Techno-Economic Comprehensive Review of State-of-the-Art Geothermal and Solar Roadway Energy Systems

Yuanlong Cui (), Fan Zhang, Yiming Shao, Ssennoga Twaha and Hui Tong ()
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Yuanlong Cui: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shandong Jianzhu University, 1000 Fengming Road, Jinan 250101, China
Fan Zhang: Griffith School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4222, Australia
Yiming Shao: School of Architecture, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Ssennoga Twaha: Faculty of Engineering, Kyambogo University, Kampala P.O. Box 01, Uganda
Hui Tong: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shandong Jianzhu University, 1000 Fengming Road, Jinan 250101, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-50

Abstract: Road infrastructure is a vital constituent element in the transportation network; however, roadway surface ice and snow accumulation leads to huge traffic accidents in winter. Geothermal roadway energy systems (GRES) and solar roadway energy systems (SRES) can increase or decrease roadway surface temperature for the de-icing and removal of snow in winter, or mitigation of heat in summer. Technology performance and economic evaluation of the GRES and SRES are reviewed in this paper based on numerical and economic models, and experimental analyses. Three crucial aspects of the technology performance assessment, i.e., roadway surface temperature, energy consumption and key factors, are explored in different regions and countries. Economic evaluation approaches for net present values and payback periods of the GRES and SRES are investigated. The recommendations and potential future developments on the two technologies are deliberated; it is demonstrated that the GRES and SRES could increase roadway surface temperature by around 5 °C in winter and decrease it by about 6 °C in summer, with the payback periods of 4 to 8 years and 2.3 to 5 years, respectively.

Keywords: renewable energy; geothermal roadway energy systems; solar roadway energy systems; surface pavement temperature; economic analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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