Solar panel roads summarised: What can we take from this emerging technology? Well, we’ve reached the end of Route3000’s blog posts. Why not take a look at what we can take away from all the talking we’ve been doing about solar panel roads? To start, solar panel roads have both their benefits and slight disadvantages. To briefly explain, the main benefit is more efficient transport for people with electric cars as solar panel roads take the energy from the sun to charge cars as they are running (Route3000, 2020). This is going to save a lot of electricity and energy, which in turn, is great for the environment. One major economic benefit that households could greatly benefit from is the potential for these roads to generate electricity for a home. Think about how much sun the driveways of our homes receive in a year. Imagine how much energy could be generated to power a household from having solar panel driveways! This would be very efficient for households and it would be pretty cost saving. One disadvantage of solar panel roads is the cost. Building these roads has proven to be quite costly. As discussed in our previous blog, it cost France €5 million to build 1 kilometre of solar panel roads (Route3000, 2020). Yeah, not cheap. One other disadvantage is the safety of the roads. Will these glass panel roads have enough grip to safely let cars drive along them, especially in wet or dangerous weather conditions (Route3000, 2020)? This could be one major factor that will affect further construction of these roads unless a solution is found. Nevertheless, we are confident that these disadvantages will have a solution found for them so the world can avail of the many amazing benefits of this fantastic emerging technology. After a thorough investigation into solar panel roads and their design, use, economic & environmental benefits, safety and future projections, it is safe to say that many people in the world including us eagerly await the arrival and commercialisation of solar panel roads. We hope that we have given you something to look forward to in the future! Thank you for following Route3000 through our short, yet exciting journey! It’s been great fun putting these blogs together for you to read. We hope you enjoyed the ride as much as we did! – The Route3000 Team. Don't forget to like us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! References Used:
Route3000, 2020. Safety of Solar Roads. [Online] Available at: https://route3000.weebly.com/solar-roads/safety-of-solar-roads [Accessed 2 April 2020]. Route3000, 2020. Welcome to Solar Roads. [Online] Available at: https://route3000.weebly.com/solar-roads/welcome-to-solar-roads [Accessed 2 April 2020].
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Solar panel roads: The future of it As you have already read, collar panel roads are going to become the future of clean transport energy. This is what it seems like but when we look closer we see how far it can go and the problems they might run into. This blog will be focusing on how solar panel roads will help the future or even if it will be in the future?? The most important thing about a road is the safety of transport and safety of vehicles on the road so how does solar panel roads do this effectively. If solar panel roads were introduced to all roads, all roads would need to be facing the sun or if the sun can reach the roads it would be perfect but that is not the case. A lot of roads are not able to get access to the sun because of such reasons of buildings and trees. (Thompson, 2015) The idea of solar panel roads is definitely an amazing suggestion and It could work because of it progress under extreme environments. When its snows the solar panel roads heat up and melt the snow which can be an amazing feature for the future as roads would not be closed during snowstorms. (Wang, 2014) When a road is being constantly being used the road starts to develop a wear and tear effect. This means the solar panel roads will become less effective. The smooth surface when the road is first built can also cause danger to safety of brakes. (thompson, 2015) In conclusion I don’t see the future of solar panel road becoming more than what is that is today. Whilst it is an amazing idea I think idea is better than the actual product. Don't forget to like us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! References Used:
Thompson, A., 2015. the conversation. [Online] Available at: https://theconversation.com/solar-freakin-roadways-why-the-future-of-this-technology-may-not-be-so-bright-51304 [Accessed 26 March 2020] Wang, U., 2014. guardian. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/solar-panel-road-surfaces-future [Accessed 26 March 2020] Feeling keen? Go green with Solar Panel Roads! This week’s topic moving on from the economy is all about the environment and what this new technology will do to benefit our planet. As we all know our planet is our friend and we need to look after it now more than ever. Think about how much light surfaces outside get, such as, roads pavements etc. Imagine if while these are getting all of this light, they are providing electricity to your cars or homes. Pair these roads with electric cars and watch the magic happen. In china there is roads in use that provide a charge for electric cars as they drive (Murray 2019), it’s like being on your and you are the charger. Faster way to lower pollution, Covid-19 or Solar Roads? These roads are going to be like setting off an environmental bomb!! Think about it, if people have cars that are charging as they drive, they won’t be using any petrol or diesel which will lead to a decrease in pollution. This pollution will also be decreased as more people will be buying electric cars to use on these roads as they are so ingenious. Therefore, we will see a massive decrease in greenhouse gas emissions similar to what we are seeing in China at the minute with Covid-19 (Cerceda 2020). Let’s be honest here which would you rather be the cause of a greener environment a global epidemic or, an improved mode of transport? I know my answer! “It’s time for the human race to enter the solar system” - Dan Quayle So, after reading this why don’t you go look at what you can do for the environment and help us achieve a cleaner, faster, and, brighter future for us and our next generations. Don't forget to like us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! References Used:
