Imagine if there was an extremely revolutionary technology
that would theoretically solve almost every major problem with our society.
Ozone depleting emissions, sluggish unemployment numbers, and renewable energy all
fixed with one simple idea! Solar ROADWAYS! Some of you may have seen this
mildly popular internet video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlTA3rnpgzU
. Well… add it to the list of things
that are unbelievably amazing but will probably never come to fruition.
But this one
is at least fun enough to blog about, and if anything ever comes about with
these roadways then people will look back in history and say “wow! Rob was so
smart blogging about this when everyone else was talking about Amazon drones!”
So here goes
the low down on Solar Roadways. They were invented by a cool startup company in
rural Idaho. By company I mean this hip environmentally conscious husband and
wife team Scott and Julie Brusaw. The Bursaw’s invented a new road surface
composed entirely of hexagon shaped solar panels. These are not ordinary panels
that you would see on somebody’s roof though. They are made of a new glass surface
that can hold up in any type of weather. Not only that, but they can be
programmed to heat up, making ice and snow a non-factor in the winter. It would
also eliminate the need for snow plows! These magical hexagons will light up
any way you want. They will eliminate any need for the paint on asphalt, as
well as the repainting every few years. The road could also easily display
traffic warnings and directions, like signs do on the side of roads. Also the panels
are pressure sensitive and can detect when objects are on the road in front of
you, reducing animal collisions and traffic accidents. But most of all… the
solar panels generate electricity! They have the power to generate enough electricity
for everyone to drive electric cars and charge at stations along the road
without any gas at all!
So basically
they could be the best thing since sliced bread. But they will probably never
see the light of day, at least not any time soon. First there is the task of
resurfacing EVRY ROAD EVER. So that would be the biggest engineering feet of
all time. Then there is the simple (but possible) task of changing car engines
to run on electricity. This is slowly starting to come about, with the rise of
hybrids, and increased regulation on gas guzzling autos. But the oil industry
is possibly the largest and most powerful industry in the world. So unclenching
their strangle hold on the auto game is all but impossible (especially for just
a husband and wife who built a tree-hugging technology in their garage).
Few have
taken serious notice to this new technology. The Department of Transportation
has given $850,000 in grants, but that is very minor if you look at the big
picture. Never-the-less this is an ingeniously versatile idea that as
revolutionary game changing ability. It is a shame that it will probably never
happen in foreseeable future, but if you feel strongly enough about it to
donate to the cause, or just want to learn more about Solar Roadways click here
http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml
.
References
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