Solaroad has several products in development that will change the way you you power everything in your life.  If Solaroad’s future products deliver as promised, the sun may power almost everything you use.

Solaroad already has a couple of products that are ready for market, the ElectraWall and CubeTube that have already been covered here.  In the pipeline are SolarFilm, Solar Builder and SunStar Automotive. 

SolarFilm is a nanotechnology spray on paint that uses heat, light, and magnetics to generate power.  Technology can be sprayed on any surface such as shingles, siding, roads and cars.  The film when sprayed on would be the thickness of road paint and would be extremely durable.  The film can match any texture, shape or color and is pollution-free once applied.

One of the major uses that Solaroad foresees, is to use SolarFilm on streets and highways as part of an interconnected national power generation project that would also use power from ElectraWall units placed on highway barriers and soundproof walls.

The Solar Builder line of products will cover your home quite literally.  This line will provide roofing and siding materials covered in SolarFilm, Making the entire outside envelop of your home a solar generating power source.  Because your entire house is harvesting power from light, heat and magnetics, being on the grid could become optional.

The final product line is SunStar Automotive.  Two products available for this line are ElectraFuel and the StarCar.  Either one of these products could create significant changes in your driving experience.

ElectraFuel is a novel approach to recharging your hybrid or electric car.  A proprietary vending machine will be placed "in every gas station in America".  From these machines, which are covered in SolarFilm, a fully charged battery unit can be purchased to recharge your battery for another 40-60 miles.  Once the vending machine batteries are empty, you simple purchase another one from the next vending station and place the used battery back in the machine to be recharged.

Although SolarRoad says that it has the technology ready to go, the company still needs to find a major automobile manufacturer with which to work.  Since the process "will require an automotive manufacturer to make simple modifications to their hybrid/electric vehicles," by placing a second port on the car, it is easy to see why a large car maker is needed.  Solaroad does promise to provide a percentage of the proceeds from each watt sold "FOREVER" as an incentive.

Another product in the works is the StarCar.  This car will have body panels that contain tiny lithium-ion cells that will be wired together to provide more energy for the car.  These body panels will be made out of carbonfiber and will actually be layered. 

The honeycombe structure will be "sandwiched between two layers of carbon fiber and Kevlar more than double[ing] the amount of storage capacity" allowing the car to use fewer heavy batteries within the car for storage.  The panels will be lighter than other body panels while also using solid electrolytes to make them safe.  Each panel will have built-in conduction areas eliminating the need for an electrical harness. 

The secondary set of batteries have the ability to discharge excess energy collected into any SolarFilm coated road or driveway so that the excess power can be used to power businesses and homes.  For instance, if your driveway is coated in SolarFilm, the excess energy can be funneled into home use.  If your business parking lot is covered with SolarFilm the excess power can go to your business or the grid if your parking lot or driveway is part of the SolarFilm national grid. SolarFilm will also cover the car increasing  electrical storage by 500%.

The car will have electric motors on every wheel, primary and secondary batteries, an inductance charging device, a hydrogen backup, and a small combustion engine for emergencies.  The car can turn any motion into electricity so that every time you hit a pothole your shocks supply more energy to the car. The only power source left out is wind power.

If you prefer to purchase a car from another manufacturer, you can still get solar power by covering your car paint will a clear-as-glass coating infused with nanotubes and fullerenes.  This SolarPaint/SolarFilm, can also be used on the windows so that your entire car can become a moving or stationary, solar collector constantly charging your car’s batteries.

From vending rechargable batteries, to SolarPaint, to solar collecting car panels that are rechargable and recylcable, SunStar has your automobile needs completely covered by a variety of products.

SolaRoad has created a solar product for just about every aspect of your life- CubeTubes for your office, SolarBuilder and SolarFilm for your home and driveway, and SunStar for your next car and current car charging needs.

This is what you might call  "whole life" coverage!

Related:

Entry was posted on Monday, September 15th, 2008 at 1:20 pm under Auto, Green Technology, Science and technology, Technology.

Read more entries by Susan Wilson.
Stumble It!