“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy.  What a source of power!  I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”  Thomas Edison, 1931

Solar Roadways, a concept for creating solar panels in place of asphalt pavement, developed by Scott Brusaw, is an idea that can create “transportation, power, and grid infrastructure in the same place.”  Solar Roadways has received a $100,000 contract from the Department of Transportation to build a prototype.  Asphalt pavement would be replaced with solar panels that are to be traveled over in cars and trucks.  With the combined capabilities of the panels, it is an idea that is being researched and developed.

Solar power is a developed resource that has been used in many ways.  There is constant research and development to create new, improved, and less expensive ways to make homes and commercial establishments energy efficient.  President Obama has made it one of his top priorities to put in place independent alternative energy.  This is not an easy task, as the struggle to even prove that there is Global Warming can attest.  Al Gore, in his film,  “An Inconvenient Truth” argued with much data and facts that there is in fact Global Warming and it is only going to get worse.  To him, and many who believe him, the crisis against the environment is the worst crisis facing humanity today.  Many people believe that Economics, National Security, and the degradation of the environment are all because of the use and abuse of fossil fuels and not researching and using alternative energies.

The solar panels for Solar Roadways would have embedded LEDs, which stands for light-emitting diode.  They are energy-efficient lights that consume 80 percent less energy than conventional, incandescent bulbs.  These LEDs could light up beneath the road to give extra light for nighttime driving, alert drivers to upcoming traffic concerns, and would enalbe signs to be lit to divert drivers to upcoming wildlife.  In addition, the road would be heated to melt ice and snow.  Many costs would be saved in terms of plowing, accidents, and the costs associated with using fossil fuels.  It is becoming impossible to depend on fossil fuels and something on a grand scale must be done to provide alternative energy.

A monetary estimate that was quoted in this article was that Solar Roadways would take about five billion dollars to cover the current pavement in the United states.  This would allow for “three times more power than we’ve ever used as a nation.”  The extra power could be shared with the world.  Coal, nuclear power, and oil are costing not only money, but they are contributing to the deterioration of the environment.  This idea of Solar Roadways is an idea whose time has come, because it could give the United States the independence from foreign fossil fuels.

However, a project this large could potentially harm the environment while creating the roads.  The fuels necessary to implement the pavement would have to be weighed against the benefits.  The end product could create a “platform for new kinds of innovation.”  Change is always difficult.  But to not try is to stay behind and continue living in an unhealthy, unsustainable environment.  We need to give support to individuals like Brusaw and his followers to implement Solar Roadways and to continue the search for renewable and sustainable energy.

Overdependence on carbon-based fuels has created a green revolution of sorts.  Many companies are selling products that are made from recyclable materials, magazines encourage online subscriptions, and sustainable agriculture and lifestyles are the topics of many television specials and articles in the media.  The latest alternative power sources are studied in myriad places around the world.  The United States in particular would like to create their own energy sources to be independent of other nations for oil and enery resources.  The Economy, National Security, and the Environment are three major areas of concern to have the impetus for alternative energies.  Solar Roadways combines elements of many aspects of solar power benefits and instead of creating new and improved ways to use solar power, we as a nation should concentrate on one overall use of solar power and I believe Solar Roadways to be a viable constructive alternative.

Photo courtesy of:  http://www.infrastucture.com/2009/09/21/dubious-green-schemes-the-solar-roadway/

Article from:            http://www.grist.org/article/2009-08-28-could-we-replace-roads-and-parking-lots-with-solar-panels