A project which could eventually be used to turn the country’s road network into giant solar panels is being trialled in the Scottish Highlands. The road energy system, which was completed at the end of last week, uses heat absorbed by asphalt to warm water piped through the mid-layer of a road. It has been installed in the car park of Invisible Heating Systems, using a £125,000 grant from Highlands and Islands Enterprise to carry out the project. The firm is in talks with a number of councils, including Highland Council, over deploying the system on the road network.