Articles of September 2009

On the remote corner of an under developed country, if someone says I have an idea to turn your roads into a Solar Power Stations, a few would keep silent and may not appreciate the idea and majority would less laugh on the presumption, more they say the gentleman has lost its mind.

But unlike most countries, United States which has developed an extreme vigilant infra-structure for the progress of Science and Technology, you just imagine a fictional idea one day becomes reality. Once in a while, a really brilliant idea comes along, and we find ourselves wondering: Why didn't we think of that?

Well, this has got to be one of those brilliant ideas. Energy, especially solar energy, is a very hot topic these days. And with good reasons. As the world's energy demands growing, the resources needed to supply this power seems to be getting less and less so, we have to come up with a sustainable solution.

And that is exactly what Scott Brusaw from Solar Roadways, in Idaho USA, has done. What's more is that U.S. Department of Transportation is so impressed with his proposal that they have granted Solar Roadways US $100,000 to further develop his prototype that turns roads into giant solar panels. The idea and the research behind it also make a lot of sense in terms of cost, and environmental impact.

Firstly, Mr Brusaw believes that solar panel roads may last up to three times longer than current petroleum-based asphalt surfaces which has an average lifespan of about 7 years at a cost of US $16 per square foot. Mr Brusaw hopes to produce solar panels with a lifespan of 21 years for US $48 per square foot, which would not only save the inconvenience of road maintenance,