A world without pavement, sidewalks, or asphalt roads may sound like a boring nightmare but what if those surfaces were instead blanketed in durable, cutting edge solar panels? According to engineering couple Julie and Scott Brusaw, solar roadways, driveways, and even courts used for tennis or basketball could be the next step in finding renewable energy alternatives. Just imagine how cool your company’s parking lot could look covered in interlocking solar panels that, instead of just sitting there getting hot like asphalt or concrete, absorb solar energy for you throughout the daytime.
At RU Electrical Services, your go-to Indianapolis electrician, we can easily see the financial, environmental, and aesthetic benefits this new solar technology could bring. With heated, LED-covered solar panels covering the parking lot of your business, you’ll be the talk of the town. The heated panels will even melt away snow in winter and the LED lights will ensure everyone will be able to make their way to your door. The best part is that the solar panels will harness free energy from the sun so that you can ensure your company has proper parking lot lighting for less.
From a May 26th, 2014 article via TechCrunch:
“Here’s an idea crazy enough that it just might work: Pave the streets with solar-powered panels that have their own built-in heat and LED lights. That’s what Scott and Julie Brusaw hope to accomplish with their ongoing Solar Roadways project, which they just funded through a hugely popular crowdfunding campaign.
The husband-and-wife team has spent the better part of the last decade developing solar-powered modular panels that could be installed in roadways and parking lots, and would be able to collect power from the sun. Those panels could also keep streets clear of snow and ice, while illuminating them with LEDs.
Rather than paving streets and driveways with asphalt, the Solar Roadways panels would theoretically be able to decrease our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels by generating massive amounts of clean energy. Panels are made from ruggedized glass and connect to one another through a mesh network, so that even if one panel fails the system will notify repair crews that it needs to be replaced.”
Click here to learn more and read the entire story from TechCrunch.