In recent months, we have come across a number of interesting solar panel projects including installing solar panel carports in public car parks where car owners can charge up their electric cars and we recently commented on the “Strawberry Tree” that allows people to charge up the likes of mobile phones and iPads.
Will we see a solar roadway in the UK?
(image credit: willemgo)
Can you imagine all that unused space on our road network here in the UK? Is there an opportunity to utilise some of those roads to generate electricity?
Well, for a number of years, Julia and Scott Brusaw have been looking into such a scheme. They hope to be undertaking a full trial of their creation in the not too distant future having obtained a Federal Highways Administration grant of $750,000. The trial will take place in North Idaho around about an hour’s drive from the border with Canada. There, they are to use a 36-foot by 12-foot parking lot to carry out the tests.
The road is to comprise of three different sections and will be capable of generating 5,700 watts. The top level will incorporate the solar cells, a heating element to deal with any ice and snow and LED lights that will provide the markings for the roads. The next level will incorporate the electronics to deal with any communications and lighting. The third level will distribute electricity to businesses and houses that are close to the road. By the side of the road will be a channel that will help any fluids to be dispersed.
There will be various types of solar power tested – thin-film, poly-crystalline and mono.
One of the positive factors of the trial is that it will enable interested parties to witness the features and better understand the benefits. They will observe how the power goes into their laboratory and provides electricity to the building.
Mr Brusaw acknowledges that not as much power is generated by a panel that lies flat on the ground in comparison with one that is installed at an angle on a roof but this is compensated for by the fact that there is more space available at ground level to install solar panels and they are, potentially, easier to install. At the moment, he has not worked out the additional cost of a solar road in comparison with a tarmac one but thinks it may be triple the cost.
It will be interesting to monitor this project as, potentially, it could prove beneficial in a number of ways. In addition to providing electricity for neighbouring buildings it may also be able to power such things as street lighting and charge cars.
