Solar Roads!!1

[Zoo]

I have been studying Sustainability Energy for some time and this makes the most sense to me. Now do not get me wrong their will be issues but this is better than war in my opinion. We as a country have been fighting a war for 12 years costing us around 4 trillion dollars. I think this would be good for our country as a whole. As long as we keep it all in house the economy will once again be strong. Jobs will be plenty and we will no longer be sipping form the fossil fuel teat. Now I know people are going to pick it apart because it is new. Well they did the same thing to the internet and look at what you are doing right now. We have the science to pull this off. There will be problems but when is their not problems? Every major project has them and this will be no different. Hell just look where roads have come from trails into now days five lane highways. We solved the problems alone the way this is how we learn. I just think this is a good start. They have raised over 2.1 million to get it going and I say let get it going.  What is your thoughts!!1

http://youtu.be/qlTA3rnpgzU

http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml

[albrecht]

I didn't watch all the vids but IF this concept works I'm all friggin for it. It looks like a really neat concept though I have questions about the durability and especially over time. Love the idea! and hope this pans out.

[Jackstar]

Where we're going, we don't need roads.

[Zoo]

I didn't watch all the vids but IF this concept works I'm all friggin for it. It looks like a really neat concept though I have questions about the durability and especially over time. Love the idea! and hope this pans out.

Well one should question everything. The science is sound for the use of it in theory and we do have the technology to pull it off. I would recommend you look at the site I have below the video and see what it says!!1

[Zoo]

Where we're going, we don't need roads.

Ya I hope so, Until then lets start with solar roads that could save lives lower energy cost down to hardly anything and making this country great again. Then lets head back to the stars. Hows that!!1

[albrecht]

Well one should question everything. The science is sound for the use of it in theory and we do have the technology to pull it off. I would recommend you look at the site I have below the video and see what it says!!1

Yeah, I am. I like what I see. I hope this happens.

[MV/Liberace!]

I have been studying Sustainability Energy for some time and this makes the most sense to me. Now do not get me wrong their will be issues but this is better than war in my opinion. We as a country have been fighting a war for 12 years costing us around 4 trillion dollars. I think this would be good for our country as a whole. As long as we keep it all in house the economy will once again be strong. Jobs will be plenty and we will no longer be sipping form the fossil fuel teat. Now I know people are going to pick it apart because it is new. Well they did the same thing to the internet and look at what you are doing right now. We have the science to pull this off. There will be problems but when is their not problems? Every major project has them and this will be no different. Hell just look where roads have come from trails into now days five lane highways. We solved the problems alone the way this is how we learn. I just think this is a good start. They have raised over 2.1 million to get it going and I say let get it going.  What is your thoughts!!1

i read somewhere that this would cost apx. 54 trillian dollars to deploy.  54 triiiiiiilllllllllion.  that's just crazy.  we'd be better off just installing solar panels along every major highway.  there's also the question of traction, durability, weight limits, lifespan, etc..  i don't think i'd want to drive on glass.

[Bart Ell]

Windex has a boner.

Prisons are too full!!!1!1!1.3!!!
Give each prisoner some Windex and a rag and we can keep the roads clean because, you know, a dirty solar panel is pretty worthless!!!!1!

2 birds please meet one stone.

[MV/Liberace!]

i will add that i do think solar is going to be the eventual solution to our energy woes, but i think the technology just isn't there yet to make it financially sensible.  i saw on some documentary that one barrel of crude oil produces the equivalent of about 20,000 man hours of labor.  it's liquid money, and we're discovering new sources of it all the time.  that's pretty hard for solar to overcome in terms of energy options.

[Camazotz Automat]

I watched a documentary on this about a year ago or so. I was impressed by the "Gorilla Glass" type durability.

I do like this idea for large parking lots.  Hell, even some kind of parking lot that isn't even glass paneled, but made of a substance that ~thermovoltaically~ captures the HEAT and converts that to electricity.  Maybe then my shoes wouldn't melt when walking to Walmart's front door.

In that same smart (WalSmart) parking lot, I would like to see a passive system that collects all the oil created by so many leaking cars. That's such a nasty problem that is constantly ignored. The night sweepers may pick up a little, but most of it goes into the storm drainage system.

But if the country did something large scale like solar roads, I would be more in favor of concentrating on developing high performance yet dirt cheap solar roof shingles that are ten times more efficient and ten times cheaper than anything we have today.

I have to believe that installing or augmenting roofs for solar harvesting would be so much more easy and cost efficient than laying all those new roads.

[Zoo]

i read somewhere that this would cost apx. 54 trillian dollars to deploy.  54 triiiiiiilllllllllion.  that's just crazy.  we'd be better off just installing solar panels along every major highway.  there's also the question of traction, durability, weight limits, lifespan, etc..  i don't think i'd want to drive on glass.

