Self-Sustaining, Intelligent Pavement Systems

As stated in the solicitation, the pavement infrastructure in the US covers a large surface area and requires intensive energy and natural resources. Vehicles that travel over these pavements are also resource intensive. Solar Roadways Incorporated envisions replacing current asphalt surfaces with modular Solar Road Panels: structurally-engineered solar panels that can be driven upon. The roadway will generate electricity, become our nation’s power grid, and make all-electric vehicles practical. This system could produce three times more electricity than our nation uses and allow the road to pay for itself. This proposal will show that this project is not only technically feasible, but cost effective. As a first step in developing a solar roadway, Solar Roadways Incorporated developed Solar Road Panels and installed them in a parking lot as a demonstration project during Phase II. Refinement of the design and manufacturing process and further testing of the technology will be the focus of Phase IIB.