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]
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