Oh the Roads, They Are a-Changin'

The Netherlands has always been an environmentally progressive country, constantly seeking to incorporate innovative, future-friendly technologies into their citizen’s lifestyles and national infrastructure. Such was the case in 2008 when Dutch firm Ooms Averhorn Holdings BV gained international attention for their creation and execution of a solar/geothermal commercial heating system that sought to maximize heat capture by placing the solar thermal collection tubes directly inside roadway asphalt and concrete!

Now the world is looking at the friendly Scandinavian country again. Due to the ever-increasing costs of gasoline, both price at the pump and in terms of environmental impact, the Dutch government is pushing to increase the use of bike travel for work commutes by 20% over the next 20 years. However, the obstacles to the growth of pedal power includes increasing the risk of accidents associated with biking that can occur during their lengthy winters when roadways become obstacle courses, covered with snow and ice.

Not to be discouraged by Mother Nature, engineers are beginning to incorporate a geothermal heating solution into the concrete of biking pathways that utilize the earth’s free energy to keep the path warm enough to eliminate any freezing of roadway precipitation.

Meanwhile, stateside in asphalt innovation, General Electric and the US government have both shown interest in a roadway technology developed by Idaho resident Scott Brusaw. By using extremely strong solar power embedded glass as an asphalt replacement, the dangerously icy roadways that test more than half the country’s winter travel could be minimized. Like the system developed by Dutch firm Ooms, Mr. Brusaw and his investors see future applications for the excess stored heat in building heating designs.

In both scenarios, the savings could be immense and far reaching, going beyond environmentalism in scope. First and foremost, the roadways would be safer, thereby leading to fewer accidents and, consequently, fewer associated costs ranging from private insurance to publicly-funded ambulatory services. Likewise, municipalities would face less daunting expenditures for snowplowing and, given the elimination of extreme temperature swings that lead to breaks and potholes, road maintenance. In applications where excess energy is transferred to HVAC systems, buildings could dramatically enhance their heating and cooling efficiencies.

It's hard to see how such technologies couldn't flourish in the coming years, so perhaps a better question is not when... but where? Will the US start to catch up with some of the European leaders in green technology applications?