Ya I think you might be off on your numbers MV. If it was produced by its current production it might. But as you well know mass production brings down cost. Also it does more than collect energy it collects water as well. You might not know but their is starting to become a shortage of potable water. Atlanta, Abeduque, Las Vegas, and about thirty more cities in the US. What price are willing to pay... Oil is destroying this planet in more ways then one but hell what do I know I only have a degree in it. It is not like global warming is real. I just think it is time to put up or shut up. If we want to fuck this planet up then lets to this if not and we want a future for others then it will cost. Oh and driving on glass well people thought driving on paved roads was crazy and look at us now!!1

[Mind Flayer Monk]

i will add that i do think solar is going to be the eventual solution to our energy woes, but i think the technology just isn't there yet to make it financially sensible.  i saw on some documentary that one barrel of crude oil produces the equivalent of about 20,000 man hours of labor.  it's liquid money, and we're discovering new sources of it all the time.  that's pretty hard for solar to overcome in terms of energy options.

Well there is other stuff you can do. For example, if I am a shopping mall or gated community management company,  I could solar road my internal streets and then pocket the money and any savings I would have had to pay the power company for myself. I could also pay some politician to pass a bill giving tax credits for building those streets and the tax credits would be equal to pretty much the cost of construction.
In addition, I could then resell the rights to power I had with the power company to someone else.

[Catsmile]

i read somewhere that this would cost apx. 54 trillian dollars to deploy.  54 triiiiiiilllllllllion.  that's just crazy.  we'd be better off just installing solar panels along every major highway.  there's also the question of traction, durability, weight limits, lifespan, etc..  i don't think i'd want to drive on glass.

Sounds good on paper, but real life ain't paper.  Millions of 40 ton 18 wheel tractor trailers with a retread coming unwound, slamming 100 pounds of rubber coated steel belts at 70MPH onto the glass solar cells for miles on end before becoming a road gator. That should be fun to watch. Leaking fluids and exhaust emissions from vehicles, that won't be slick on glass at all. Vehicles forcing rain water into the tile joints of electronics, what could go wrong?

Keeping it all in working order and clean to produce energy when not shaded by vehicles during peak driving hours, huge job. The DOT around here can't even resurface the roads every 10 years. Much less replace tiles almost daily, or cleaning windows. The LuLz they would have being told they had to now clean windows for a living. Themz gonna have to be beyond bullet proof solar/LED tiles. Tiles that are idiot proof to install. With seals and interconnects of the Gods. Traction and cost issues aside. 

[MV/Liberace!]

Sounds good on paper, but real life ain't paper.  Millions of 40 ton 18 wheel tractor trailers with a retread coming unwound, slamming 100 pounds of rubber coated steel belts at 70MPH onto the glass solar cells for miles on end before becoming a road gator. That should be fun to watch. Leaking fluids and exhaust emissions from vehicles, that won't be slick on glass at all. Vehicles forcing rain water into the tile joints of electronics, what could go wrong?

Keeping it all in working order and clean to produce energy when not shaded by vehicles during peak driving hours, huge job. The DOT around here can't even resurface the roads every 10 years. Much less replace tiles almost daily, or cleaning windows. The LuLz they would have being told they had to now clean windows for a living. Themz gonna have to be beyond bullet proof solar/LED tiles. Tiles that are idiot proof to install. With seals and interconnects of the Gods. Traction and cost issues aside.

there's also temperature driven expansion and contraction, which i forgot to add to my buzz kill list.

[Catsmile]

there's also temperature driven expansion and contraction, which i forgot to add to my buzz kill list.

Agreed.
Hence my comment "seals and interconnects of the Gods".
Making a large surface flat with gradients and curves smooth enough to stop rocking movement of the tiles, or sheets... wow.
Even if you backed each tile with something that could correct for sub-surface imperfections the tiles would move from tons of pounding, heating and cooling compounding movement. I could be wrong, but I don't believe we are there... yet.

I'm not against solar at all.
I love the idea of putting a lot of surfaces to use making/storing power.

[Zoo]

Well I would like to thank you for your replies. I would like to point out that the people who came up with this have Masters in Engineering. I think they might of thought of some of your concerns. I look at it this way. The world is flat to most of you and one day you will see it is round. Until then people will always be scared of falling off the edge. I will continue to look towards the future of a oil/natural gas free world. Good day to you all!!1

[Zoo]

Well there is other stuff you can do. For example, if I am a shopping mall or gated community management company,  I could solar road my internal streets and then pocket the money and any savings I would have had to pay the power company for myself. I could also pay some politician to pass a bill giving tax credits for building those streets and the tax credits would be equal to pretty much the cost of construction.
In addition, I could then resell the rights to power I had with the power company to someone else.

Now thats thinking well done!!1

[MV/Liberace!]

Well I would like to thank you for your replies. I would like to point out that the people who came up with this have Masters in Engineering. I think they might of thought of some of your concerns. I look at it this way. The world is flat to most of you and one day you will see it is round. Until then people will always be scared of falling off the edge. I will continue to look towards the future of a oil/natural gas free world. Good day to you all!!1

also built by engineers:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QNV3So7GM

my point is, it's hard to account for everything one might encounter in real world use, despite all of the degrees one might throw at a challenge.

[Bart Ell]

The world is flat to most of you and one day you will see it is round.

The world is not flat but the lady who I can see sunbathing from my bedroom balcony unfortunately is.

