Solar Roadways: The Prototype

The Solar Roadways project is working to pave roads with solar panels that you can drive on. Co-founder Scott Brusaw has made some major steps forward since our first visit back in 2007, so we visited him again for an exclusive update on the project, including the first ever video recorded of the Solar Roadways prototype! For more information visit http://www.solarroadways.com . This Solar Roadway project is highlighted as one of many planet-friendly solutions in the feature film by YERT - Your Environmental Road Trip. To learn more about YERT, visit http://yert.com .

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[benpowersification]

Yeah, sounds awesome, lets all drive on wet glass. I mean, its not slippery is it?! Definitely a good idea.

[YERTians]

@benpowersification They're working on smart ways of adding texture to the glass so that it essentially becomes a non-slip surface. Pretty amazing. From what I've seen (during a couple visits to PennState, where they're doing some of the research), it seems pretty do-able. We'll see how it turns out! Hopefully they can make it happen.

[HorseFly07]

I love comments about tax dollars paying for this. Way to use your brain. Would you rather your taxes pay for something that pays for itself or for ever increasing oil-based asphalt that has little benefit to anyone? The cost of this is to our benefit!

[Donut1337]

@lordkory umm repaving an asphalt road every 1 to two years costs way more than if you have to run over a sweeper every couple... if the whole system is connected the lower, warmer states could supply power to the slacking areas.

[Donut1337]

@benpowersification wrong they obviously would not be given a phase II grant worth more money by the government if the roads with glass were to slippery to drive on...

[57ashdot]

@benpowersification I agree the general public won't be comfortable with driving on a glass like material, at least not at first, even if it has all the same frictional properties as asphalt, so yeah this company will have that big distrust hump to get over.

I still don't think fuel cells or hydrogen will take off tho. Even the best storage solutions for hydrogen are just too dangerous; I would be scared to give the average consumer even a small amount of fuel to store lol

[benpowersification]

@57ashdot Sounds great. Until we are all driving around on a magnetic field however, I maintain that roads made of glass will either be slippery to the point of being dangerous, or opaque to the point of being critically inefficient. We don't live in a perfect world, the outlay on an all encompassing glass/electric system (and it would have to be if we are to drop the wheels) would be phenomenal. Nuclear -> Hydrogen -> Fuel cell cars seems a much more likely option.

[Scorpia260]

Lol at the last bit. Good ole' DUCT TAPE - without a doubt an engineer's greatest tool :)

[57ashdot]

@benpowersification Your small-minded comment also ignores the fact that rolling tires may be phased out in the future. Who is to say that these roads can't be outfitted with electromagnets and wireless power systems? Cars would be able to operate literally without ever touching the road and never needing to stop to refuel. Almost all of the frictional and heat losses of a conventional automobile could be avoided

[sw204me]

If this was in Japan, they would have it already, this will never happen in the USA.

[travb35]

we're still living in the stupid ages...

[fatgummybear25]

next thing= roads that charges your car while you're driving

[19SzalonyJogurcik87]

guys, u said we must think to the future and leave asphalt roads building system, but did u thought about how will actuall CARS change in future? maybe till u will cover most of country with "glass roads" and cars wont use wheels anymore?:)