Are Solar Roadways Probable? Solar technology, in the beginning of its concept and design, seemed like a technology out of a science fiction book. With the innovation of a technology mirroring the world of Fahrenheit 451, solar roadways are making an impact in the engineering community and bringing solar energy back into the race to find a replacement for fossil fuels.
BACKGROUND
Solar roadways are just as they sound. The design concept that is being tested as of right now, are panels shaped into hexagons and paved onto the ground in an interlocking pattern. Each panel would be a sandwich of half inch tempered glass with wiring and solar panels to convert the energy (Are Solar...). The mind responsible for this idea is a humble couple from…show more content… The Bursaw’s will gain quite a bit of money and fame (within the science and engineering community) should their design prove to not be a bust. The intended users of solar roadways also prove to have allot to gain. With the solar roadways in place, asphaltic roadways would become less and less common and the general public, including those driving on the roadways and those that aren’t, would come to see a drop in energy prices as the solar energy collected from the roadways enters the energy sector (Solar Roadways). With positive consequences there also comes negative consequences. The high cost of production is enough to cause any city or government official to question whether the roadways is a good idea. This is the same reason as why solar panels on residential homes are not as popular. The initial cost the extremely high and the buy-back period will be four or more years until profit is seen (Solar Roadways). Imagine that on a large scale and it is understandable how much hesitation a city or state official will feel. Another negative side effect that needs to be considered is how long it will take for the solar roadways to be constructed in place of the existing roadways. With the excavation of the roadway to the building of the base for the roadway panels and the building of the two channels, one for storm water runoff and one for electrical…show more content… Scott and Julie Bursaw are failing to “promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people” in the most ethical manner (TTU). While the solar roadways are a great good that would help and affect the greatest number of people, the process is not in the correct professional opinion to be designed for the roadway panels. At this moment, the cost of project does not meet the amount of good that it will produce until the life of the roadway panels will almost end. Also, the amount of people that will be physically harmed in the process of testing the panels and how they perform under the various weather conditions within each state. As of right now, the panels are only fit for private driveways where speeds do not go above ten miles per hour. Another ethical problem that needs to be taken into account is that Scott Bursaw is an electrical engineer and has been designing the panels without, or with little consultation, from civil engineers. The tempered glass needs to go through rigorous testing in a glass materials lab, like the Glass Research lab at Texas Tech, and the top roadway panel needs to be tested under roadway conditions by a civil engineer that specializes in transportation and roadway. The grade of the road would have to be different, and the textured glass would have to be tested on different tire treads. Ultimately, Scott Bursaw has done all the
