Are Solar Roadways in Our Future?

The idea of using super-durable roadway surfaces to generate electricity has literally hit the Fast Lane, with coverage this week in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s blog.

Solar “(FREAKIN’)” Roadways, the brainchild of Julie and Scott Brusaw of Sandpoint, Idaho, first came to the attention of the IBTTA community in April 2014, when Walt Arnason of the E-470 Public Highway Authority aired video on the concept during a presentation to the 2014 Maintenance and Roadway Operations Workshop in Jersey City, NJ. Arnason was at the Jersey City workshop to talk about his own organization’s solar electricity project, an initiative that had previously won IBTTA’s coveted President’s Award for tolling excellence in 2013.

But it turned out there was more good news ahead.

Just a few months later, Solar Roadways went viral with a crowdfunding campaign (complete with great video) that blew away its original $1 million goal, raising nearly $2.3 million to support further development. Work proceeded and this week, the USDOT blog helped cement Solar Roadways.

Except that, if this works, it won’t be about cement or concrete anymore.

The Brusaws say solar roadways are more durable than standard pavement, generate clean, renewable energy, keep roads clear of snow and ice, embed LEDs for safer night-time driving, can treat, store, and transport stormwater, provide “safe haven” for power and data cables, are impervious to potholes, and feature a modular design that speeds up repair.

The USDOT traces its support for the concept back to 2009, when its Small Business Innovation Research program put out a call “to develop a new pavement that could generate power and transfer it to the power grid.” The RFP called for technologies that used recycled materials, could withstand traffic loads, and were “durable enough to avoid costly replacement cycles.”

Sounds like a maintenance engineer’s dream. But solar roadway’s proof of concept proposal made the cut.

“If successful, this pavement could potentially eliminate the current practice of replacing asphalt, and ultimately transform the nation’s roadways into an intelligent pavement system,” writes USDOT’s Michael Trentacoste and Robert C. Johns.

“After testing multiple glass samples in various shapes for traction, load, impact resistance, and transmissivity, Solar Roadways discovered that the optimal solar panel could be made from low-iron glass with a transparent surface. The resulting system surpasses the limitations of today’s asphalt pavement product by providing four-color LED lighting, and heating features that melt snow from the roadway.”

Solar Roadways still has some distance to travel to full commercialization. But the idea is capturing attention, enthusiasm, and growing respect from many different directions, and after hanging in for more than half a decade, they’re closer to the finish line. It’s interesting and provocative to imagine how the program for the 2024 or 2028 Maintenance and Roadway Operations Workshop might evolve or transform as a result of this project. IBTTA will continue to bring new innovations to the forefront and provide a forum for our members to learn, grow and lead.

Save the date for IBTTA’s 2016 Maintenance and Roadway Operations Workshop May 15-17, in Newport, Rhode Island.

Photo via Solar Roadways IndieGoGo campaign.