Imagine a road or driveway that also generates electricity from the sun. That’s the goal of the Solar Roadways project, a modular paving system of solar panels that can withstand the heaviest of trucks.
The project has already received two phases of funding from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration for research and development of a paving system that will pay for itself over its lifespan.
The inventors, Scott and Julie Brusaw, are seeking funding on Indiegogo to wrap up their Phase II contract for a prototype parking lot. They’re looking for funds to enter the production phase.
The Solar Road Panels could be installed on any flat surface like roads, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, bike paths, playgrounds or any surface under the sun. The panels would 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
