Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways!!

Energy collecting roads that can cut greenhouse gases by 75% and automatically remove snow and ice without the help of gas guzzling snowplows or salt?

Sound like a good idea? The U.S. Federal Highway Administration seemed to think so four years ago when they awarded the company Solar Roadways $100,000 to create a prototype of their road friendly solar panels concept, which they did… and it seems to work so far.

The general public must also think it’s a good idea since their IndieGoGo fund raiser campaign, designed to take the project to the next level, has already significantly surpassed it’s $1,000,000 goal. At the time of this writing it has generated an impressive $1,800,600 (a 80% overshot).

The following video provides a more technical glimpse into the project.

From our perspective we have to wonder, if these solar roadways were to become a reality, how would they effect auto insurance? After all, they do promise safety features such as warning lights for oncoming road hazards and snow and ice melting capabilities, all of which should result in fewer automotive accidents. Since fewer insurance claims invariably results in lower insurance rates, we think it’s safe say that this concept would lead to lower insurance rates for everyone… and that’s a win-win in our book.

video sources:
Scott Brusaw (May 18, 2014) – “Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways!”

YERT – Your Environmental Road Trip (Jun 2, 2010) – “Solar Roadways: The Prototype”