Solar Freakin Roadways

[silverhorsefarm]

This has been almost viral and was interested to hear this forum's reaction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlTA3rnpgzU#t=366

[SunEagle]

This has been almost viral and was interested to hear this forum's reaction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlTA3rnpgzU#t=366

It is sad that someone can make a funny video and people immediately believe all that is being said in it is true.

So IMO the idea of a roadway with LED lights that can also be used as a sign is pretty neat but probably too costly.

For a roadway to be used to collect sunlight and turn it into electricity... that will never happen unless nothing is ever on the road while the sun is shining.

Solar panels will only produce electricity if it gets the right amount of unobstructed sunlight hitting it. This only happens for a few hours a day depending on where in the world you are. Now if those panels get any type of shadow on it (like cars running on top or trees along the side) they will not produce anything. Zero electricity. And then during the other times when there is less than enough or no sunlight (nighttime) the road can't produce electricity. So the LED's will require power from some other place like the Utility power.

So what you have is an expensive "sign" that will require power from some place other than the sun for just about 24 hours a day to work. Totally not practical and very very expensive.

Anyway that is my input on that video and while others may disagree that is their opinion.

[russ]

Actually it is an old idea. It generated a lot of ohs and ahhs when I first saw it as well.

Some Israeli company has patents on it and has actually built a trial section years back - never to be heard from again.

There are a couple of kick starters trying to collect funds for it as well.

1) No way to keep it clean - little power
2) Roads take terrific abuse - broken segments mean no power
3) Cars driving on the road - little power
4) Repair of segments - sure going to be problematic

The only thing good about it is that is is good for a laugh - the poor fools wasting their time are just making themselves look like donkey to the world.

One exceedingly dumb idea.

[mapmaker]

The only thing good about it is that is is good for a laugh - the poor fools wasting their time are just making themselves look like donkey to the world.

Well I think it's a better idea than putting inductors in the road, and magnets on the electric cars going by to produce power in the roads which would be stored and used to charge the electric cars. This scheme works at night... no sunlight needed, but there are still a few laws of physics that need to be kickstarted.


More seriously, if solar roads become more widespread it will exacerbate the draining of energy from the sun:

http://nationalreport.net/solar-panels-drain-suns-energy-experts-say/

--mapmaker

[JCP]

Actually it is an old idea. It generated a lot of ohs and ahhs when I first saw it as well.

Some Israeli company has patents on it and has actually built a trial section years back - never to be heard from again.

There are a couple of kick starters trying to collect funds for it as well.

1) No way to keep it clean - little power
2) Roads take terrific abuse - broken segments mean no power
3) Cars driving on the road - little power
4) Repair of segments - sure going to be problematic

The only thing good about it is that is is good for a laugh - the poor fools wasting their time are just making themselves look like donkey to the world.

One exceedingly dumb idea.

Can you be any more dismissive? While I agree that it's quite the moonshot, I'm not condescending enough to dismiss it outright. It may be interesting in parking lots that often sit empty for hours on end. The cost issue might be the biggest problem.

[Sunking]

This is some funny stuff, I don't care who you are.

[Shockah]

Can you be any more dismissive? While I agree that it's quite the moonshot, I'm not condescending enough to dismiss it outright. It may be interesting in parking lots that often sit empty for hours on end. The cost issue might be the biggest problem.

It would be more cost effective to build a garage over the parking lot and cover it with dime-a-dozen grid-tied PV-panels...
you would kill 2 birds with one stone:

1) Un-Shaded PV Panels producing electricity ALL day long = less demand from the grid.

2) A cooler parked vehicle = less energy demanded by the vehicle's A/C system = better MPGs.

Actually 3 birds...
3) The benefit of setting your ice cream purchase in a cool vehicle vs hot vehicle.

[russ]

It would be more cost effective to build a garage over the parking lot and cover it with dime-a-dozen grid-tied PV-panels...
you would kill 2 birds with one stone:

1) Un-Shaded PV Panels producing electricity ALL day long = less demand from the grid.

2) A cooler parked vehicle = less energy demanded by the vehicle's A/C system = better MPGs.

Actually 3 birds...
3) The benefit of setting your ice cream purchase in a cool vehicle vs hot vehicle.

That is the only way it makes sense - on a roadway it will almost never be clean.

[SunEagle]

More seriously, if solar roads become more widespread it will exacerbate the draining of energy from the sun:

http://nationalreport.net/solar-panels-drain-suns-energy-experts-say/

--mapmaker

I saw that article. Can you imagine people believing the sun will be drained by solar pv cells. What idiocy!!

Everyone knows the sun is being drained by the big black hole in the middle of our galaxy.

[russ]

I saw that article. Can you imagine people believing the sun will be drained by solar pv cells. What idiocy!!

Everyone knows the sun is being drained by the big black hole in the middle of our galaxy.

I just looked at the link - is that bunch for serious? I thought it was an April fools thing maybe but it is dated late May.

Most of the articles are totally loony.

[inetdog]

If nothing else, the photos of Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin on the masthead should be enough to cast doubt on whole article.

Most similar thing I remember was when a Chinese? official news agency wrote up essentially a commentary on an article they found in the The Onion, not realizing that it was satire.

[russ]

For more state of the art research by the Wyoming Institute of Technology please see - http://witscience.org/projects/

This is better than anything - The “E-Condom” This small electronic device clips onto the scrotum with no pain or discomfort, and emits pulses of electricity directly into and through your testicles (word changed)

They have several other projects off in loony land!

[Sunking]

For more state of the art research by the Wyoming Institute of Technology please see - http://witscience.org/projects/

This is better than anything - The “E-Condom” This small electronic device clips onto the scrotum with no pain or discomfort, and emits pulses of electricity directly into and through your testicles (word changed)

They have several other projects off in loony land!

Sounds like something all Sex Offenders should have surgically attached.

[SunEagle]

I just looked at the link - is that bunch for serious? I thought it was an April fools thing maybe but it is dated late May.

Most of the articles are totally loony.

I kept looking for a link to who funds that Wyoming research center. Figured it was either the oil or coal industry. Although Halliburton corp was mentioned.

[russ]

I kept looking for a link to who funds that Wyoming research center. Figured it was either the oil or coal industry. Although Halliburton corp was mentioned.

The ones they show - BP, Chevron, Monsanto, Phillip Morris and Exxon - quite often companies throw some money at loony bins like this on either end of the spectrum just to pacify them - to stop them from being a nuisance.