Has anyone heard of Solar Roadways?
Very cool idea.
I doubt it would ever come to fruition but cool idea.
Thanks!
I've read a tiny bit about this, and the durability it the primary (but not totally insurmountable) issue. Since the concept is tile based, they can be replaced easily (the top layer is just a cover for the solar cells IIRC). Another issue it transmission - how do you get the power from the road to where it needs to be? One idea is that the power from the road simply goes to power local devices like streetlights and roadsigns, and roadside charging stations for electric vehicles.normen wrote: ↑03 Dec 2017It's not a good idea. Rooftops are MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH better than roadways - angle, shadows, everything. Not even asphalt and concrete roads can stand what they have to for long - how would solar panels? This is either a scam or a monumentally stupid idea.
But why not use technology that has been proven and will get a decent return of investment and all? When I heard about it first it was about bicycle paths: A friend (at that time closer in the subject in regards to solar development) felt the main issues were bad (insufficient) angles and shading... Likely dependent on the location of the experiment: Might work better in desert states.selig wrote: ↑03 Dec 2017I've read a tiny bit about this, and the durability it the primary (but not totally insurmountable) issue. Since the concept is tile based, they can be replaced easily (the top layer is just a cover for the solar cells IIRC). Another issue it transmission - how do you get the power from the road to where it needs to be? One idea is that the power from the road simply goes to power local devices like streetlights and roadsigns, and roadside charging stations for electric vehicles.normen wrote: ↑03 Dec 2017It's not a good idea. Rooftops are MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH better than roadways - angle, shadows, everything. Not even asphalt and concrete roads can stand what they have to for long - how would solar panels? This is either a scam or a monumentally stupid idea.
The flaws are there for sure, just as the flaws were there in every emerging tech. As Edison reportedly said when asked "what good is electricity" (when it was noted there were no ways to get it into homes, and no devices that needed it), to which the reported reply was "what good is a new born baby". Even if that's not a 100% factual account of history, it's a great example to show that all new tech need development before you'll know it's full worth.
Why not both?
pushedbutton wrote: ↑03 Dec 2017...Only stoners can come up with this idea and think it'll be viable.
No. But I'll tell a funny story.
Oh yeah, good point. Especially if it had rained and they're wet lol!
So we would agree the technology is not yet in place which would support this idea? We can't fully support electric cars either at present (not enough range, not enough charging stations, too high a cost). Nor is the tech in place to allow humans to go to Mars today, etc. etc.pushedbutton wrote: ↑03 Dec 2017You can watch some live solar freakin roadways breaking and failing in real time here.
http://www.cityofsandpoint.com/visiting ... ad-image-4
it's a stupid idea.
You can't break safely on glass surfaces, they don't last long enough to make the initial outlay back, they aren't bright enough to be seen in daylight and they don't generate anywhere near enough power to offset their maintenance, which is frequent. Then consider that they're in a fixed position aiming straight up so they're only at full efficiency when the sun is directly above them, nothing (like a car or a person) is casting a shadow on them and they're not being used as a replacement for paint. Then consider the initial infrastructure that would have to be implemented. Only stoners can come up with this idea and think it'll be viable.
Exactly. Put a bunch of roofs with solar panels on all parking lots and its cheaper, easier to install without taking apart the whole parking lot, more efficient and less stress put on the material. Then look at where most roads are - in cities, right? There you also have houses which a) shield the roads between them from sunlight and b) have nice big roofs without anything shading them, perfect for solar panels.jam-s wrote: ↑04 Dec 2017Well, we can calculate that this idea will not be feasible in the near (or even distant) future, as all scientific discoveries that would aid the solar road panels would also improve the cheaper and much more lasting conventional panels likewise. Therefore the solar road panels won't be able to catch up.
Another example of the stupidity of their promotion is that they are showing a parking lot as an example. So I ask you during which time of the day is a parking lot most likely occupied? I suppose, "at daytime, when the sun shines" is the correct answer. Thus the parked cars are shading the solar cells during the time when those could generate power, thus rendering them highly ineffective.
I don't think that THIS is the issue for anyone in this thread ^^ My suspicion is that ALL OF US would like a change to a solar future better than anything that is currently happening right?
To quote myself, as the main content of my statementnormen wrote: ↑05 Dec 2017I don't think that THIS is the issue for anyone in this thread ^^ My suspicion is that ALL OF US would like a change to a solar future better than anything that is currently happening right?
Otherwise if its about platitudes I'll throw in a "Doesn't anyone think about the children??"
The rest has been jibbery jabbery to give my very special subjective view. Whether we should call it energy crisis or not, I think we agree on a growing population with a high demand in electricity. And if solar tech is the solution or just another post-atom-alternative-thinking pre stage to a new problem ...theshoemaker wrote: ↑05 Dec 2017We are heading towards an energy crisis. This is one solution to a problem, which has still technical flaws. But mankind showed more than once how capable we are at engineering. Let it emerge and grow.
http://solarcellcentral.com/images/module_prices.jpgFlowerSoldier wrote: ↑05 Dec 2017It's strange. We've seen so much technological progress in the last 25 years. The only industry that didn't improve by orders of magnitude is Energy Production.
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