Solar Roadways: Difference between revisions
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==Cost== |
==Cost== |
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As of June 2014, the specific cost and power output of the panels have not been released by Solar Roadways, thus the lifetime costs have not been determined by independent sources. Solar Roadways will release prototype |
As of June 2014, the specific cost and power output of the panels have not been released by Solar Roadways, thus the lifetime costs have not been determined by independent sources. Solar Roadways will release a prototype installation cost in July 2014.<ref name=wired/> |
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In 2010, Solar Roadways reported that it was aiming for each road 12 feet by 12 feet panel to cost around $10,000 and each mile would cost $4.4 million. At 2010 retail electricity prices the road would pay for itself in about 20 years.<ref name="crack">{{cite web | first = Aaron | last = Saenz | url = http://singularityhub.com/2010/08/08/solar-roadways-crackpot-idea-or-ingenious-concept-video/ | title = Solar Roadways: Crackpot Idea or Ingenious Concept? | work = SingularityHUB | publisher = [[Singularity University]] | date = 8 August 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/01/19/smart.roads/index.html | title = Solar-powered 'smart' roads could zap snow, ice | first = Thom | last = Patterson | publisher =[[CNN]] | date = 19 January 2011 }}</ref> |
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In the FAQ section of Solar Roadways, Brusaw states: "I heard that you said it's going to cost $60 trillion dollars to outfit the U.S. road with Solar Roadways. Is that true?...No, it's absolutely not true. We are still in [[Research and Development|R & D]], and we haven't even calculated the cost for our prototype. That will come next month [July, 2014] as we get our final report ready for our Phase II contract with the Federal Highway Administration. And even if we had those numbers available now they would have no relevance to the cost of our actual product...right now, not even we have that information, so if you read an article where a journalist claims to have any data on costs, you can be assured that they have not done their homework and are quoting another unreliable source or they are making up numbers."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.solarroadways.com/faq.shtml#faq60trillion | publisher = Solar Roadways | title = FAQ }}</ref> Solar Roadways estimates there are 31,250.86 square miles of roads, parking lots, driveways, playgrounds, bike paths, sidewalks, etc.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://solarroadways.com/numbers.shtml | publisher = Solar Roadways | title = The Numbers }}</ref> |
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The media's total estimated costs for solar roadways to cover all United States roads varies widely. The [[Washington Post]] estimated there are roughly 29,000 square miles (800 billion square feet) of United States road surface to cover. Which means the United States will need roughly 5.6 billion panels to cover that area with a price tag of $56 trillion.<ref name="crack"/><ref name="wp">{{cite web | first = Tuan C. | last = Nguyen | url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/05/20/forget-roofs-are-solar-roads-the-next-big-thing/ | title = Forget roofs, are solar roads the next big thing? | work = [[Washington Post]] | date = 20 May 2014 }}</ref> {{Relevance-inline|discuss=Cover the entire USA}} [[The Economist]] reports that the installation costs of building such roadways and parking lots are expected to be 50 to 300 percent more expensive than regular roads. To cover all United States roads would cost at least $1 trillion.<ref name="econ"/>{{Relevance-inline|discuss=Cover the entire USA}} Alternatively, [[The American Thinker]] states that in 2009, the United States had a total public road length of 4,050,717 miles. Which means an estimated solar road infrastructure cost of $18 trillion, or about 125% of the United States' current annual gross domestic product.<ref name="thinker"/> {{Relevance-inline|discuss=Cover the entire USA}} |
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==Critical reception== |
==Critical reception== |
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Revision as of 12:51, 11 June 2014
| Company type | Startup |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | 10561 Sagle Road, Sandpoint, Idaho 83860, United States [1] |
| Website | solarroadways.com |
Solar Roadways Incorporated is a startup based in Sandpoint, Idaho, that is developing solar powered road panels to form a smart highway. Their technology combines a transparent driving surface with underlying solar cells, electronics and sensors to act as a solar array with programmable capability.
Concept
Solar Roadways Inc's concept is to replace current petroleum-based asphalt roads, parking lots, and driveways with road panels made from recycled materials and incorporating photovoltaic cells that generate renewable energy that may be used by homes and businesses, and with any excess energy perhaps stored in or alongside the road.[2]
History
In 2006, the company was founded by Scott and Julie Brusaw. Scott is the President and CEO.[1]
In 2009, Solar Roadways received $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the Department of Transportation (DOT) for Phase I to develop and build a solar parking lot.[3] In 2011, Solar Roadways received $750,000 SBIR grant from the DOT for Phase II to develop and build a solar parking lot.[4] The DOT distinguishes the technology proposed by Solar Roadways Inc. as "Solar Power Applications in the Roadway," as compared to a number of other solar technologies categorized by the DOT as "Solar Applications along the Roadway."[5] From SBIR grant money, Solar Roadways has built a 12-by-36-foot (3.7 by 11.0 m) parking lot covered with hexagonal glass-covered solar panels sitting on top of a concrete base, which are heated to help remove snow and ice, and also include LEDs to display messages. The hexagonal shape allows for better coverage on curves and hills. According to the Brusaws, the panels can sustain a 250,000 lb (110,000 kg) load. [6]
In April 2014, Solar Roadways started a crowdfunding drive at Indiegogo to raise money so they can get the product into production. The campaign is over two million dollars, exceeding its target of 1 million dollars. The drive became Indiegogo’s most popular campaign ever in terms of the number of backers it has attracted.[7] The success was attributed in part to a Tweet made by George Takei, who played Sulu on Star Trek, due to his more than 8 million followers.[8][9]
One of the Brusaws’ videos went viral, with nearly 15 million views as of June 2014.[9]
Prototype
Solar Roadways describes its existing prototype panel as consisting of three layers.
