How do we….

…move toward world peace?

…move toward collaboration on climate change?

…move toward economic and environmental responsibility?

…become energy independent and a member of the world community?

Here is a huge step in the right direction…

I just had to share this wonderful new video “Sol Solution” with all of you!

An inspiring combination of youth, hope, and solar energy… what’s not to love!

We need more uplifting solution oriented videos like this to empower our youth and all the big kids too!

In-joy,
Bruce

UPDATE: 9.8.09
Press Releases

August 25, 2009

US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AWARDS $100,000

RESEARCH CONTRACT TO SOLAR ROADWAYS

Funds intelligent roads and parking lots

SOLAR ROADWAYS, SAGLE, IDAHO (August 25, 2009)- Solar Roadways today announced that it has been awarded a DOT contract that will enable them to prototype the first ever Solar Road Panel.

The Solar Roadways will collect solar energy to power businesses and homes via structurally-engineered solar panels that are driven upon, to be placed in parking lots and roadways in lieu of petroleum-based asphalt surfaces.

The Solar Road Panels will contain embedded LEDs which “paint” the road lines from beneath to provide safer nighttime driving, as well as to give up to the minute instructions (via the road) to drivers (i.e. “detour ahead”). The road will be able to sense wildlife on the road and can warn drivers to “slow down”. There will also be embedded heating elements in the surface to prevent snow and ice buildup, providing for safer winter driving. This feature packed system will become an intelligent highway that will double as a secure, intelligent, decentralized, self-healing power grid which will enable a gradual weaning from fossil fuels.

Replacing asphalt roads and parking lots with Solar Roadway panels will be a major step toward halting climate change. Fully electric vehicles will be able to recharge along the roadway and in parking lots, finally making electric cars practical for long trips.

It is estimated that is will take roughly five billion (a stimulus package in itself) 12′ by 12′ Solar Road Panels to cover the asphalt surfaces in the U.S. alone, allowing us to produce three times more power than we’ve ever used as a nation - almost enough to power the entire world.

FROM 3.7.08:

This new technology is going beyond ideas and into reality. There is a huge potential and it is not as farfetched as it might sound. Idaho-based Solar Roadways is one of the trailblazers. The solar roadway is a series of interconnected Solar PV road panels that you can actually drive on. Electrical engineer Scott Brusaw was inspired to start the company when he heard Caltech solar energy expert Nate Lewis suggest that covering just 1.7 percent of continental U.S. land surface with photovoltaic (PV) solar collectors could produce enough power to meet the nation’s total energy demand.

The heart of the solar roadway concept is the solar road panel. Each individual panel consists of three basic layers, the road surface layer, which is translucent and high-strength yet rough enough to provide traction. The surface layer is capable of handling today’s heaviest loads under the worst of conditions and protect the electronics layer beneath it.

The three layers (top, middle, and bottom) of a solar road panel.
Next is the electronics layer, which contains a large array of cells, the bulk of which contain solar collecting cells with LEDs for “painting” the road surface. These cells also contain the “Super” or “Ultra” caps that store the sun’s energy for later use. Batteries are not used in the solar roadway. Since each solar road panel manages its own electricity generation, storage, and distribution, they can heat themselves in northern climates to eliminate snow and ice accumulation.

The third layer is the base plate layer, which distributes power (collected from the electronics layer) and data signals (phone, TV, internet, etc.) “downline” to all homes and businesses connected to the solar roadway. The power and data signals are passed through each of the four sides of the base plate layer. The base plate layer is directly attached to vertical risers, pneumatic or hydraulic pistons that raise or lower different points of individual solar road panels. Riser bases are installed beneath the frost line to avoid the “heaving” phenomenon common in colder climates where the ground freezes and thaws. This provides a natural earth ground for the electronics layer of the Solar Road Panels. The risers are controlled (raised, lowered, or locked) by the solar road panel’s microprocessor board. The microprocessor board communicates with each adjacent panel to ensure a seamless road surface.

The skeptics main concern is the surface. Solar Roadways has approached the nations top materials research labs. “Penn State University’s Materials Research Institute and the University of Dayton’s Research Institute [are] working of figures for developing the top layer,” Brusaw says. He has also said they could easily make the surface to the specs needed… i.e. durable enough for long term use of fully loaded 18 wheelers, non glare, transparent enought for PV, good traction for braking etc.

The possible “extras” from this technology are impressive…
•The first and best is power…. enough for the entire country.
•Rather than paint and markers on the road you would have colorized substrate that would even light up at night like a runway… no guessing where the road is.
•The roads would defrost themselves in northern climates
•All the other wires could be integrated, power, cable tv, internet, phone etc.
•Plug in or wireless microwave on board charging of electric vehicles… charge while you are parked. •Monitoring of traffic for safety and law enforement.
•Power all the street lights and intersections for safety
• Save hundreds of millions of animals lives by built in wildlife warning devises to keep the animals using the under roadway pathways built for them instead of on top of the roads.

“It looks like 2008 is going to be our year. Everything seems to be falling into place at just the right time,” says Brusaw.

solarroadways.com

article on renewableenergyworld

Happy PV trails,
Bruce

An amazing new technology cuts CO2 emissions 99.5%. Once you see this video you may ask the same question as I… Why was this not part of the conversation and discussion among those in this country pushing a new technology to make coal fired plants less polluting? Or for that matter any fossil fuel buring power plant? If this technology comes to market here in the US it will make the highly experimental and expensive coal sequestering technologies a moot point.
This new technology converts gases from industries burning fossil fuels into energy. Very cheap, visit www.absalutecology.com for more details.
The technology makes burning coal, oil, rubbish with nearly 0% pollution possible. Recycling has never been a more profitable and environmentaly friendly possiblilty then it is now. Spread the news and avoid a nuclear future. Not excatly sustainable living, but at least we’ll avoid the worst of climate change if we act soon. This technology cleans toxic gasses of impurities such as CO2, SO2, Nitrogen gas, and dust particles. Keeping the air clean at a very low cost.

This video is not directly supported by greenpeace, although its aim is to provide a simlar service as greenpeace, to protect the environment while accomodating the needs of human expansion and growth.

Absalutecology: Creating a solution to the global environmental and economic problem of air pollution.

Webby: http://www.absalutecology.com

This exciting new technology has the potential to revolutionize national electircal grids using the simple principle of hot air rising.

The concept is simple…. use the sun to provide air movement which pushes turbines that create electricity and do it with a design that makes no impact on the quality of our air, water or soil…. what’s not to love?

I have provided a number of the videos detailing existing test installations and projects hoping to go forward.

Enviro-Mission - Roger Davy’s Solar Power Tower…

1800′ - 3100′ tall

a base of glass 6 times larger than New York’s central park.

Powering over 100,000 - 200,000 homes with no fossil fuel burning.

This would be the equivalent of taking over 90,000 cars off the road.

The Enviro-Mission proposed project in Mildura, Austraila desert 3281ft tall!

http://www.enviromission.com.au

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An Opportunity to Reduce Global Warming and CO2? -Discovery Channel

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Test installation Solar Tower Energy in Spain, Madrid