Find out how highways repairs are being done with solar power
Solar powered-road repairs are being trialled in Swindon amid a push for net zero in the town.
The new machine allows highway workers to repair roads quicker, and reuses material while the resurfacing takes place.
A spokesperson for Swindon Borough Council said: “The new machine, which is now in use after a trial run in Castle Eaton, is solar-powered and allows our team to make quicker repairs by reusing the surface material of the road.
“In order to do this, the machine reheats the existing road surface, bringing it back to a workable state where the surface material can be recycled and used again.
“A liquid binder is then added to help bond the road material together before it’s compacted and smoothed out. This means the patch repair should last longer.”
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It is unclear how long the trial period will last and if the machines do work efficiently off of solar power.
One resident questioned the new machine, they said: “How do those tiny solar panels generate enough power. How does this work?”
Another said: “How many repairs can it do before needing to be charged and can those panels alone charge it sufficiently or are they there simply to try and maintain battery life during a working day?”