When talk about solar power, nothing will pops into our mind but the conventional solar panel. However, the latest invention of super tough solar panel will definately change our mindset. As the global warming becomes one of today’s most critical issue, environmentalists are looking for the next power source that will have the similar power but with less effect towards the mother nature.

Today’s electrical power that been use at home originates from charcoal, hydropower as well as nuclear powered reactor. Each and every power source has it’s own disadvantages; charcoal-the emission, hydropower-very high cost, time consuming as well as the need of sacrificing area to hold the water. While nuclear power is considered among the greenest power source, the risk of having a nuclear reactor is still there.

Welcome to the new world, where road will become a gigantic power source. The US Department of Energy just gave $100,000 to upstart company Solar Roadways, to develop 12-by-12-foot solar panels, dubbed “Solar Roads,” that can be embedded into roads, pumping power into the grid. The panels may also feature LED road warnings and built-in heating elements that could prevent roads from freezing.

Given how expensive and inefficient regular solar panels are, this whole plan sounds a little far-fetched, but the benefits could be huge: the company says that they could meet the entire country’s energy needs if the interstate system was replaced with its (still theoretical) panels. Neat, but there’s a minor issue of cost.