[Zoo]

also built by engineers:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5QNV3So7GM

my point is, it's hard to account for everything one might encounter in real world use, despite all of the degrees one might throw at a challenge.

You are right and they learned from that correct? Just because you have a degree doesn't mean you will not make a mistake. Hopefully having a degree will help the learn to fix the mistake. Just like anything else in life we learn from are mistakes. I understand it will not be 100% when and if it comes out to the real world. It just seems that everyone expects it to be and if it is not might as well stick with oil. We had to learn with oil as well.

As for everything else fire needs fuel if their is no fuel there is no fire!!

[Catsmile]

my point is, it's hard to account for everything one might encounter in real world use, despite all of the degrees one might throw at a challenge.

Very true.

I've seen ideas handed down from PhDs white boards, built into prototypes, handed to Masters in engineering for production. Blueprints handed to the grunts. And when things didn't work like their blueprints said it should, the burden of making it work was left to us low wage low educated grunts. Yet they always had plenty of time for 2-3 hour lunches, with 3 drinks on the company, except when company big wigs, or a large customer was there. Degree handles on names don't impress me much anymore by default.   

They can make amazing spread sheets, CAD drawings, and flip through a Grainger catalog like a pro, make tape outlines with labels of where the trash can goes. Some even do a good job managing others during the build process of prototypes for the lab. Once they start designing for mass production in the real world... the wheels usually start coming off. Then some grunt has to implement the product in the real world. Bringing many many wild cards, that are out the control of even the best designed products. Not to mention production defects, improper implementation of new systems/products.

No matter how smart you are, or how smart you build something you just can't idiot proof something.

[Zoo]

Thanks for all who had comments about the topic. It is nice to see where peoples heads are at outside the group I deal with. I learned a lot and hope to put it to good use!!1

[Catsmile]

As long as we are navel gazing. May as well add piezoelectric materials into the tiles.

[eddie dean]

Wow, these have LED's in them.
How about LCD's/plasma cells! Just think of the potential for advertisements. Thousands of miles of Geico commercials in 1080 HD, right on the road surface!
Kill me now!

[b_dubb]

Solar makes. Solar roads makes me think someone has been huffing freon

[Grov505th]

i will add that i do think solar is going to be the eventual solution to our energy woes, but i think the technology just isn't there yet to make it financially sensible.  i saw on some documentary that one barrel of crude oil produces the equivalent of about 20,000 man hours of labor.  it's liquid money, and we're discovering new sources of it all the time.  that's pretty hard for solar to overcome in terms of energy options.

Ok Electricity for the common Afghani is very expansive, what we are seeing a lot of is Solar Panels, hooked up to pumps in and around fields. 
Hell if they can do it why in the hell can't we?
I am actually thinking about doing it once I get home again.

[nooropathy]

Thanks for all who had comments about the topic. It is nice to see where peoples heads are at outside the group I deal with. I learned a lot and hope to put it to good use!!1

Therefore it makes perfectly logical sense to replace one bad idea with another bad idea just because the base concept is to put your fat ass on the ground and roll around on some skinny little surface connected from one end of where you start to the other end... Get your ass off the ground and put the $$$ where you get the most bang for the buck.  If you're going to maintain something then make it only one thing and not both the vehicle and the road surface.     

Think of it -- computer controlled (we won't be driving our own cars in another 5 years) mini blimps with solar cells on top of the blimp.  You take your power with you where ever you go or buy some fuel; could have gasoline option for night flying/clouds/etc, but smart engineers can figure all of that out, no matter how difficult the problem. 


Yes, engineers can be very smart -- a whole new industry based on installing, maintaining, and constantly cleaning every square inch of our newly created road surfaces would be valued as critical work thus providing a better place for mankind.


However, being Wise comes from a different part of the brain.  All those road surfaces are gone and the earth shows itself again in places we haven't seen for hundreds of years.

There's some Navel gazing and I wasn't doing anything...I swear.

[b_dubb]

If solar became cheap and plentiful tomorrow we'd still go to war for oil.  90% of the stuff in your house is derived from oil.  And you can bet someone somewhere is using it to move stuff and people from point A to point B.  It's a valuable resource and won't be easily replaced.

[onan]

Our society and economy are based on petroleum. Solar energy can give us health, but it can't give us plastic. It can't paint a house, and it damned sure can't put down a surface like asphalt.

I don't think most people consider how intertwined petroleum is with our lifestyle, without even considering labor energy it replaces.

[albrecht]

Our society and economy are based on petroleum. Solar eneergy can give us health, but it can't give us plastic. It can't paint a house, and it damned sure can't put down a surface like asphalt.

I don't think most people consider how intertwined petroleum is with our lifestyle, without even considering labor energy it replaces.

For sure. But developing alternatives can only help make those other petroleum derived products cheaper. As for asphalt. I hate the stuff but it cheaper and easier to repair than concrete but it melts in the heat, has to be repaired more often, and (I think) looks worse than concrete roads.

Btw, I've been checking out this ceramic paint. Not sold on it yet but looks interesting. Supposedly lasts a long time and much more durable that oil or normal latex based paints. But more $$. One brand has been blasting commercials on my AM radio for so long that I had to check it out.