Could you imagine what it would be like to drive across solar panels instead of the asphalt traditionally used for roads? If Scott Brusaw has his way, we will soon find out.
Scott is currently working on a type of “smart” road that is solar powered, according to CNN. At $4.4 million per mile, this unique road would be able to melt snow and ice before it could collect, and it would also be lit up using LED lights instead of paint.
Solar cells inside its glass surface would allow the roadway to act as a giant solar power generator, fueling embedded heating elements and making plows and other snow removal equipment unnecessary.
The heating elements would work “like in the rear window of your car,” said the inventor, who intends to experiment with temperature settings during the next stages of the development process.
Electricity generated by the highway could be used to recharge electric vehicles and to power lights and LED warning signs along the road itself.
In fact, Brusaw believes that solar roadways — if widely accepted — could eventually generate clean electricity around the world, eliminating the need for fossil fuels and saving the planet from global climate change.
Image from Solar Roadways