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IPFS News Link • Energy

Textured Solar Roads To Be Installed On Four Continents In 2017

• True Activist

By next year, textured roads that can transmit the sun's energy onto power grids may be coming to a city near you. Bloomberg reports that Colas SA, a subsidiary of France's Bouygues Group, designed solar panels that can be installed into road surfaces. Not only are they somewhat aesthetically pleasing, they can withstand the weight of an 18-wheeler truck. At present, the rugged solar panels are being built into some French road surfaces. And, the designers intend to test the technology across four continents within the year.

It's taken five years of research and laboratory tests to develop the textured solar roads. Still, more planning and testing is required. In 2017, the company intends to test them further by building 100 outdoor test sites around the world. 

Said Philippe Harelle, the chief technology officer at Colas SA's Wattway unit:

"We wanted to find a second life for a road. Solar farms use land that could otherwise be for agriculture, while the roads are free."

Credit: Joachim Bertrand / COLAS

As Google recently attested to, renewable technologies are becoming more and more affordable. It's because of this that individuals and businesses are investing in solar and wind technology. Tesla Motors Inc., for example, unveiled roof shingles that double as solar panels last month.

How do the rugged panels resist the weight of heavy vehicles? Reportedly, several types of plastic are layered in the panels to create a clear and durable casing. Underneath is an ordinary model, similar to panels on rooftops. The electrical wiring is protected because it is embedded in the road. Finally, the innovation is coated with a layer of crushed glass to create an anti-slip surface.

 

1 Comments in Response to

Comment by PureTrust
Entered on:

Are they telling you the truth? Maybe the so-called solar receptors are really "touch screens." Maybe it is the pressure of the tires on the road that are creating the electricity. Maybe it is the capacitance of the turning tires on the road that is creating the electricity. Maybe you will see a drop in fuel economy when driving on these roads. I wouldn't put it past municipalities and counties and States having a hidden tax like this built right into the roadways.


PurePatriot