Solar Roadways

[smityx]

I was always curious as to why roads were chosen, rather than, I don't know, anything that doesn't have multi-ton vehicles driving over it on a daily basis. Not accounting for the leaves falling was my favorite part.

Parking lots for example. Imagine a walmart supercenter being totally powered by it's solar cell massive parking lot and giving/selling any excessive juice back to the local power co.

Or sidewalks that power the light poles that are next to them.

Practical things.

[cubby]

Parking lots for example. Imagine a walmart supercenter being totally powered by it's solar cell massive parking lot and giving/selling any excessive juice back to the local power co.

Or sidewalks that power the light poles that are next to them.

Practical things.

I'm not sure that anything that vehicles roll over or park upon is a good idea to make solar. I could see making the roof of a parking garage solar, for the very reasons you just stated above.

[smityx]

I'm not sure that anything that vehicles roll over or park upon is a good idea to make solar. I could see making the roof of a parking garage solar, for the very reasons you just stated above.

Probably more economical to do this:

[Puzzlesocks]

Here's one noble idea: put panels above the roads. Inclined so they don't lose half the efficiency. Not needing patterned surface dispersing light. Providing shadow to vehicles. Not being subject to mechanical abrasion. Being accessible to maintenance without needing to restrict traffic.
There's not a single piece to this solar roadway puzzling idiocy that passes the basic scrutiny of common sense.

Don't make too much sense. Heck, forget the roads and just install them to shade parking lots or cover rooftops even. It blew my mind that I only knew of a single store in Arizona that had a parking lot shaded with solar panels, and that store generated enough to cover itself and most of the city block it was on.

[zhero]

I was always curious as to why roads were chosen, rather than, I don't know, anything that doesn't have multi-ton vehicles driving over it on a daily basis. Not accounting for the leaves falling was my favorite part.

to double as a snow removal device.

[GreenJesus]

Even if they were only 30% efficient, if it can beat what we currently use, they would be better and safer for the environment.

Would it though? How do you get the materials to create the solar panels and how are solar panels made? It's better than coal/oil obviously but it's not 100% clean for the environment.

[Fuiking]

TL;DR: Solar Panals replacing all roadways, generate energy, LED lights to allow for traffic warnings, durable and all that (watch video)

1. What are you opinions on these?
2. What are the negatives? When it comes to cost how long is the time frame on the ROE?
3. Has anyone seen these in action yet?

Video Link 6 minutes in total.

Website link
http://paksc.org/video/documentaries...-the-prototype


So, I've heard of this mentioned in the past and all of the good ideas to go along with it.
Some time has passed since then until this video popped up in my facebook feed. And it did make a lot of sense.
Although the video is a marketing pitch so it's obviously bias. But I am curious to know what everyone's opinion on these is.
What are the negatives that aren't being mentioned?
Has anyone seen any of these in use yet?

Already shown not to work... There was a research into them somewhere in the Netherlands... and a test run in Normandy, both failed. The french road only got about half of the theoritical power and later years that halfed even further. The one in netherlands suffered the same fate + the solar panels become slick and dangerous due to wear.

Idea is good tho!

[exochaft]

Meanwhile in the Netherlands - while my fellow Americans try to stroke themselves by thinking they've uncovered a conspiracy scam and thus creating more fear and no progression forward... our Nordic brothers are instead moving forward by simply creating/installing solar bike pathways as beta-tests (VERY successful ones!) that will eventually lead to solar roadway designs there.

http://www.sciencealert.com/world-s-...he-netherlands

As others have mentioned, the roadways are still not practical. However, let me enlighten you about bike pathways in my area, as I have some vested interest in them as I was an avid bicyclist at the time. When I moved to the area I live now in the US, there was talk of building a paved bike pathway from one nearby large city to another, and the amount of work is even less than described because all they would have to do is connect two existing bike pathways in the middle (about 10 miles). 15 years later... still no movement on it or any construction started. Why? Federal and state government bureaucracy and the amount of red tape required to build in the area despite how little it would actually cost to build (they already have the funds for it). That's just 10 miles on one bike pathway. Now expand that to a large scale in the US, and you'll see immediately why even if the tech works actually implementing it is not feasible.

Unfortunately, that's not just the problem with bike pathways, but pretty much everything in which the government is involved with. Something that could've easily been done in one summer has been on hiatus for 15 years with no end in sight. Imagine the undertaking of revamping existing road to with such tech, even under the assumption that the tech itself is feasible. While it would be cool and awesome if such tech could work in practical applications, the unfortunate reality is that the tech does not in the US.

[Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang]

Parking lots for example. Imagine a walmart supercenter being totally powered by it's solar cell massive parking lot and giving/selling any excessive juice back to the local power co.

Or sidewalks that power the light poles that are next to them.

Practical things.

Read the article sometime ago. And yes it was doomed to failure. Apparently parkings, sidewalks and bike lanes are what the company is focusing in now.

For parking I'm seeing a number being roofed with solar panels. But then we don't have many shopping centers with expansive outdoor parkings. Since land is expensive most are usually stacked under the buildings.

[XDurionX]

Solar Roadways are, for now, dead. France had the largest operational solar road in the world, and they just closed the book on it.



(there is more to the article but that's a solid synopsis)

The engineering company in charge of Solar Road creation and maintenance is now going in a different direction:



Many in this thread point all of these problems out WAY ahead of time, but I guess you gotta try.

