Solar Freakin Roadways

[Rroff]

I hate to admit it, but there are some unbeatable arguments in that video. Some points could be overlooked, but others are depressingly accurate.

Would have been nice if he'd added something a bit more constructive as well however. I agree with much of what he said but I don't think that should be the basis to completely ignore and write off the idea or the problems it attempts to solve and/or progress it tries to make.

Its pretty easy to rip apart an idea like that, much harder to make significant contribution to progress.

 

[Devrij]

Would have been nice if he'd added something a bit more constructive as well however. I agree with much of what he said but I don't think that should be the basis to completely ignore and write off the idea or the problems it attempts to solve and/or progress it tries to make.

Its pretty easy to rip apart an idea like that, much harder to make significant contribution to progress.

Agreed, and the idea still has sound applications (driveways that are vacant all day etc). Solving the problems with the idea would be easier than coming up with another idea to passively power the world, so I agree with you entirely.

 

[HEADRAT]

I wonder how many 1000's of miles could be laid for the same cost as a nuclear power station!

 

[Glaucus]

Well France will be installing 1000km if solar roads, so we'll get some real data. Not the same ones as in OP as far as I can tell.
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/france-will-install-over-600-miles-solar-panelled-roads-2020

 

[Skunkworks]

I've got an idea, Gravity freakin Wheels!

Now throw money at me.

 

[Tefal]

sorry couldn't stand more than 5 seconds of that video.

few questions

how does this stuff deal with potholes? freezing thawing, ice etc

car crashes/roles/overweight vehcals etc?

 

[Tefal]

The panels themselves are completely sealed standing water, etc. won't be a problem for that and I'd assume the conduits would be fairly weather proofed.

I'm still not convinved by the grip for driving on in damper weather though - as above it works well in dry conditions but in theory it would become quite slippery when wet.

what about when the water between the tiles freezes and cracks them like it does tarmac?

 

[Tefal]

oh with separate tiles, has anyone ever driven over a concrete motorway before? big concrete slaps gap in between filled with tar to account for expansion.

they are NOISY as ****.

the one near me eventually got surfaced in tarmac and is still dum, dumdumdudmudmudmdum dum as you drive down it.

 

[Tefal]

About as safe as roads

you can still use a road with a few potholes tough.

 

[SPG]

Maybe because our council tax bill would be enormous?

Great idea, but who's going to pay for it.

Easy do it now with payment starting in 2101, make the kids pay for it IMO

 

[Glaucus]

sorry couldn't stand more than 5 seconds of that video.

few questions

how does this stuff deal with potholes? freezing thawing, ice etc

car crashes/roles/overweight vehcals etc?

What pot holes, the entire road is laid with glass and are easy and fast to replace.
Can withstand trucks tipping over and again can easily and vastly replaced.

So none of those are issues, once France has this installed, then we will have large scale real world data, which is what is needed.

 

[Tefal]

What pot holes, the entire road is laid with glass and are easy and fast to replace.
Can withstand trucks tipping over and again can easily and vastly replaced.

So none of those are issues, once France has this installed, then we will have large scale real world data, which is what is needed.

Easy and fast replaced.

So are street light bulbs but it can take months to actually get them out to do it?

Will production of the tiles allways be at a level they can replace or will we have a large number of innert blank tiles that can be used as tempoary repairs.

Also what happens if one is broken is there much space underneath etc for them to drop into.

So will it just be a flat tile with a crack or will it bow be a jagged peice of glass sticking up ready to slash a tyre?

 

[Glaucus]

No space at al, the ones france is installing is right on top of existing tarmac. So all you would have is a few mm deep tile shaped pot hole.

 

[Tefal]

No space at al, the ones france is installing is right on top of existing tarmac. So all you would have is a few mm deep tile shaped pot hole.

Ahh right ok i was thinking it was a title, electrical conector underneath to thr power line plus some rubber bushing etc to so it eould be like a large tray woth tiles on top.



How is the poeer collected from them

 

[Glaucus]

I assume its all passed to the edge of the road where they can install power lines.

 

[OliP]

They are inefficient, expensive and generally ****.

 

[Glaucus]

outube]obS6TUVSZds[/youtube]


They are inefficient, expensive and generally ****.

Or maybe he's talking BS, we will have some real data in 2020 as long as it goes ahead.

 

[OliP]

whoops

 

[OliP]

He has a couple more videos this one shows 6 months of real world results and they match up to his predictions about it being awful.

 

[Glaucus]

I know he's got more. And he really hasn't got a lot. You don't think the French have crunched the number and fairly sure it will work.
if you haven't worked out, there's more than one type of solar road, it really depends on cost, how efficient the pv cell they are using etc. he really has no point, other than one solar road in early prototype isn't very effective. that is a far cry from saying all solar roads are inefficient and expensive.