- Road surface layer - translucent and high-strength, it is rough enough to provide sufficient traction, yet still passes sunlight through to the solar collector cells embedded within, along with LEDs and a heating element. This layer needs to be capable of handling today's heaviest loads under the worst of conditions and to be weatherproof, to protect the electronics layer beneath it. The surface layer will also be responsible for redirecting sunlight to hit the solar panels at the optimal angle.
- Electronics layer - Contains a microprocessor board with support circuitry for sensing loads on the surface and controlling a heating element with a view to reducing or eliminating snow and ice removal as well as school and business closings due to inclement weather. The microprocessor controls lighting, communications, monitoring, etc. With a communications device every 12 ft (3.7 m), a solar roadway can be an intelligent highway system.
- Base plate layer - While the electronics layer collects energy from the sun, it is the base plate layer that distributes that power as well as data signals (phone, TV, internet, etc.) down the line to all homes and businesses connected to the solar roadway. It needs to be weatherproof to protect the electronics layer above it.
Cost
As of June 2014, the specific cost and power output of the panels have not been released by Solar Roadways, thus the lifetime costs have not been determined by independent sources. Solar Roadways will release a prototype installation cost in July 2014.[6]
In 2010, Solar Roadways reported that it was aiming for each road 12 feet by 12 feet panel to cost around $10,000 and each mile would cost $4.4 million. At 2010 retail electricity prices the road would pay for itself in about 20 years.[10][11]
In the FAQ section of Solar Roadways, Brusaw states: "I heard that you said it's going to cost $60 trillion dollars to outfit the U.S. road with Solar Roadways. Is that true?...No, it's absolutely not true. We are still in R & D, and we haven't even calculated the cost for our prototype. That will come next month [July, 2014] as we get our final report ready for our Phase II contract with the Federal Highway Administration. And even if we had those numbers available now they would have no relevance to the cost of our actual product...right now, not even we have that information, so if you read an article where a journalist claims to have any data on costs, you can be assured that they have not done their homework and are quoting another unreliable source or they are making up numbers."[12] Solar Roadways estimates there are 31,250.86 square miles of roads, parking lots, driveways, playgrounds, bike paths, sidewalks, etc.[13]
The media's total estimated costs for solar roadways to cover all United States roads varies widely. The Washington Post estimated there are roughly 29,000 square miles (800 billion square feet) of United States road surface to cover. Which means the United States will need roughly 5.6 billion panels to cover that area with a price tag of $56 trillion.[10][14] [relevant? – discuss] The Economist reports that the installation costs of building such roadways and parking lots are expected to be 50 to 300 percent more expensive than regular roads. To cover all United States roads would cost at least $1 trillion.[9][relevant? – discuss] Alternatively, The American Thinker states that in 2009, the United States had a total public road length of 4,050,717 miles. Which means an estimated solar road infrastructure cost of $18 trillion, or about 125% of the United States' current annual gross domestic product.[15] [relevant? – discuss]
Critical reception
Sierra Rayne, writing in the conservative magazine American Thinker, raised concerns such as cost, strength of glass, the impact of earthquakes, thermal expansion, dirt, shading and snowfall.[15]
Betabeat.com expressed serious doubts, saying "It’s also impractical, expensive and, as the editors of Equities put it, “really silly." While the project might make its backers feel like they’re helping contribute to a greener society, there’s no way it’ll be adopted on a large scale."[16]
Equities.com points out "There’s currently a virtually endless supply of places you could install solar panels that DON’T have cars driving over them."
Awards
Solar Roadways has won awards and nominations from General Electric, the World Technology Award, Google and the IEEE Ace Awards.[17]
- List of Awards
- GE Ecoimagination Community Award ($50,000; 2010)[18]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Solar Roadways - Company Information; Small Business Innovation Research". Small Business Innovation Research.
- ^ Scott, Cameron (22 May 2014). "Following the Solar Brick Road". SingularityHUB. Singularity University.
- ^ "Solar Roadways - Phase I Grant; Small Business Innovation Research". Small Business Innovation Research.
- ^ "Solar Roadways - Phase II Grant; Small Business Innovation Research". Small Business Innovation Research.
- ^ "Alternative Uses of Highway Right-of-Way". Federal Highway Administration.
- ^ a b Barry, Keith (2014-05-08). "This Parking Lot Is Paved With Solar Panels". Autopia. WIRED. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
- ^ "The Centuries-Old Technology Behind Solar Roadways, Indiegogo's Most Popular Campaign Ever". Forbes. 3 June 2014.
- ^ Maben, Scott (31 May 2014). "Star Trek: George Takei tweet boosts Solar Roadways". Christian Science Monitor. Associated Press. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ a b c "On the not so sunny side of the street". The Economist. 5 June 2014.
- ^ a b Saenz, Aaron (8 August 2010). "Solar Roadways: Crackpot Idea or Ingenious Concept?". SingularityHUB. Singularity University.
- ^ Patterson, Thom (19 January 2011). "Solar-powered 'smart' roads could zap snow, ice". CNN.
- ^ "FAQ". Solar Roadways.
- ^ "The Numbers". Solar Roadways.
- ^ Nguyen, Tuan C. (20 May 2014). "Forget roofs, are solar roads the next big thing?". Washington Post.
- ^ a b Rayne, Sierra (13 July 2013). "Solar Roads? Let's not get Excited". American Thinker. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ Smith, Jack, IV (30 May 2014). "Freshly Minted: Solar Roadways Will Almost Definitely Not Happen". Betabeat.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Starr, Michelle (13 May 2014). "Solar road could change how we power the world". CNET.
- ^ "Paving the Solar Roadway to Success". ecoimagination.com.
