The Pave Guard Story
Many factors spur entrepreneurs to start companies.
For Corey McDonald, a snowstorm more than a decade ago was the inspiration for Pave Guard Technologies, a radiant heating system that uses the power of the sun to melt snow and ice on a wide variety of surfaces.
McDonald recalls driving through a fierce snowstorm in 1996 and witnessing numerous accidents. As he carefully made his way home, he wondered about possible solutions to the treacherous ice buildup that leads to numerous wrecks and slip-and-fall injuries.
More than a decade later, McDonald and partner Ed Smith have made that solution a reality with Pave Guard, an environmentally friendly system that captures solar energy through photovoltaic cells mounted on a roof or panel.
The sun’s rays power the system, which heats an antifreeze solution and circulates it through subsurface tubing.
Although outdoor radiant heating solutions already exist, the solar energy connection makes Pave Guard unique. Not only does the sun power the process, excess electricity can be used for other energy needs in homes or businesses or sold back to the grid.
Pave Guard can be used for driveways, sidewalks and commercial parking lots. McDonald also foresees an enormous application for bridges, which are prone to black ice buildup. Not only can Pave Guard keep bridges clear of ice, but its solar panels can power a lighting system to illuminate them in rural areas.
The system is fully automated and activates when the temperature drops to 38 degrees. The waterproof solar panels do not freeze over. In addition, the system continues to generate power on cloudy days by capturing energy from ultraviolet rays in the earth’s atmosphere.
McDonald said radiant outdoor heating has often been viewed as a luxury. Pave Guard shakes that assumption.
“Our system pays for itself,” he said. “That’s what really makes me excited.”
Business users can recoup their investment in as quickly as five years when they take advantage of a 30 percent federal tax credit tied to the purchase of solar energy equipment. Some states also offer tax credits. In addition, businesses can accelerate the depreciation on the system by up to 85 percent over seven years.
Home owners’ payoff is an estimated 10 years, but they are able to begin recouping their investment immediately. The panels generate more power than is needed to clear residential driveways and sidewalks. Excess energy can be used for household consumption or sold back to the electrical grid.
“You are going to be generating solar energy every day,” McDonald said.
The system is in line with the goals of the new presidential administration in that it uses alternate energy and improves the country’s infrastructure. Studies have also shown that solar power users tend to be more frugal about their overall energy use, further reducing the drain on the power grid.
Although the snow and ice season has ended, the best time to install an outdoor radiant heating system is before freezing temperatures return in late fall.
“Spring, summer and fall are the ideal times to install,” McDonald said. “You can also take advantage of the energy produced by the system right away. It’s clean, it’s environmentally safe, it’s the way to go.”
Pave Guard has patents pending in the United States and Germany via the services of Shook, Hardy & Bacon. Pave Guard had been featured in The Kansas City Star (March 3, 2009) and on “The Toby Tobin Radio Show ” on AM 980 KMBZ (March 14, 2009).
Benefits of Pave Guard
- Prevents auto accidents on bridges and parking lots
- Eliminates the hassle and risk of ice on home owners’ driveways and sidewalks
- Eliminates slip and fall injuries and resulting litigation
- Generates electricity while protecting the environment
- Provides a solution to snow and ice problems while allowing customers to quickly recoup their investment
- Powers a lighting system on bridges, providing further safety enhancement
