Solar roadway panels - a solution for our economic, energy and environmental troubles?

(NaturalNews) Imagine if the U.S. generated three times the energy it uses -- and cut greenhouse emissions by 75% -- all by using clean solar energy. Sound like a fantasy? Not necessarily, according to Solar Roadways, a green energy company dedicated to developing roadways that utilize solar technology.

Two American engineers, Julie and Scott Brusaw, have created a prototype for roadway solar panels that "you can drive, park and walk on. They melt snow & cut greenhouse gases by 75%," according the their Indiegogo page. Their fundraising campaign on the site raised over $2.2 million to jumpstart the project -- in addition to funding from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and a $50,000 award from GE's Ecomagination Challenge.

Any road surface is fair game for solar panel paving

The Brusaws believe this technology could be a solution to our energy and environmental woes by tripling energy production with minimal greenhouse emissions. The fundraising campaign explains the versatility and beneficial properties of the roadway panels:

"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 help 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. 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."

Moreover, the glass surface has been rigorously tested by civil engineering laboratories around the nation for traction, load and impact resistance -- and exceeded all safety requirements. The project also tackles the issue of stormwater runoff, which creates an astounding 50% of all pollution in U.S. waterways. A special section of the Cable Corridors was created that stores, treats and moves stormwater.

"If all the roads in the US were converted to solar roadways, the Solar Roadways website claims, the country would generate three times as much energy as it currently uses and cut greenhouse gases by 75%," said The Guardian.

With the implementation of solar roadway panels on a grand scale, we could revolutionize energy production, heal the environment and create thousands of jobs in the U.S. and around the world.

Not a bad deal.

Sources:

https://www.indiegogo.com

http://solarroadways.com

http://www.theguardian.com

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