Solar Roadways, Worth a Look

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EVCaptain

New member
Joined
May 13, 2014
Messages
2
Greetings Leaf Owners and Enthusiasts. I recently came across this article about a company making a module solar roadway system that I thought many of you might be interested in.

Now, I know this idea is not new and there are many challenges to making this type of system really work. Also this company's presentation makes it sound like they are going to solve all of the world's problems with this.

However, this is the most mature product I have seen of this kind and I think it is worth a look and possibly a couple bucks to see where they can take it. Also worth sharing with others who care about such things.

http://www.iflscience.com/technology/solar-roads-could-power-entire-country" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I have been following this company closely over the past week or so. I hope they get the funding they need, but with the amount they are looking for I don't think crowdsourcing is the best option. They need a company like Google to back them.

But for the sake of argument let's say they build their proof-of-concept parking lot and it does everything they claim it will. How quickly would something like this spread across the country? This is step one to driving utopia!
 
I can't get past the maintenance part. I mean the trucks beat through concrete a foot+ thick. How is this stuff supposed to hold up 20 years? Of course if any road surface can hold up that long the solar energy part is just a bonus.

I could see lower impact areas such as sidewalks and some parking areas. The real benefit to low cost of panels is putting them everywhere vs restricted to the rooftops.
 
I'm not a materials expert by any means but keep in mind that our current roadways are essentially a bunch of tiny rocks held together with glue. Obviously, over time with pressure and heat you are going to have problems but the idea is that they hold together well-enough for a long enough time that we use them. Glass is very different and while it has some obvious disadvantages, longevity could be one of it's strengths in a different way than our current systems. Not to mention the fact that this system is clearly modular which means that replacing damaged panels seems to be a much easier proposition than what it takes (in manpower alone) to fix parts of our current roadways.

In my mind the biggest question is how to keep them clean over time so that the energy collection aspect is still worth it. However, honestly even if this were simply a proposal for a better roadway system that provides and easy system for moving our aging electrical and telephony systems underground, I would be for it.

smkettner said:
I can't get past the maintenance part. I mean the trucks beat through concrete a foot+ thick. How is this stuff supposed to hold up 20 years? Of course if any road surface can hold up that long the solar energy part is just a bonus.

I could see lower impact areas such as sidewalks and some parking areas. The real benefit to low cost of panels is putting them everywhere vs restricted to the rooftops.
 
As a solar professional with over 30 years of experience working with and using many types of solar electric systems, I feel that the solar roadway concept is close to a scam. There are many important factors, such as dirt and shading, which are very important but are ignored by these folks. I wouldn't touch this concept with a ten foot pole!!! Much cheaper and more efficient to build canopies over the highways that support the PV panels up out of the shade so they produce power.
 
If the whole road is covered in these things then who cares if portions of it are in the shade? The solar power is really just an added bonus in the grand picture anyway.
 
Solar roadways are one of the most stupid ideas I have heard in awhile. Try covering all roofs first before even thinking about that stupid idea. Not cost effective!
 
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