I've always believed that energy targets like "5 per cent by 2020" were penny-ante and pretty useless against the giant threat of global warming. If things were to change it would take a big idea, a paradigm shift in our production of energy.
Well now an idea has come along that's highly complex yet mind-blowingly simple: Turn the streets and highways into solar collectors. That's what a firm called Solar Roadways has done, with a little US Government research funding. A fortnight ago they turned to crowd sourcing of funds aiming to raise $1 million. So far nearly $2 million has come in.
Here's how the system works. The existing road is covered by solar panels. Each is a hexagonal tile made of incredibly strong glass. Inside it is an array of photo-voltaic cells, 128 LEDs and a micro processor. The panels click together like the wall of a honeycomb, screwed into the tarmac or concrete - they become the road.
They've been tested to take endless trucks and heavy traffic. If one fails it can be replaced quickly. In fact its companion tiles will signal the failure and identify the tile position.
The LEDs can be programmed to light up as needed - as centre lines, as parking lot dividers, as warning messages to traffic, or just as illumination on a dark night.
During the day they soak up the sun and pour energy into the power grid. In America they claim the system would be capable of generating three times the amount of energy the country needs. For winter climates the units have built-in heaters to melt the snow - saving a fortune on snow ploughs and back strain.
A covered channel runs alongside the road, carrying the necessary wiring - and any other cables, glass fibres and power lines. Oh yes - by putting our electricity in there we take down the ugly power poles and the bush fire danger they threaten each year.
In Australia, of course, with our abundance of sun, this is the answer we have been waiting for. We don't have to build power stations, or debate nuclear power any more - we will already have an ample supply of electricity.
But don't worry, my readers in the La Trobe Valley, this isn't going to happen tomorrow. It will take a lot of time as streets, then parking lots, then roads are gradually transformed. And there will always be a need for generated power, at least for a long time to come.
The best part of it is, these roads will pay for themselves. The power they produce is a saleable commodity. They can also have roadside power stops to recharge your electric car.
Figures from the US have speculated that carbon emissions can be reduced by 75 per cent through this technology. Now that is the kind of pollution saving I want to see - forget the tiddly five per cent.
5 comments:
Dear Mr Beatty, Your column re paving roads with solar panels was most interesting, but may I suggest that it has inherent problems which are overlooked by most proponents of solar energy as the primary source of power. You have not considered the implictions. .There are no estimates of costs. While it is agreed that solar panels are now much cheaper than at first, the cost of producing panels capable of the wear and tear of heavy loads would be very mush higher and have not been quoted or estimated.
Your claim replacing panels would be easy, but have you tried replacing a tile laid in your floor?. Further, householders are now finding that solar panels on their roofs need cleaning as they lose generating power when dusty. Roads are coated daily with all sorts of debris, dirt ,oil etc. and would need constant scrubbing with detergent, which would then run into the storm water and pollute it. In recommending solar power, no one has quoted its use in Spain, probably making the greatest use of solar power for its energy. Because of the high cost of power, Spain has lost much of its manufacturing industries, has high unemployment and is insolvent. The big problem with solar power is that it only produces its rated power for about two hours around midday, and tapers rapidly on either side of those times. I know that this is a fact as I installed solar power on my roof and could graph the amount of power generated through the day. Even the passing of a cloud over the sum rapidly dropped the power to nearly half.. Unfortunately, electric motors which deliver the power, do not take kindly to sudden changes. This does not matter in U. S. A. France and Germany where there is plenty of cheap coal or nuclear energy as a base load seamlessly added or dropped as required. This then implies that there is sufficient power on tap to instantly take up the load. Generators take time to start up so sufficient generators must be running to take up the load and as AC electricity must be used virtually while it is being generated there must be a high rate of use at that time. That is base loads other than solar or wind must be. available all the time. I have seen estimates that power in Spain costs around 60 euros, about 80 cents Australian, about 3 times more than here. Even householders would be aghast at that price..H.J. Semmens
Really great story Ray. Just love the idea of glass roads!
Thanks
Barbara
Excellent Ray! Can I use it in my blog?
Cheers, Chris
Chris Brewer, Cape Town
Solar freakin' roadways?? Oh no.. not you too.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H901KdXgHs4
The roadways: The concept is awesome, but of course it is still very much a concept. However they now have the funds to explore the reality of cost and durability etc. The idea may lead nowhere, it will probably find its own little niche. Certainly both protagonists and antagonists muddy the argument by extrapolating figures to the maximum. No it would never be every road in America, in fact just a small percentage of them and mostly car parks.
But it still would have a huge effect on the emission of carbon. It's a dozen out-of-the-square ideas like this that eventually make a difference. As for the practicalities, they are being solved every day and I have no doubt that the glass can be made hard enough and the photocells cheap enough etc. But as I assured the citizens of the La Trobe Valley, it ain't going to happen tomorrow. But we have to keep exploring.
- Rat Beatty
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