel that people can bolt to their rooves yet, let's focus on that first.
nickelking
Sep 8th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Just what we need, more light pollution, but then who needs stars.
BikerRay
Sep 8th, 2009 at 5:37 am
So they're "on a mission from God"? (see FAQ) What a bunch of loonies. "13.376MWhr per mile" Five-digit accuracy? No accounting for losses, clouds, night? These guys need to go back to school.
Beretta
Sep 8th, 2009 at 8:47 am
I'd be surprised if it survived more than a week or two.
Taters
Sep 8th, 2009 at 9:21 am
The heat and the glare generated from an entire strech of road would be stunning - literally!
Rainy days would make them as slick as ice, or do we all stay home when it rains, as less power will be generated?
It's not a viable solution, but what the research turns up, may well lead to one.
rem06513
Sep 8th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Nice...no actually a great idea but way...way too expensive.
Absent
Sep 8th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Why not start off with solar powered street lighting.

Also the road panel idea couldn't be carried out by a government, unless they wanted to nationalise electricity production.
Briannana
Sep 8th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Theft. Even if they could make such technology available, people would strip it out and use it for personal gain. It's a no-brainer. One would have to police it constantly to insure someone didn't just take it. As such, we're better off having guarded facilities which run solar power from mostly uninhabitable heat regions to generator stations and ques which power our habitable zones. We can maximize our solar intake while maintaining a menial impact upon our living standards. I am, however, skeptical of relying upon solar to meet the power needs of America. We could use it to generate small power to feed things like green houses for hydroponic vegetable/fruit production. It's cheaper than you think. But not to power big corporations like a walmart (air conditioning alone must cost immense amounts), and call centers for cellular companies. It's impossible.
Samlive the red
Sep 8th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Whats wrong with solar power? The sun is the ultimate power source and we should be using it for everything. I agree this project has some kinks that need to be worked out but I think its a fantastic step towards a new electric society. Ya'll need to stop whining about this and see the wondrous potential. And correct me if I'm wrong but didnt our government just spend billions of OUR MONEY to pay bankers bonuses?
WilliamN
Sep 10th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
It's a good start, maybe this ain't practical now but their data when they have the prototype could be very interesting and something useful in the next step. A++ with the idea though there's no doubt that building solar panels will be the mainstream in short time as grid cost gets higher and higher. As technology advances, production solar power materials are more competitive than ever.

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