Move Over Solar Panels – Solar Driveways May Soon Power Your Home

It’s clear as a sunny, summer day that distributed solar power is increasing in popularity. In 2013, a new solar power system was installed in the United States every 4 minutes. [1] By 2015, the number of new solar power systems installed in the United States accelerated to one every 2.5 minutes. [2] And last year, the United States added more than 2 million solar installations. [3]

“The rapid growth in the solar industry has completely reshaped the energy conversation in this country,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president, and CEO of the trade group SEIA told Green Tech Media. “This $17 billion industry is on track to double again in five years, and we believe that the 2020s will be the decade that solar becomes the dominant new form of energy generation.”

Read: Kenya Installs the First Solar Plant That Transforms Ocean Water Into Drinking Water

Solar power is one of the most versatile methods of producing electricity. It can be scaled up to power thousands of homes or scaled down to power a small electronic device, like a smartphone. Generally, solar power systems consist of a handful of panels added to a rooftop, but solar panels can be made into shingles that look natural on a home’s roof. and they can even be made clear, potentially replacing the glass in a home with clean energy-producing solar panels.

A company based in Budapest has come out with a new way to power your home with the Sun: solar panel driveways. The company, Platio Solar, has spent the last half a decade developing new solar technology that fits into urban spaces, like driveways, seamlessly. [4] Not only do Platio Solar’s driveway solar panels produce clean energy, but they’re made from recycled plastic bottles, helping provide a longer-term use for otherwise single-use plastics.

According to Platio Solar’s website: Platio is a Budapest-based tech company focused on manufacturing sustainable building materials for pavements since 2015. Our product is the Platio Solar Paver, a design paving solution that makes solar technology part of modern architecture. By using recycled materials for its production and providing a new clean energy source for cities, buildings, homes, and marinas, we pave the way to a greener future.

Platio Solar claims to be the first in the world to innovate a way to generate solar energy using the driveways of residential homes. Not only that, but the panels, made from 400 polyethylene terephthalate bottles (PET), once compressed into the panels are also more durable than concrete and are equally non-slip. A 215-square-foot solar panel driveway system is able to meet the annual energy needs of the average home, according to Platio Solar’s website. It can also be used to power an electric car.

Read: Company Is Using Plastic Bottles To Make Roads That Last 3x Longer Than Asphalt

The company is currently offering installation quotes for those interested in having a solar panel driveway system installed. The systems come in different colors as well, such as red, green, blue, and brown, helping the system match with the colors of the home more easily.

To learn more, check out Platio’s video introducing the driveway solar panel system:

Keep Reading: California-Based Company Develops Clear Solar Panels