Scott Brusaw is working on using the roadways as a giant grid of solar collectors that can, he says, "produce three times as much energy than this country uses on an annual basis." Brusaw sees replacing traditional petroleum-based asphalt — there are 25,000 square miles of it in the lower 48 states — with a series of three-layer panels that have a base of power and data lines.
The next layer is a 32 by 32 array of solar collectors (that look like soup cans) and an LED lighting system that lights the roadway from below.
The top layer will consist of a glass substance strong enough to withstand the harsh beatings of the elements and 18-wheelers. There are certainly obstacles, but the new technology promises an infrastructure for power and information, safer heated and lit roadways and an abundance of clean energy.
The Department of Transportation has awarded Brusaw with $100,000 to make the first panel.
Questions can be sent to Jim Parks at jrparks@mac.com. To find out more about Jim Parks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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