Page 20 - Construction Vision Sep-Oct 2017 issue

APPLICATIONS

Advantages of Solar Panel But some are taking that idea even further and built into the road itself. In addition, they can
Roads : proposing that we build the roads themselves use gathered heat to melt snow and ice on the
out of solar panels. Solar Roadways, a U.S. roads.
You've probably seen traffic warning signs on company, has a plan to create structurally
the side of the road with small solar panels engineered rows of solar panels that cars and The company also says that having a source of
attached to them. While they're one example of trucks can actually drive electricity beneath cars at all times would make
how solar power can aid our driving experience, it easy for electric vehicles to stay charged up
on. And while we're driving on them, they'll at roadside stations -- clearing the major hurdle
they're only the tip of the iceberg.
collect solar power that can supply power to our that EVs face, which is finding places to charge
In August 2008, the Oregon Department of homes and businesses. when they spend their batteries [source: Solar
Transportation installed a row of solar panels Roadways].
The "solar highways" consist of individual
five feet (1.5 meters) wide and two football
panels with three layers -- a top layer of high- With each 12-foot by 12-foot (3.7-meter by 3.7-
fields long at an interchange near two interstate
strength, textured glass that provides traction meter) panel capable of producing 7.6-kilowatt
highways.
for vehicles, an array of solar cells beneath that hours of power each day, each mile of solar
The panels are designed to feed into Portland
for gathering energy, and a base plate that roadways could produce power to run as many
General Electric's grid, supplying nearly 30
distributes the collected power [source: Solar as 500 homes [source: Jacquot].
percent of the power necessary to run the
Roadways].
highway's lights at night [source: Rivera]. The U.S. Department of Transportation thinks
They're more than just solar energy collectors, it's a good enough idea to give the company a
As you can see, solar panels already have
too. The panels contain LED lights, powered by $100,000 grant. But can the solar panels really
applications on our roads.
the sun, that can act as road and warning signs hold up? On the next page, we'll look at the
18 CONSTRUCTION VISION SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER