Photovoltaic cells in roads to generate all the power you could imagine!

All right, here’s something we seriously never thought of before and think it to be just great and innovative indeed. We’ve seen solar panels adorn the roofs of buildings around urban areas before, basking in the sun and powering up our lives. Well, how about having them integrated in our roads too! After all, roads are exposed to just as much sunlight as the roofs of our homes. Asphalt sure will be kicked out on its butt if this technology is realized in future and photovoltaics end up in roads. The US Federal Highways Administration currently is funding a research being done by electrical engineer Scott Brusaw who is figuring out ways to toughen up PV cells and use them in roads.

Now photovoltaic cells as we know them are as brittle as a bride in white and need to be handled with care. Toughen them up a bit, use them in roads and imagine the miles and miles of power we could generate!
[NewScientist]