A novel hybrid energy system combined with solar-road and soil-regenerator: Dynamic model and operational performance

Solar roads are emergent and huge energy source in traffic domains. To improve the energy utilization efficiency of a solar road, a novel solar-road and soil-regenerator hybrid energy system in combination with conventional photovoltaic-thermal and soil heat storage technology was proposed. A mathematical model of the solar-road and soil-regenerator hybrid energy system was developed, validated, and applied to evaluate the thermal storage and power generation performance of the proposed system in cold regions. The results indicated that for critical thermal storage temperatures of 20, 30, and 40 °C, the proposed system decreased maximum photovoltaic cell temperatures by 24.09, 25.84, and 24.42 °C and increased electrical efficiencies by 6.85, 6.68, and 4.53%, respectively, compared with conventional solar roads. By storing heat in the soil and elevating soil temperatures, the proposed system also increased the average borehole wall temperatures by 2.93, 2.26, 1.87 °C. The proposed system produced overall energy efficiencies of 48.42, 55.47, and 66.58%, while conventional solar road efficiencies approximate 10.75%.