Solar Get Its Kicks on Route 66

A while back you may have seen sponsored videos on Facebook talking about installing solar panels into America’s roadways. What seemed like a far fetched dream has now become a reality, thanks to the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the ingenuity of Julie and Scott Brusaw. Back in 2010, the Brusaw’s started going public with their ideas to repave roads in the US with their solar tiles. This shift to solar power would not only power our country three times over again, but would provide extra benefits as well. In 2014, Julie and Scott saw some traction when their Indiegogo campaign raised over $2 million.

Initially, the hexagonal tiles won’t quite be installed on Route 66; rather, they will pave the entrance pathways into the Route 66 Welcome Center rest stop. Assuming all goes well and funding continues to pour in, the project will be expanded onto the parking lot, and hopefully down the line will extend to roadways themselves.

The idea of utilizing these tiles pay off in a lot of ways. Obviously, the generation of solar power will be an influencing factor in the years to come. Included in each tempered glass tile is a heating element and LED lighting, so theoretically not only could our roadways power our nation, but they could thaw frozen ice and light up to warn travelers of impending obstacles ahead.
Of course the main backlash seen against the project is the sheer cost itself. Why replace roads that are perfectly functional now with a technology that hasn’t even proven itself yet? Some experts estimate that the cost to pave our roads with solar tiles would trend upwards of $56 trillion. That’s a pretty penny to upgrade something that’s already working fairly well for us now.

It has long been argued that solar power is the future for our country. We cannot keep up with the demand on our natural resources, and at some point, something has to change. One can only hope that this project will begin to show tangible results that everyone can get on board with.