Most people think of freeways as utilitarian structures, and nothing more. But for Swedish architect and urban strategist Mans Tham, freeways are majestic structures that could serve another important purpose.
In an effort to make freeways more attractive and functional, Tham would like to see Los Angeles’ famed highways covered in photovoltaic cells to power the very city the freeway bisects.
Aside from providing extra electricity to cities throughout the region, the proposal could “bring green-tech jobs for farming, harvesting and processing to the very neighborhoods that today are the most disadvantaged by their proximity to the freeway.”
Tham estimates that if the Santa Monica Freeway was covered with solar panels between downtown L.A. and the coastline, it could provide 115 MW — enough electricity to power the needs of a city like Venice, California.
“The possibility of producing energy within the city is much better than ruining a desert for a solar farm and then losing energy on expensive transmission lines,” said Tham. “By letting infrastructure be a visually powerful part of the city, inside and out, its citizens are allowed to understand and cherish the complexity of their daily urban life.”
Tham’s aptly named “Solar Serpents in Paradise” plan also includes electric car charging stations under overpasses and adjacent algae ponds fed by the carbon dioxide-rich freeway air. The build-up of algae can then be harvested for biofuel.
This is not the solution to solve all energy concerns in highly urbanized regions, admits Tham. But he believes his plan could make better use of existing land, and is one of many steps necessary towards smarter cities.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Visually stunning but the tech is outdated by Zenith Solar of Israel. No longer do we need large expanses of solar cells. Just a cable station sized satellite dish (1000 mirrors ) pointed at a single 11cm satellite solar cell.
The tech was invented by the father of solar power from Ben Gurion University. Tested in the Negev. Now it is licensed to Zenith Solar and in production. Cost- comparable to nuclear and gas electrical generator stations.
When the solar cell is to old a simple swap with another cell is easy.
The company Solar Roadways in the US has been working on this idea for a few years, and has been receiving grants from the gov for testing purposes – and their solutions replace street signs and increase storm water management system effectiveness. Maybe Tham should go work for them?
Why not just go low tech and use heat conductive tubing embedded in the black top? With a liquid ammonia system you could easily create a large amount of energy using the temperature differential between the hot blacktop and the 55 degree earth.
Big brother would never allow this, because highways and automobiles are monitored by satellites and helicopters.
If you truly expect your freedom to be protected, tyranny must be allowed to exist and grow.
Add wind turbines to convert vehicle draft into electricity and we have a trifecta.
Great idea but let’s think about the complications of turning every freeway into a tunnel of sorts. What happens when there’s an accident and people need to be airlifted out? Make the roof expandable? Sure at what expense and then what if that breaks? I see complications when things go wrong…
The noise alone would be terrible. That and what happens when a semi takes out the support structure for the roof of panels. It would collapse and crush every car near the incident.
Large scale solar will not happen unless the energy companies do it, or the state takes over the energy industry. If the state did take it over and offered large incentives for businesses to add solar to the millions of flat roofs in the state, then maybe solar will have an effect.
Nice design though.
Well hoverboards are a ways off true but we already have cars that can fly. “flying cars” are a horrible idea, and one I hope never comes true, at least until they have an 100% safety rating and it drives itself.
Look up what a solar cell is made of. It’s much more than silicon. Lots of chemicals. My comment was careless in the sense that I should have said “solar cells”. My point is still very valid. BTW: In most cases recycling takes more energy than normal manufacturing. No green points there.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see it happen. It just seems pie-in-the-sky right now, but then again I’m old and will probably be dead before they finally give me my flying car and hoverboard.
Well hoverboards are a ways off true but we already have cars that can fly. “flying cars” are a horrible idea, and one I hope never comes true, at least until they have an 100% safety rating and it drives itself.
I like the idea of using existing land for solar panels. Using roads is a novel idea but needs some modification to make practical. I think theres still plenty of roof space to fill first though. The idea of making solar panels a standard roof tile is better.
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