Conserve Energy Future (2020) Could Solar Roads Provide The Smart Driveway of the Future Available at: https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/could-solar-roads-provide-smart-driveway-of-future.php (Accessed 6 March 2020) Euronews (2020) NASA confirms a fall in greenhouse gas emissions in China amid coronavirus outbreak Available at: https://www.euronews.com/2020/03/04/nasa-confirms-a-fall-in-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-china-amid-coronavirus-outbreak (Accessed 6 March 2020) Hotcars (2018) China’s Solar Road Can Charge Cars While They Drive Available at: https://www.hotcars.com/china-solar-road-charge-cars/ (Accessed 6 March) Wise Old Sayings (2020) Solar Sayings and Quotes Available at: http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/solar-quotes/ (Accessed 6 March) It is clear that homes are becoming more advanced and the demand for green technology has continued to grow. Many homes have decided to progress with solar energy in their homes like solar panels on their roofs while not many have integrated roads. Providing Solar Panel roads could vastly change the amount of electricity generated in a country as we will reduce dependency on fossil fuels and more on clean energy from the sun. (Solar Roadways 2020) Many driveways in Ireland are left to bathe in sunlight every day, think how much electricity would be installed in a household if they were Solar Panel drives? Question is why do not more people have them? The main reason is the cost. Solar Panel drives are going to cost considerably more than your regular concrete driveways. This might encourage some buyers as the Solar panels contain photo voltaic which produce electricity by attracting the sun. While pricing is likely to be their biggest downfall, Solar roads won't have an availability of aesthetics to offer which won’t allow customisation of panels. (Conserve Energy Future 2020) There are numerous advantages to this technology if the Solar Roads are in a sunny geographical location. There are many amazing features that these roads can adapt to in like the ability to heat the panels if the roads are icy to prevent skidding. The ability to enhance light where it can “illuminate your drive” in dark conditions which will also be stored solar power. (Conserve Energy Future 2020). Another feature would be pressure sensors where it would be detected if someone is stepping on your solar panel driveways. This would be alerted to you which would help prevent crime. These Solar roads are built to last through all conditions and can withstand any weight and are weatherproof. They won’t take as much maintenance as normal roads as they won’t be having to be resealed or maintained with weed killer. Solar Panel roads will be a huge technological success in the future as they become more environmentally friendly. (Conserve Energy Future 2020) Don't forget to like us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! References Used
Conserve Energy Future (2020) https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/could-solar-roads-provide-smart-driveway-of-future.php (Accessed 3rd March 2020) Solar Roadways (2020) https://solarroadways.com/specifics/solar/ (Accessed 3rd March 2020) How Safe are Solar Panel Roads? In this blog post we’re going to have a look at the safety of the emerging technology of Solar Panel Roads and determine if this technology is reliable and safe for everyday use in the world. “Safety First is Safety Always” – Charles M. Hayes It goes without saying that an emerging technology can only come to fruition if its safety factors are taken into consideration. We could never introduce solar panel roads without taking a look at the safety factors. That would be a recipe for disaster, no matter how badly we may like the idea! In an interview in 2014 with Greentech Media, research engineer Eric Weaver said that safety of solar panel roads ‘was the biggest unknown’. Regular roads are made from asphalt, consisting mainly of gravel and tar. This substance is ideal for providing rubber tires with enough traction to safely stay on the roads. It remains a question if it would be suitable and safe to replace asphalt with silicon-based solar panels. Also, it seems to be unknown if solar panels could maintain the weight of vehicles and traffic passing along them (GreentechMedia, 2018). “Imagine driving on a road surfaced with glass in a rainstorm. That’s an accident waiting to happen” - (EnergySage, 2019) Let’s face it, nobody would be willing to drive on glass in a rainstorm. This raises questions as to if solar panel roads are safe enough for our vehicles to move along. One suggestion made was to texturize the solar panels so that rubber tires could get a better grip on the roads. On the other hand, this could ultimately reduce the effectiveness of the solar panels (EnergySage, 2019). Don't forget to like us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! References Used
EnergySage, 2019. Solar roadways: what you need to know. [Online] Available at: https://news.energysage.com/solar-roadways-what-you-need-to-know/ [Accessed 27 February 2020]. GreentechMedia, 2018. Solar Roadways Prove Expensive and Inefficient. [Online] Available at: https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-roadways-are-expensive-and-inefficient [Accessed 27 February 2020]. Solar powered roads. What is all the hype about? Solar panels convert sunlight into energy that can be used for an array of things. If you use this type of technology on a road then they can improve the way people travel, the makers of this model hope this is the way. Even if this model is implemented it will not be 100% effective no model will be. This doesn’t mean it will be completely useless. They will still harness the energy from the sun and will be able to use this energy to charge a car of other modes of transport as they are running. This will make transport more efficient for people who have electronic transport (McFadden, 2019). Cost wise this method is much more expensive than the normal concrete method. In France this has been implemented and it cost 5 million euro to build 1 kilometre of road using solar panels whilst 1 kilometre of concrete road costs about 2-3 million (Scotia, 2009). How will it work? The main question could be how will it survive harsh climates such as snow? Well we have the answers here for you. The solar panels have a heating element in them that will prevent snow and ice from sticking to the solar panel roads. They also are specially designed to give a traction surface which will reduce the amount of people slipping on the solar panels (McFadden, 2019). So where have these developments started to be implemented? Well in a number of different countries. France has used this design and it seems to be a huge step in the right way. The light it can harness from the sun can power a street lights for a small village. This is a massive step towards a Eco-friendlier world. If you like what you read here stay tuned for more on how solar panel road can change how we will travel! Don't forget to like us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! References Used:
InterestingEngineering, 2019. 6 Examples of Solar Powered Roads That Could Be a Glimpse of the Future [Online] Available at: https://interestingengineering.com/6-examples-of-solar-powered-roads-that-could-be-a-glimpse-of-the-future [Accessed 16 February 2020] NovaScotia, 2009. Highway Construction FAQ [Online] Available at: https://novascotia.ca/tran/highways/faq.asp [Accessed 16 February 2020] WochitNews, 2016. Normandy, France Builds World's First Solar-Road [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=PueWFF_MR58&feature=emb_title [Accessed 16 February 2020] |