Dive Brief:

• Highway construction could attract electric engineers if a prototype project called Solar Roadways can find funding and prove it works.
• With Federal Highway Administration support, a couple in Sagle, Idaho, has been creating a proof-of-concept system that uses panels topped with a textured glass and containing solar cells and LEDs that can be used to post messages for drivers in the road.
• The glass surface has exceeded expectations for traction and handling, and the plan includes heating elements that let the panels keep themselves clear of snow and ice.

Dive Insight:

Scott and Julie Brusaw and a group of volunteers are Solar Roadways so far. The parking lot is nearly completed, and the Brusaws are looking at crowdfunding as a way to move into commercial production. If the panels proved to have anything like the durability needed for highway use and was cost-efficient, the system could turn highway construction on its head.