Solar Roadways raise £1.2m for new project through crowdfunding
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Futuristic Solar Roadways will of course be powered by the sun but their transformation from a family company's environmentalist dream to mainstream reality is being made possible with people power.
The technology is a long-term brainchild of Scott and Julie Brusaw, who have almost doubled their original goal of US$1million through crowdfunding site Indiegogo to take their project to the next level and build a prototype car park.
With social media support from celebrities such as George Takei, Solar Roadways' technology replaces standard asphalt roads and parking spaces with high-tech solar panels that generate power, form versatile lighting patterns and even melt snow.
There's still 14 days of the fundraising campaign to go but the last count was $1,975,577 (£1,175,589), way over their original target - and the support isn't just financial with their Indiegogo site and related videos going viral and attracting about 15 million views.
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Power on: Solar Roadways has attracted double its crowdfunding goal to take the project to the next level with a prototype car park
Family affair: The company and design is the brainchild of husband and wife team Scott and Julie Brusaw
Double up: The Brusaw sought US$1m to build the car park but have received almost double that in public donations through Indiegogo
The husband and wife design team from Idaho in the USA say their trademark panels would pay for themselves over time and generate clean and renewable energy.
They say the glass in the modular pavers that shield the solar panels can withstand the weight of the mightiest of trucks (think 250,000 pounds) but wouldn't just be suitable for roads - their dream is to see them on any surface we drive or walk on, from footpaths and driveways to playgrounds.
The heating elements in the panels can keep roads free of ice and snow while they've been equipped with lighting systems that can form road markings or define parking spaces.
Not stopping there, they've included a cable corridor that treats storm water and space to run cables that may otherwise have needed to be buried underground or propped up overhead.
Solar Roadways estimates there is about 31,000 square miles (80,000 square kilometres) of usable road surfaces in the US that could be converted into solar-powered roads.
Smart cells: Scott and Julie aim to have their recycled glass and solar panel cells covering any surface we can walk or drive on (artist's illustration)
Light it up: LEDs within the panels can change colour and pattern to be adaptable for a range of uses - from marking parking spaces to warning drivers of an accident ahead
Hot idea: A heating element within the panels makes them resistant to ice and snow
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