There is new technology that is rapidly gaining traction which has the potential to be almost self-funding and improve safety at the same time.
Solar roadways are an invention that many town planners and government bodies are beginning to take a serious interest in. Just as householders are keen to reduce heating costs by using new technology and by, planners see great cost and safety benefits with solar roadways.
Black box idea
The idea for the invention of solar roadways came from thinking about the black box on aeroplanes. Whilst the inventor was initially not sure of the material employed to create the black box used to store critical flight data, it was the fact that it could protect sensitive electronics that was of real interest.
Housing solar cells
The next step was to create a section of road that used the same black box material in order to house and protect solar cells being used to collect energy.
If the energy collection capabilities were proficient enough, the cost of the panel could be self-funding. This is because of the power it could generate for free that you would otherwise have to pay for, such as street lighting and illuminating the road surface.
Endless possibilities
Once the road infrastructure is in place and the solar panels are generating power continuously, there are almost endless possibilities with what you can harness that energy for.
You could add LED’s that would create a highly visible road line from beneath the surface. This would make night time driving much safer and if you added a heating element like the ones used in cars, you could even defrost the road to prevent snow and ice forming on the surface. Some interesting initiatives have already started with this campaign on Indiegogo smashing its target fundraising goal.
Testing process
Once the technology and reliability has been thoroughly proven and a rigorous testing process has been completed, there are many intended projects that could get the go ahead.
The solar roadway will be subjected to all different types of weather conditions and temperatures over a period of time and there is a good chance that we will see highways and pedestrian areas being installed in many places.
Road safety
There are a number of aspects about the technology that are appealing. The opportunity to use solar energy to power the lighting is an obvious eco-friendly benefit but there are also a number of road safety advantages to consider.
Greater visibility and signage using solar-powered roadways will almost certainly help to improve road safety, especially in heavily populated residential areas. Roads and paths would benefit from better lighting and cycle lanes could even be lit up differently to the road, making cyclists more noticeable.
Solar pathways in the UK
We are starting to see some examples of similar technology in the UK and the STARPATH that lights up some of the pathways in Cambridge is a good example.
Although this is a different idea to the one being pursued by solar pathways, the UK based company Pro-Teq are using the same principle of harnessing solar power. Their invention is a spray-on coating that transforms dark pathways into a glowing passageway by absorbing UV rays during the day and expelling as a soft blue glow when darkness falls.
It is a very environmentally-friendly idea and there are no ongoing energy costs for providing an illuminated area that can improve safety for any pedestrians or cyclist using the route.
Intelligent solutions
The prospect of solar roadways in the UK is just one of the many exciting innovations that we have to look forward to.
However, when it comes to intelligent solutions for energy customers there is some new technology that is available right now that can help you to reduce your household energy bills. The energy company npower have now developed a new tariff which integrates the brand new “Nest Learning Thermostat” in their homes.
Nest connects your home appliances to your phone or tablet and learns your preferred temperatures and usage schedule. It even has sensors that can detect when the house is empty and automatically turns off the heating.
This is another great example of intelligent solutions being used to make us more energy-efficient and should offer you the chance to make savings on your energy bills in the future.
Future-proof technology
It is exciting to consider is that most of these technologies like the solar roadways and Nest are virtually future-proof. It allows the possibility for new ideas to be incorporated using the knowledge and expertise already acquired.
If our roads were constructed with solar-powered electric capabilities, it would allow electric vehicles to recharge almost anywhere and make it even easier to fully convert to an all-electric future when it comes to cars.
It is quite a thought to consider that solar pathways and the technology it uses, could greatly reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and oil. Reducing energy consumption in our homes with efficient technology will also help to keep our energy costs as low as possible in future.
Alicia Wood has been researching energy for decades, which has culminated in an applicable and theoretical insight into how energy can be used. With a strong focus on domestic energy issues, she enjoys blogging about how the future of energy can and will affect the modern household.