Roads As Energy Collectors

The Transport Research Laboratory is trialling a project to turn roads into collectors of energy. In summer, the sun’s heat absorbed by the road’s surface is collected by water circulating through pipes installed below the surface and retained in insulated heat stores in the ground. The heat will remain stored ready for recovery in the winter. The trial is being carried out on a road near Toddington Services (M1 Junction 12) and will last two years.