Solar Roadways - No More Pavement.

[ksteezy]

Dawg this would be so awesome, my only problem would be troubleshooting, preventing hacks, breakdown do to the immense amount of weight these roads will have to endure, if they have a solution to this, this thing can change EVERYONES lives

This would be awesome, the planet needs this

 

[bayyrd]

WANT

 

[concordefliteschool]

How do plows in the north east plow these roads

 

[Based Jesus]

How do plows in the north east plow these roads

Try watching the vid and you might find your answer.

 

[eugenile gts]

psssssssssh.. roads?

View media item 983905

 

[jm9312]

Makes too much sense. It'll never happen.

 

[fourtyeight48]

It be nice to drive without potholes or bumps on the road.

 

[dankenstien88]

[ flamesuit on ]


People are way too quick to buy into these videos that are meant to psychologically capture their audience. Sure... this might work, but you can't say you fully support this before you've heard opposing opinions and understand the full list of complications something might bring. All you've been told here is side and the positive outcome. You haven't been told of any sort of negative effects, etc. These people are salesman and their goal is to get you to support them and their beliefs. Don't immediately give into things like this so easily, be sure to think critically, do some research and form your own informed opinions. Remember... at this point we don't even have proof that it fully works. You know only what you have been told in a video.





Here's my criticism:

Its a wonderful idea in theory, but a road surface that tens of thousands of people travel on daily is just about the worst possible place to put photo-voltaic solar panels. General wear and tear on them is going to mar them up to the point where sunlight stops reaching the PV cells in pretty short order...that is, if they don't get covered/saturated with dirt, dust, spilled automotive fluids first.

Winter also brings on a number of problems. I like the idea of heated roadways, but I've seen plenty of heated sidewalks and when it gets cold enough they still freeze over. Heavy snowfall will undoubtedly be an issue There is no was heated roads will be able to keep up with 8, 12 or more inches of snow and plowing will not be an option because it would undoubtedly mar, remove and destroy panels. The extreme lack of sunlight experienced in Northern winters could also pose the problem of greatly reducing the efficacy of the photo-voltaic panels. I question whether it would reduce efficiency to the point they are using more energy to heat the roads than they are harvesting from the sun. If that's the case it means old fashioned power sources would still need to be used to heat the roadways as well as everything else in the city. I'm also curious as to long term durability these panels would have going up against the extreme freeze/thaw cycles much of the US experiences.

As much as I like this idea of solar roadways in theory, I think the reality poses too many problems to make it work effectively... but something is better than nothing. I can see a possibility of them trying out this system in places like California and Florida, but I just don't think its feasible to implement across the roads of the US.

IMO an interesting approach would be using this technology in the form of solar walkways/bike paths, creating elevated solar canopies above our roads. Foot and bicycle traffic would be much less damaging to the photo-voltaic panels and it would eliminate the weather associated issues in Northern states and the Midwest. It would also eliminate the hazard cyclists and motorists pose to each other while sharing the road.

 

[ben roethlisberger]

Great points dank.

I think it's much more simpler than that. Men in positions of power generate too much money on the current system. They stand to lose their entire profit if this was implemented.

Great idea. I'm for anything that saves the planet, but the idea is *** backwards. If they want to make a change this big, the general populations consciousness has to change first. Then ideas like this become the norm and it'll just happen, rather than having to create a campaign to convince people to get on board with the idea.

Eliminate fossil fuels, stop relying on gas, STOP POLLUTION. Seems like a no brainer.

 

[myjaysgetrocked]

I'm for anything that will help eliminate pot holes. It's frustrating paying $350+ per tire and $1000 per wheel