watch: roads made out of solar panels - solar panel traffic lights

Spokane -
The solar panels made by Scott Brusaw, an American inventor, are not used for roofs.
They are used for roads, lanes, parking lots, bike lanes, and highways.
Electrical engineer bluso said the hexagon
The molded panels can withstand the wear and tear of power from bad weather and large and small vehicles.
"We need to rebuild our infrastructure," said Brussels, head of solar roads at Sandpoint, Idaho, about 144 km kilometers northeast of Spokane, Washington.
His ideas include "what everyone likes ".
"Environmental activists like this," he said . "
"People who deny climate change like it because it creates jobs.
"While the idea sounds a bit strange to some, it has already received $850 in seed funding from the federal government, raising $2 million in the crowd --
And won the praise of celebrities.
Solar roads are part of a larger campaign to seamlessly integrate renewable energy technologies, including wind, geothermal and hydropower, into society.
The Washington-based trading group Solar Industry Association describes companies like solar roads as "niche markets" for the booming alternative energy industry ".
"They represent the types of innovations that address design and energy issues, while demonstrating the diversity of solar applications," said Tom jinbis, vice president of the association . ".
In addition to producing energy, solar panels can melt ice and snow, and display warning messages or traffic lines through LED lights, Bruso said.
Check out the Sun Road virus video below.
There are skeptics who want to know the durability of the panels, how they behave when they are knotted, tempered glass covered, and when they are covered in bad weather or dirt.
"It seems reasonable and will be very expensive," said Lamar Evans of the National Renewable Energy Association in Hattiesburg, Mississippi . ".
Another problem, Evans says, is how to store the power that could be generated.
The cost of solar panels is not estimated in Brussels, so the financial reality of their vision is still unknown.
To demonstrate the concept, the company created a small parking lot at its headquarters using 108 solar panels.
He said the vehicle had been driven into space without damaging the panel.
"We will start with the driveway and the sidewalk," he said . ".
Bruso said his wife Julie came up with the idea after watching a global warming movie starring former Vice President Gore.
She remembers Scott talking about the concept of electric roads.
Over the past few years, the Federal Highway Administration has given Brussels $850 to develop solar roads and build prototype parking lots.
This year, they turned to the crowd of Indiegogo --
Raise more money and move into the next phase.
Brussels says the campaign, launched on Earth Day, is starting to be frustrating.
Brussels says the money will enable the company to hire employees and start producing more panels.
"Once we have perfected everything, our ultimate goal will be the highway," he said . "