(@Mods - I was necr'ingo this thread because of the timely update - if not ok, apologies ahead of time)

Who would have thought. Wait, everyone knew this.

[Zero3]

How can you protect whole roads from being destroyed so the thieves can steal whatever is inside them? Like i dunno copper wiring. They steal manhole covers, these would be even easier. Or pay a lot more to reinforce them , then they are just chipped and make the roads bumby thanks!

[Mister Cheese]

The US had a chance to implement 'smart' road ways. The powers that be said 'nah'

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publication...mer/p94su1.cfm

Because it's a terrible expensive and wasteful idea. How is a parking lot with solar panels as pavement supposed to generate power during the day when 90% of it is covered in cars and when there's no cars it's usually nighttime? When the sun isn't out?

It'd be a much better idea to put solar canopies on everything.

[Thekri]

Don't make too much sense. Heck, forget the roads and just install them to shade parking lots or cover rooftops even. It blew my mind that I only knew of a single store in Arizona that had a parking lot shaded with solar panels, and that store generated enough to cover itself and most of the city block it was on.

Solar shade are a much better concept then solar roads, but I don't see them becoming common any time soon because of how most businesses operate. Large solar arrays can be very cost effective now, but many companies are incredibly wary about such a large capital investment with a comparatively long RoI. They are also concerned about having infrastructure that is very hard to maintain, and is potentially not mature technology.

And the last, but still extremely significant reason is that these solar arrays are victims of their own rapid advancement. Customers are very reluctant to buy into large energy generation projects right now while the market is changing so much. They know if they wait another year or two they can get much more efficient systems for cheaper. So tons of these projects are on hold while the customers constantly wait for something better. This isn't unique to solar either, the same thing is happening with wind and gas.

[PACOX]

Because it's a terrible expensive and wasteful idea. How is a parking lot with solar panels as pavement supposed to generate power during the day when 90% of it is covered in cars and when there's no cars it's usually nighttime? When the sun isn't out?

It'd be a much better idea to put solar canopies on everything.

I completely misinterpreted the OP in the first place.

[Socialhealer]

Probably more economical to do this:

A good way to get companies to do this is offer them lower taxes.

Then when they build them all and go ok now lower our taxes, the you say LOL you're a billion dollar company you're run from some foreign country's basement anyway and don't actually pay taxes but thanks for the solar panels!

[smityx]

A good way to get companies to do this is offer them lower taxes.

Then when they build them all and go ok now lower our taxes, the you say LOL you're a billion dollar company you're run from some foreign country's basement anyway and don't actually pay taxes but thanks for the solar panels!

Chances are they aren't paying taxes to begin with as part of some locality deal to build there in the first place

[lockedout]

TL;DR: Solar Panals replacing all roadways, generate energy, LED lights to allow for traffic warnings, durable and all that (watch video)

1. What are you opinions on these?
2. What are the negatives? When it comes to cost how long is the time frame on the ROE?
3. Has anyone seen these in action yet?

Video Link 6 minutes in total.

Website link
http://paksc.org/video/documentaries...-the-prototype


So, I've heard of this mentioned in the past and all of the good ideas to go along with it.
Some time has passed since then until this video popped up in my facebook feed. And it did make a lot of sense.
Although the video is a marketing pitch so it's obviously bias. But I am curious to know what everyone's opinion on these is.
What are the negatives that aren't being mentioned?
Has anyone seen any of these in use yet?

They failed hardcore.

[Puzzlesocks]

And the last, but still extremely significant reason is that these solar arrays are victims of their own rapid advancement. Customers are very reluctant to buy into large energy generation projects right now while the market is changing so much. They know if they wait another year or two they can get much more efficient systems for cheaper. So tons of these projects are on hold while the customers constantly wait for something better. This isn't unique to solar either, the same thing is happening with wind and gas.

This is understandable, but to sit idle and be more wasteful in the hopes that something better will come along soon is not something I would consider as morally right. What this amounts to is companies that have the capital to help society shifting the burden to communities for the sake of sheer profit. I don't personally believe that watching the world burn for the possibility of making an extra buck is very "human forward".

This is partially why I support Andrew Yang for 2020, since his plan to offer subsidiaries and benefits to the company that create the best energy system pushes this capital based attitude in the right direction. Working towards humanity instead of towards the almighty dollar.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I don't see it as much of a problem.

You try things, you fail. But the important part is that you learn. I just wish we'd stop hyping stuff into oblivion... just let the companies try their stuff out and if it works, great - hype it then.

This was tax payer funded though. There was also nothing learned here, as everyone with a shred of honesty would have told people the obvious issues long before they had to "figure" them out in practise. As an engineer you don't just make a design on paper that you know isn't up to the task and then later gaze upon your obvious failure and feign puzzlement why it didn't work out, that is the hallmark of tinkerers and hobbyists.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm not sure that anything that vehicles roll over or park upon is a good idea to make solar. I could see making the roof of a parking garage solar, for the very reasons you just stated above.

Heck, most super markets here in Germany can cover for themselves by just installing solar on their own roofs, the parking lot is just a bonus..

[Chinese Bootlickers]

How resilient are the panels now? We had an ungodly hailstorm this time last year, and I still notice a few of the panels on post haven't been repaired/replaced.