Solar Smart Roads Could Make Snow Plows Obsolete
Solar Smart Roads Could Make Snow Plows
Obsolete
With the recent brutal winter storms fresh on our memories, an electrical engineer in Sagle, Idaho has generated interest from the federal government and General Electric in an idea he has: solar-powered roadways that automatically melt away ice and snow.
American communities spend billions of dollars annually removing snow from roads and walkways, repairing weather-related damage to streets, and lost revenue from businesses being forced to close. Scott Brusaw, the aforementioned engineer, thinks the solution could be provided by a solar-powered roadway made from super-strong glass, instead of the traditional concrete or asphalt. Solar cells embedded in the glass would collect energy from the sun, which would then be used to fuel heating elements inside and making snow plows and other equipment obsolete.
Brusaw explains that the heating elements would work much like the rear window defrosting elements in most cars. Brusaw thinks that the energy collected by the roadways could also be used to recharge electric vehicles and to power LED lights and signs along the roads, as well. In fact, Brusaw sees a possibility that widespread use of these solar roads could eliminate the need for fossil fuels and affect global warming in a positive way.
With the recent brutal winter storms fresh on our memories, an electrical engineer in Sagle, Idaho has generated interest from the federal government and General Electric in an idea he has: solar-powered roadways that automatically melt away ice and snow.
American communities spend billions of dollars annually removing snow from roads and walkways, repairing weather-related damage to streets, and lost revenue from businesses being forced to close. Scott Brusaw, the aforementioned engineer, thinks the solution could be provided by a solar-powered roadway made from super-strong glass, instead of the traditional concrete or asphalt. Solar cells embedded in the glass would collect energy from the sun, which would then be used to fuel heating elements inside and making snow plows and other equipment obsolete.
Brusaw explains that the heating elements would work much like the rear window defrosting elements in most cars. Brusaw thinks that the energy collected by the roadways could also be used to recharge electric vehicles and to power LED lights and signs along the roads, as well. In fact, Brusaw sees a possibility that widespread use of these solar roads could eliminate the need for fossil fuels and affect global warming in a positive way.
The Claw
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