We have all seen the movies about Earth running out of its resources and the human race forced to move to another planet, but have we ever considered it as a real possibility?

It’s nice to believe that our earth will always be able to provide for us, but unfortunately, that’s not the truth.

The truth is that energy conservation has been a recent struggle in our society. With our oil supplies quickly depleting and electric bills constantly on the rise it is apparent that we need a new way to get our energy.

While solar panels aren’t a new device, there has been a campaign to promote an idea to use these panels in a different way: Solar Roadways. If we were able to replace our normal asphalt roads with these solar panel substitutes just think of all the energy we could conserve.

Solar Roadways are hexagonal tempered glass panels that interlock to make a solid surface. Once interlocked, these panels are wired to a grid under the road that connects them to a data server so that they can be programed.

The roadways have LED lights in the panels so that things such as lane lines, parking spots, crosswalks, and other various designs can be printed on the road without obstructing solar technology.

These panels can be used for more than just roads. They can replace driveways, sidewalks, and even recreational outdoor courts. Because of the LED lights in the panels a court could be changed from basketball, to tennis, and even to a recess court.

The panels are also pressure sensitive. For example, if a tree falls in the road or there is a deer crossing the road will light up under the weight and there will also be a warning down the road saying to slow down, which could cause fewer accidents in the future.

Speaking of annoying roadblocks, let’s talk about potholes. Living in Illinois, we all know how painful a road can be after a long winter. Not only do potholes damage your car, but also when they are being fixed, there are construction workers everywhere that slow traffic.

With these lovely, panels pot holes don’t exist. For northern states where snow and ice is a common nuisance, the panels heat themselves to just above freezing so that there will never be ice or snow on the roads. This means no more shoveling your driveway or no more salt on the roads damaging your car.

But what if a panel gets damaged? Technology fails after all so it is bound to happen eventually. All that would need to happen is that the offending panel would be taken out, and a new one would pop in place. This would mean no more miles of road construction when a crack shows up.

Earlier this year they had a fundraiser for this technology that raised over $2 million to start the project. The creators of this company were also approached by federal roadways to sponsor this project.

Excitingly enough, this idea is something that is really happening. It may be far off into the future, but it can be seen glimmering just off the horizon.

If you have further questions or wish to know more information on this project, visit solarroadways.com.