To eliminate the concern of loosing land to create solar farms, new solution is to use roads to fit in solar panels, U.S. would be the first to get it done
The world is trying to harvest energy from every possible known source, their elements may vary but the purpose stays the same. Solar energy is yet another great resource but costs high when it comes to the precious agricultural or residential land it consumes. Wouldn’t it be better to use a space that already has been abundant and install the solar panels in?
There is a green tech company by the name of Solar Roadways, becoming the world’s first to use thousands of miles of American roadways for the installation of solar panels. As the U.S. roads cover over 11,000 square miles, Solar Roadways has firm belief that they can provide an effective energy solution by using LED-lit solar panels.
Now the question is, how is it going to work? Whenever you hear the word ‘solar panel’, your mind immediately makes out the picture of a fragile solar unit that would not withstand our own weight and probably would crush – so how in the world it would survive sheer weight of a 250,000-pound semi truck.
Well the answer to that is given by the company as they say they are going to use 1.5 cm thick solar panels especially designed and manufactured in hexagonal shape to hold up to massive weights such as the semi trucks – the additional benefit of these well thought solar panels is that they would never ever get potholes.
Solar Roadways says that they could produce more energy than the U.S. could consume in a given year only if every inch of American roads were covered in their solar panels. But in order to get it done, a ditch on the road side would be required for the cables and while the panel installation were to commence, that area of the road would be needed to shut down.
The price is a major concern as to test its system; Solar Roadways is trying to raise $1 million, if the installation cost is that high for just a few miles, how much would it be for the whole 11,000 square miles.
