Sidewalks
SR panels will keep sidewalks snow and ice free and illuminated for the safety of pedestrians. The robust SR highway texture is not needed. The less textured panel meets ADA guidelines and makes a smoother surface, without being slippery. Sidewalks are a good early adoption product for cities. Homes and businesses along SR sidewalks can receive the clean power.
Playgrounds
Solar Roadways® panels will be perfect for playgrounds at schools and parks. The green energy can power schools and park bathrooms and snack areas. Since playgrounds will remain snow free, children will be able to safely play outside on more days without slipping. A given footprint of asphalt or concrete offers a set number of sports and games. The same sized footprint with SR will offer unlimited choices of sports and fun and educational games.
Patios
Using patios in addition to driveways adds to the amount of solar energy that will be available to the home. People will appreciate the way the heating elements extend the season for outdoor enjoyment. Patios so easily double as that much sought after killer dance floor too!
Pool Surrounds
SR panels and swimming pools: a perfect combination. The clean energy can be used to heat the pool, and the tractioned panels will prevent slips. The magic begins at sundown when the panels can be programmed to provide just the right ambience for a quiet swim or a pool party.
Sports Courts
Sports courts can be easily added at homes as well as schools and playgrounds. Driveways can double as sport courts or they can stand alone. Many homes already have basketball hoops and the LED lights in SR panels can easily draw the lines for a basketball court. Sport and game options will be available at the touch of a button for all ages. Wherever they are installed, sports courts will remain snow and ice free for extended days of play.
Walkways
Solar Roadways® panels are great for any walkway on public or private property. The less robust sidewalk texture works well: ADA compliant with enough texture; less than is needed for roads. Unlike sidewalks, walkways often do not have any vehicle traffic, but may meander to more isolated places such as parks and gardens where the embedded LEDs will be all the more appreciated.
Bike Paths
Bike Paths are an important application for SR as people who choose to bike instead of drive help to protect the environment (and their health.) Solar Roadways® wants to support them in doing so happily and with increased safety. SR features will keep paths snow and ice free and well lit. Fancier features like warning of approaching cyclists will be available too.
Airports
Airports could well be one of the most important applications for Solar Roadways®. The flat, open, unshaded areas couldn’t be simpler to install or better suited for producing plenty of clean power for those big electricity needs. The other side of the coin is that the needs of airports and pilots can be met in ways never before possible. Tarmacs can be kept snow/ice free, eliminating a large source for flight delays. LED signage will be visible from the air for pilots on normal flights and most importantly when things go wrong. The same lights will guide planes to the proper gate after landing.
Parking Lots
SR receives letters of interest for parking lots nearly every day. The enhancements possible with a Solar Roadways® parking lot go beyond the obvious. The green energy produced will be much appreciated, and can be used to power the business and also given back to customers via EV charging if desired. Customers won’t miss the business owner’s commitment to the environment and to their own safety. The snow/ice free panels reduce slips and falls and safely light the way for customers on dark nights. The Cable Corridors contain stormwater runoff; it can be treated on-site or moved. The water can be recycled to water landscaping, lawns etc. The intelligent panels make possible options like flexible parking configurations, varying parking space sizing, and instant creation of specialty spaces (handicapped, EV owners, veterans etc.) Company theme colors and logos can be matched on the beautiful glass panels. The ways to increase customer happiness are unlimited.
Residential Roads
One of the advantages of Solar Roadways® is it’s decentralized nature and ability to be produce power so close to the customer. Roads dotted with homes and businesses hungry for that power are perfect in that there would be so little loss as the electricity does not have to travel long distances. Where there are SR parking lots and driveways, the system can be seamless. Eventually one will be able to drive to the store and back home without driving on snowy or dark roads at all. There is a security in this system as well – the decentralization means that in the event of a disaster, undamaged panels continue to produce and transfer power. Cable Corridors give a “home” to overhead wires where they cannot become damaged in storms or cause power outages.
Driveways
Solar Roadways® receives thousands of requests for driveways from homeowners all over the world. Reasons for the interest vary: desire for energy independence, desire to help the environment, the aesthetic enhancement… the desire to never shovel or plow a driveway again! Increasingly, people tell us that they are captivated by the idea of one touch holiday decorating. The options go beyond Christmas: red, white and blue for the 4th of July, pink and purple for Valentine’s Day, green for St. Patrick’s day and of course whatever colors they choose for birthdays and special events. Those in snowy areas love the snow/ice free feature for its convenience and safety.
Highways
Highways are Solar Roadways® ultimate destination, but will be the last application. It makes sense to tackle non-critical applications first. The wait will be worthwhile when intelligent SR panels create a decentralized Smart Grid, solving power issues, and enhancing national security. The conveniently sized hexagons will make highways modular and eliminate maintenance nightmares. LED lights will provide easy to see flexible line and signage options and can respond to emergencies creating detours as needed. Municipalities can eliminate the need for snow removal and motorists can drive on snow/ice free surfaces. When sufficient infrastructure is installed, highways will be able to allow dynamic charging of electric vehicles via mutual induction technology embedded in the Solar Roadways®. Autonomous vehicles can be facilitated with SR technology too.
Helipads
Solar Roadways® panels are a natural option for helipads, whether on rooftops or on the ground; At Hospitals, where time is of the essence, SR LED signage will be easily visible while heating elements keep helipads snow and ice free to prevent slipping as gurneys are quickly moved. Helipads used by: office buildings, police Stations, fire houses, etc. can all benefit from the same features. Since helipads are open to receive sunshine the majority of the time, the renewable energy created can help to power buildings.
Crosswalks
Crosswalks are one of the places on a roadways where Solar Roadways® technology can be most beneficial. In spite of the markings and current technology of modern crosswalks, 20% of pedestrian accidents continue to occur at intersections, and 72% of pedestrian fatalities occur when it’s dark (www.nhtsa.gov). SR panels have offer two ways to help: 1. The embedded LED lights will make it easier for drivers to see pedestrians in crosswalks. 2. The intelligent panels can be programmed to flash, change colors, spell “Slow Down” and “Stop” in order to further alert drivers and protect pedestrians.
Specialty Parking
SR panels can facilitate many options for specialty parking. Handicapped spaces are a case in point. Currently, business owners are required to provide a set minimum number (based on the number of parking spaces in the lot) of handicapped spaces and paint them accordingly. Unfortunately, this means that some days there are numerous prime spaces open, but unusable for other customers, or there are not enough for the customers who need them. As can be seen in the video on this page, with SR technology handicap spaces can be created as needed, rather than dedicated. Other types of specialty parking that Solar Roadways® can facilitate include veterans parking, spaces for families with small children, VIP spaces for special guests, and spaces for customers with EVs (perhaps chargers available too). Different sized vehicles can be accommodated with spaces of varying sizes: extra large spaces for trucks and RVs, extra small for motorcycles. Parking lot owners will be able to have a variety of preset parking configurations, make manual changes, or use SR software and the intelligence of the panels to create the automatic options they desire.