Graphical abstract Display Omitted
Highlights: Conducted life-cycle assessment of solar pavement. PV system is the largest contributor to the environmental impacts of solar pavement. Without considering power generation benefits, solar pavement has high emissions. In long-term, the development of solar pavement is environmentally beneficial.
Abstract The sustainable and green development of roads is lately receiving significant attention. As a multi-functional road capable of both accommodating traffic loads and generating clean energy, solar pavements exhibit a strategic opportunity for the future path of development in the road engineering. Although solar pavements have significant environmental benefits during their operation, they can lead to increased carbon emissions during the process of material preparation, construction, maintenance, etc. Therefore, it is essential to implement the framework of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to investigate their potential environmental impacts and/or benefits. Hence, this paper systematically analyzes the energy consumption and emissions of solar pavements based on LCA. The results show that the total energy consumption and gas emissions of the solar pavement are far greater than those of the traditional asphalt pavement. Nevertheless, in long-term the power generation function of the solar pavement has significant energy and environmental benefits.
A comparison of solar and conventional pavements via life cycle assessment
2023-04-18
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Life cycle cost comparison of highways with perpetual and conventional pavements
Online Contents | 2012
|Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Pavements
NTIS | 1985
|Life-Cycle Assessment of Asphalt Pavements with Recycled Post-Consumer Polyethylene
Transportation Research Record | 2021
|