NOV 15

Knowing what we know now about climate change, it's clear that the tangled web of black asphalt roads that outlines our country is working against us.  Asphalt can absorbs tons of heat, often reaching temperatures of up to 140 degrees in the summer and the process by which it's made isn't environmentally friendly either, but there may be a way to turn that pavement into an energy resource.

Researchers at the University of Rhode Island have come up with four ways to harness the solar energy absorbed by pavement and put it to good use and they're working on ways to implement them now.

The first, and the simplest, is is to wrap flexible solar PV cells around the top of Jersey barriers that divide highways.  Those cells would power streetlights and illuminate road signs.  Cells could also be embedded in the pavement between the barriers and rumble strip.

The second is to embed water-filled pipes under the asphalt and the heat from the sun would warm the water.  That water could be piped to bridges to melt ice and reduce the need for road salt and ice-clearing trucks.  It could also be piped to nearby buildings for hot water and heating needs or converted to steam to turn a turbine.

Because asphalt retains heat really well, the pipes would stay warm even after sunset.  Tests have shown the water can even get hotter than the asphalt.

The third use is to use a thermo-electric effect to generate energy.  By linking a hot and cold spot with two types of semiconductors, a small amount of electricity can be generated in the circuit.  Those thermo-electric materials could be embedded in the road (some in sunny parts and some in shady ones) and the energy produced could be used could to defrost roads.

The fourth use is the most complex and it involves getting rid of the asphalt completely and replacing it with huge electronic blocks that contain PV cells, LED lights and sensors.  The blocks would generate electricity, illuminate lanes and emit warnings when maintenance was needed.  The researchers say this technology already exists but is very expensive.  They see this technology coming to parking lots before roadways.

via Physorg

Comments (8)

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Paint Them White?
written by Andrew, November 16, 2010

Why don't we just develop a paint that provides enough friction for the tires of cars and then just paint the roads white?

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written by Karkus, November 16, 2010

What exactly is the point to putting solar panels into places where they will be driven over and crashed into? That seems very tough to engineer and expensive to maintain (think of the dirt, snowplows, etc.) How about we put regular PV panels next to the highway. In the western part of the US, where the sun shines the most, the panels could be placed at the edges of the interstate highways, tens of feet away from traffic, and oriented/angled properly.

Harnessing the heat of roads makes more sense (But using water is silly)

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written by James Baker, November 18, 2010

Solar energy rocks!
From footwear to chemicals to the automotive sector and —over 15 years ago— to a market that was still in its infancy: photovoltaic technology, using solar energy.
The Grupo Desmex company was established in 1994 in the city of León, Guanajuato. Its growth has been such that it has now subsidiaries in Monterrey, Puebla, Mexico City, the US and Europe.

Check out UN's COP16 hel in Mexico at www.greensolutionscop16.com

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In reply to Andrew
written by Allen, November 18, 2010

Increasing friction from tires would cause less fuel economy from vehicles and therefore increase emissions, causing a negative effect. Painting the roads white would dramatically increase accidents due to road glare, especially for people who wear glasses. I don't quite get why putting solar panels near roads would be beneficial. Why not just put them in a safer location that gets large amounts of sun, you'd get more electricity per square foot of panel in a solar farm than by a road. There's a solar farm in California that has a better production of solar electricity that photo-voltaic cells. They harvest the thermal energy of sun's rays to heat nitrogen I believe, and pipe the warm nitrogen to turbines where the pressure turns the turbine to produce electricity. This could be implemented at a lower cost and greater effectiveness than a water system.

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reduce the asphalt footprint everywhere.
written by srormyweathersailorman, November 18, 2010

As we move into a more local economy by necessity(Bye bye oil!) Long stretches of asphalt will be less used. In a local economy that is self supplied with food and materials to build things consistent with the bio region they happen to be in,asphalt that breaks down in time and pollutes the ground will be less necessary. We have other materials and means of mass transportation that make more sense and are less costly. Use oil wisely for necessary items that can be recycled and reused as much as possible, until things like hemp, bambu and other biodegradable and fast growing crops can substitute it.

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moretech
written by shivshava, November 19, 2010

Solarpanels by the roadside; embedded pipes? What about planting trees - a different way of harvesting the same energy? Yes, the fixation of tech-chasing-tech-solutions persists. OK, problems with leaves on the road, multilane highways, etc. can be foreseen. But can you also see that a lot of roads also exist in less developed countries seeking cheaper solutions?

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written by Carla, November 22, 2010

This is not a good idea. Why cause problems for motorists? Motorists shouldn't be forced to pay for the rest of society. There may be elephantine legal issues in this domain as well. I would be very careful to not drive on the road with the e-power extractions. It is necessary to keep the foot in rubber shoes in case of electricity hazard entering from the road. It could harm car and passenger.

What happens to animal that walk on road? Get electricitied?

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Solar Roadways Rock
written by mkass, December 27, 2010

The solar roadways project is the most exciting idea I've seen in some time: http://organicconnectmag.com/w...he-street/

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