S LAR ROADWAYS

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TECHNICAL SEMINAR

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Solar energy is the light and radiant heat from the Sunthat influences Earth's climate and weather and sustainslife. By using this energy electricity can be producedwith help of solar technology.

Solar technologies are broadly characterized as:

Active solar technology

Passive solar technology

Photovoltaic cells are used to convert solar energydirectly into electricity using semiconductors . This isactive type of solar technology.

Solar energy is preferable as compared to another energy sources due to following reasons:

Reduced Dependence on Fossil Fuels

Environment friendly

Matching Peak Time Output with Peak Time Demand

Modularity and Scalability

Flexible Locations

A solar roadway is a road surface that generates electricity bysolar power photovoltaic cells embedded below a toughtransparent surface which provides sufficient traction.

A solar roadway consist of three layers:Road surface layer/Glass layerElectronics layerBase plate layer

Translucent and high-strength, it is rough enough to provide sufficienttraction, yet still passes sunlight through to the solar collector cellsembedded within, along with LEDs and a heating element.

It contains photovoltaic cells which absorbs solar energy. It alsocontains a microprocessor board with support circuitry for sensingloads on the surface and controlling a heating element with a viewto reducing or eliminating snow.

While the electronics layer collects energy from the sun, it is thebase plate layer that distributes that power as well as data signals(phone, TV, internet, etc.) down the line to all homes andbusinesses connected to the solar roadway. It needs to beweatherproof to protect the electronics layer above it.

Renewability

Life-span

Initial Cost

Road Illumination

Intelligent Highway system

Military and rescue assistance

Maintenance costs

Seasonal efficiency

Needs a town planning

India had a road network of over 42,45,805 kilometers in2011.

In which national highways and state highways cover 0.05%of total road network.

These highways can produce 450TWh of electricity accordingto references when they are surfaced by solar panels.

But India needs 991TWh of electricity.

This implies that if 0.1% of total road network of India issurfaced with Solar Roadway panels, it would illuminate ournation.

Features of Solar Roadways

The power lines and data lines running over the poles,

Make the city ugly

Interrupt to the way of vehicles

Need a frequent maintenance when bad atmosphere tends to break them

Increase the overall cost as they needs poles to run over

Hacking of trees is required when they come in the way of lines

This can be avoided by encasing these power lines below the Glasslayer which can be directly supplied by electricity form there itselfwith no loss of energy due to electric resistance. This will eliminateall the drawbacks of ‘power lines hung on poles’ and also ensuresafety.

Many people driving their vehicle at night cannot see the roadahead due to oncoming headlights or rain.

The Solar Roadways will have LEDs which will illuminate thelanes.

Thus the rate of accidents will be reduced and illumination ofroads will add to the aesthetics of the city.

The LEDs can be programmed to show the instructions such as - SLOW, STOP, GO, SPEEDLIMIT, etc.The LEDS can also be programmed to warn drivers of an animal on the road, an accident,or construction work.Central control stations will be able to instantly customize the lanes and words on thepanels as like screen, reducing traffic congestion.

With induction plating embedded inside these roads, electric cars canbe recharged while in motion on top of these roads. This would reducethe costs and the time-inconvenience of waiting at a charging station.

Glass panelInduction plating

Another option available for chargingis stand-by charging which is done byplugging in the charger in the slotvehicle, this method can be appliedwhen the vehicle is parked in theparking lot.

Snow seems to be enjoyable when we were kids. But the problem arises when wegrow up and drive. It makes driving dangerous.When it comes to asphalt roads they get damaged when this snow is melted andincreases the maintenance cost. Budgets are also heavily taxed for snow removal.A Solar Roadway changes all of that. The roads heat themselves with their embeddedheating elements and melt away all the snow.

Solar Roadways™ is a company based in Idaho that is working toperfect and implement the idea of solar panels embeddedwithin road surfaces, sidewalks and parking lots.

This company had made two prototypes.

Phase I Prototype:Phase II Prototype:

The United States Department of Transportation awarded thecompany Solar Roadways Incorporated a $100,000 researchcontract in 2009. This company prototyped solar road panels inlaboratory.

Phase I Prototype:

Phase II Prototype:

After successful completion of the Phase I SBIR contract, SolarRoadways Inc. announced that the Federal HighwayAdministration awarded it a follow-up $750,000 Phase II SBIRcontract to take it to the next step: a solar parking lot. Followingare the pictures taken of the prototype.

While preparing solar paneled parking lot

After preparing solar paneled parking lot

Tractor parked on solar paneled parking lot

Solar paneled parking lot illuminated by LEDs

For roughly the same cost of the current systems (asphalt roads andfossil fuel burning electricity generation plants), the Solar Roadwayscan be implemented.

No more Global Warming.

Safer driving conditions.

Far less pollution.

A new secure highway infrastructure that pays for itself.

A decentralized, self-healing, secure power grid.

No more dependency on foreign oil.

THANK YOU