Highways Solar: Solar Roadways studying solar panels that will replace the asphalt

And if the energy came from the road? The American Solar Roadways is planning to install large solar panels instead of asphalt: this would create an immense source of solar energy. The U.S. company, backed also by the highway in the U.S., is in fact planning to photovoltaic panels with square side of 3.7 meters (the standard width lane road in America).

With 4 hours of sun a day, even with an efficiency around 15%, each panel would produce 7.6 kWh per day. In the U.S. the total area of roads, highways and parking area and about 100,000 square kilometers: think how much energy it might produce. As a product, according to the American company, could then be placed in the network or stored on the streets, to recharge electric cars.

And engineering these panels are built with a manufacturing technique similar to that which is used to manufacture bulletproof glass: all this to bear the weight of vehicles which, hopefully in a not too distant future, we will transit over. While, to ensure the same grip provided by the rough surface from the road, these panels could be fitted with thousands of tiny prisms that allow the tires to grip easily. Science fiction or future project?