Solar Roadways - An Idea That Could Change Everything
The vast energy available in sunlight is so bountiful. If we could only find a way to harness it, we would have no energy problems. The idea of solar roadways may be the answer.
The biggest issue with solar power is efficiency. Simply put, we cannot efficiently convert the energy from the sun efficiently enough to take advantage of it on a large scale. Current conversion ratios range from 8 to 15 percent depending on the system. Given this, most research is focused on improving this conversion rate. Ah, but what if we took a different approach? What if we simply tried to use a vaster surface area for solar conversions? The idea of solar roadways does just this.
Sunlight is so bountiful that it has been estimated that covering just 1.7 percent of the land in the United States with solar panels that convert at a 10 percent ratio would take care of all our energy needs. Of course, nobody wants to be next to those massive panel systems. The glare would be a killer not to mention the heat! Interestingly, we actually already have roughly this land area available and it needs work anyway.
The road system in the United States is a disaster. The infrastructure is in desperate need of an upgrade. Bridges are about to fail everywhere. Highways are falling apart. Your local streets are full of pot holes that would make an elephant nervous. Well, what if we could redo them all, get rid of blight and take care of our energy needs? This is the idea of Scott Brusaw.
Brusaw is the owner of Solar Roadways. His idea is to replace the current road systems with glass solar panels. Yes, that you would drive on. These new roads would essentially be a giant solar panel system and would become the new electric grid for the country. Cable, phone and utility lines could also be built underneath the roads, getting rid of all the lines and junk that litter the sides of our roads.
The idea of driving on glass solar panels might seem odd, but the technology already exists. Solar roof shingles incorporate rough surfaces. Ah, but what about costs? It would be huge. The numbers are very general, but we are talking in the trillions. Still, there would be a huge economic benefit. Oil imports would dwindle to nothing. We would also produce enough energy to sell it to other countries. Instead of sending money abroad for oil, we could start bringing in huge sums to pay down the cost and the national debt. Yes, we could be the Saudi Arabia of solar power.
So, how realistic is the idea of solar roadways? Actually, it is very realistic. While we probably will not replace every road, there is little reason to forgo giving it a try in dry, hot states like Arizona and Nevada where sunlight is nearly constant and highways bake in the sun.
