The document discusses solar roadways, which are roads paved with solar panels that can generate electricity. It describes the concept of replacing traditional asphalt roads and parking lots with structured solar panels. Each panel has three layers - a top translucent road surface, a middle electronics layer to control lighting and power distribution, and a bottom base plate to transmit power. The document estimates that covering the roads and parking lots at VIT Chennai Campus with solar panels could generate over 6.5 GWh of electricity annually, offsetting the campus's energy needs. It also discusses challenges like high upfront costs, durability questions, and variability of sunlight, as well as benefits like job creation and reduced environmental impact.

1. Renewable Sources of
Energy
Solar Roadways

2. Introduction
 Hearing the concerns about global warming and knowing our dependency on fossil
fuels the solar roadways imagined to develop roadways with solar panels.
 This innovation is begun in early 2009 and later the company was established by
name Solar Roadways in U.S. and awarded a contract by federal government.
 The Solar Roadway is a series of structurally-engineered solar panels that are driven
upon.
 The idea is to replace all current petroleum based asphalt roads, parking lots, and
driveways with Solar Road Panels that collect energy to be used by our homes and
businesses.
 The ultimate goal is to store excess energy in or along-side the Solar Roadways.

3. Concept Design
The solar panels are divided into three basic layers:
1. Road Surface Layer: As this is the top most layers of the assembly & also from this
layer the solar rays will reach up-to the photovoltaic cells; they should be
translucent and high-strength.
2. Electronics Layer: Contains a microprocessor board with support circuitry for
sensing loads on the surface and controlling a heating element. The on-board
microprocessor controls lighting, communications, monitoring, etc. which are fitted
at every 12 feet distance.
3. Base Plate Layer: While the electronics layer collects energy from the sun, it is the
base plate layer that distributes power and data signals "down-line" to the
organisation connected to the Solar Roadway. The base layer is made weatherproof
so that it can provide the electronic layer above it.

4. The three components of a solar roadway

5. Costs Comparison
 A typical pavement composition for rural road is given below based upon SP: 62-
2004:
 The total cost of above pavement will thus be about Rs. 27 lakhs per km and the
maintenance cost comes upto Rs. 28.30 lakhs per km. After adding construction
and maintenance cost the total cost will be around Rs. 1500 per m2.
 If a 1 meter by 1 meter panel can be manufactured, transported, and placed for
less than the unit cost of asphalt placement then there is no more room for debate.

6.  Coal power plants are generally one of the least
expensive sources of electricity by this measure, at
a construction cost around $2.10 a watt.
 Large hydroelectric systems can be even less
expensive by this measure; the Three Gorges Dam
is reported to have cost about $1 a watt,
 Solar panels are currently selling for as low as
$0.70 per watt (7-April-2012) in industrial
quantities.
 Large wind turbines cost about $2 a watt.
 Natural gas-fired peaking power plants are around
$1 per watt of electrical capacity.
Price per watt history for crystalline
silicon photovoltaic cells since 1977

7. Rate of Return
 Photovoltaic solar panels currently produce 8 to 10 Watts per Square Foot on
average.
 For the sake of prudence, we’ll use the lower end of the estimate to project the
amount of energy gained in a Square Foot.
 We have calculated the total area of roadways of VIT Chennai Campus. The total
area comes to be 28,133 m2. So the amount of energy gained from the total area:
28,133 m2 x 10.7639 ft2/ m2 x 8.0 W/ft2 = 2422568.7344 W
Chennai has an average of 2716 hours of sunlight per year with an average of 7:26 of
sunlight per day. Applying the sun hour factor, we see an annual energy return of…
2422568.7344 W x 2716 hours annually
= 6.58 GWh annually

8. Satellite view of VIT Chennai Campus

9. Alternative Applications
 Incorporation of a weight sensor mechanism within the solar roadway panel. This
will help if there is a child or an animal such as a deer on a highway, the driver can
be notified hundreds of feet ahead to slow down by way of the LED feature within
the road itself.
 Parking Lots: This help to generate electricity from the huge parking area which are
usually in open. With the use of LEDs we can change markings on the ground with
a greater ease.
 Illuminated Roads: The Solar Roadways will have LEDs which will "paint" the lanes,
and can be instantly customized as needed.
 Different "lands" could have different color schemes via the multitude of LED color
choices. The lighted paths would enhance safety and reduce slipping from snow
and ice in more northern climates.
 No more "dead spots" for cell phones, iPads, Kindles, etc. The Solar Roadways'
ability to carry data lines alongside the roadways provides the means to carry
signals anywhere roads are located.

10. Challenges
 It’s difficult to point the roadway to track the sun, to improve energy generation
efficiency.
 Keeping the solar collectors clean (as millions of tires scrub over them, and engines
drip oil on them) so that sunlight can get collected by the embedded PV surfaces.
 Cost of implanting solar panels will be very high. If it is done in a large scale, like
implementing it for some city, then cost will be on government and people of that
country.
 The biggest unknown is safety. Driving or walking on a textured glass surface is
completely different than asphalt, which is designed specifically to increase
traction.
 Another problem it can have is about LEDs. There are possibilities that LEDs might
not reflect properly and shine directly on drivers’ eyes. This will make driving at
night dangerous.
 Durability is also not fully proven. They have showed driving a tractor over the
prototype parking lot. But this does not qualify as an official Department of
Transportation (DOT) test.

11. Advantages
 Ability to power our homes and businesses while we’re driving on them.
 Ability to power electric vehicles on-the-go at businesses such as restaurants and
road-stops.
 Allowing organizations to power their own buildings and appliances.
 Integrated LED lights to provide warning signs for drivers.
 The Solar Roadways will help to clean up the environment by eliminating the need
to produce CO2 in the generation of electricity.
 It will create so many new jobs that it may very well become the "New Deal" of the
21st century. We can retrain workers from obsolete jobs such as coal miners and
asphalt workers with new "Green Collar" jobs.
 Recycled materials can be used for the internal support structure.

12. Disadvantages
 The initial cost of purchasing and installing solar panels always become the first
disadvantage when the topic of solar energy comes up. The cost of installing solar
panels is bit high.
 Questionable durability and damage controllability that may affect traffic and power.
 The cost of repair may be higher than conventional asphalt roads.
 Dependable solar year-round may be a concern in areas that may not get as much sun
during various seasons.
 Most of the photovoltaic panels are made up of silicon and other toxic metals like
mercury, lead and cadmium. Pollution in the environment can also degrade the quality
and efficiency of photovoltaic cells.
 Since not all the light from the sun is absorbed by the solar panels therefore most solar
panels have low efficiency.
 Unlike other renewable energy sources which can also be operated during night, solar
panels prove to be useless

13. Conclusion
 In this report, we have suggested, an approach to utilize solar energy to meet the
challenges like pollution, and energy insecurity faced by VIT.
 Using Google Earth software, our campus has been carefully scanned.
 From the results of our study, 6.58 GWh annually of electricity is feasible by
covering area of roadways, parking lots, sidewalks, tarmacs, bypass and outdoor
recreation services of VIT Chennai Campus.
 In summary we can say that this approach can be the answer for the various
concerns faced by VIT.
 We consider that the installation cost will be very high but the returns are also high
which makes it one the best solution that can be adopt by the college.

14. Thank You