US firm plans solar roads

US based Solar Roadways plans to turn the country’s roads into giant solar energy generators that could supply a significant portion of the US’s energy needs. It is laying thick LED-lit glass solar panels in the form of modular paving systems that can withstand heaviest trucks and can be installed at practically all locations – roads, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, playgrounds, bike paths etc. The generated power could be connected through driveways and parking lots and supplied to residential and commercial facilities, thus recovering the investment on the roads. Other features of the system include charging facilities for electric vehicles, LEDs to make road lines and signage, heating elements to melt snow and an attached cable corridor to store and treat storm-water.