Toddington Demonstration for the Highways Agency

• Howe Dell School
• Toddington
• Garth Prison

Toddington demonstrates Solar Road Systems, an innovative solar energy collection method and Thermal Bank™ heat storage technology in a project commissioned by the Highways Agency. The system, on a section of road adjacent to the M1 motorway service station, comprises two solar collector arrays integrated into the road surface (shown in orange below), and two Thermal Banks (shown in blue) to provide thermal storage. The first demonstrates that the Thermal Bank can be placed beneath the road surface for new construction. The second demonstrates that the Thermal Bank can be placed adjacent to the road for a retro fit.

The energy that is collected is monitored and, during the winter, simulated building heating loads and snow melting demonstrations are conducted. Similarly, during the summer, the cooling capacity of the cold store is being demonstrated.

This two year project for the Highways Agency was independently monitored by The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). TRL has recently published a very detailed reporton its findings which confirm that Interseasonal Heat Transfer did perform as designed and that the extensive computer modelling to predict heat flows to and from the Thermal Banks were verified in practice.

Interseasonal Heat Transfer can be used to clear snow and ice in public squares or airport runways. It reduces the environmental impact from excessive salt use for de-icing roads and prolongs the life of the road by reducing peak temperatures in summer and preventing freezing in winter.

The project was commissioned in summer 2005 and featured in