Solar Roads!!1

[eddie dean]

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.

living in a giant metropolis with millions of people/cars, and living in close proximity to main thoroughfares, I love the advent of rubberized asphalt. It's quiet and reduces db levels. The day they paved my road with the stuff was a happy day for me. Reduced the tire on road noise by at least 30%.
Next time you are driving on a concrete road and it transitions to RA, listen for the change, it's quite amazing actually. They use old tires that would otherwise sit in a landfill for ever.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubberized_asphalt

[albrecht]

living in a giant metropolis with millions of people/cars, and living in close proximity to main thoroughfares, I love the advent of rubberized asphalt. It's quiet and reduces db levels. The day they paved my road with the stuff was a happy day for me. Reduced the tire on road noise by at least 30%.
Next time you are driving on a concrete road and it transitions to RA, listen for the change, it's quite amazing actually. They use old tires that would otherwise sit in a landfill for ever.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubberized_asphalt

Yeah, but wiki also says this (though no citation given):
"Study results of the long-term acoustic benefits of rubberized asphalt are inconclusive. Initial application of rubberized asphalt may provide 3-5 decibels (dB) reduction in tire-pavement source noise emissions; however, this translates to only 1-3 decibels (dB) in total traffic noise level reduction (due to the other components of traffic noise). Compared to traditional passive attenuating measures (e.g., noise walls and earth berms), rubberized asphalt provides shorter-lasting and lesser acoustic benefits at typically much greater expense"

[eddie dean]

Yeah, but wiki also says this (though no citation given):
"Study results of the long-term acoustic benefits of rubberized asphalt are inconclusive. Initial application of rubberized asphalt may provide 3-5 decibels (dB) reduction in tire-pavement source noise emissions; however, this translates to only 1-3 decibels (dB) in total traffic noise level reduction (due to the other components of traffic noise). Compared to traditional passive attenuating measures (e.g., noise walls and earth berms), rubberized asphalt provides shorter-lasting and lesser acoustic benefits at typically much greater expense"

May be true, I havn't read any long term research that has been done. From my personal experience and observation, My street was paved with this 5-6 years ago and it's still just as quiet and the roadway is still intact. They re-oiled it a month ago, but the asphalt bed is showing no signs of stress or warping.
This process makes use of ground up old tires and reduces tire noise on the roadways, I'm a fan.

[b_dubb]

You can make plastics from vegetable oils - like corn and hemp - but it takes a LOT of vegetable oil to make plastic. And people still need to eat.

[Zoo]

You can make plastics from vegetable oils - like corn and hemp - but it takes a LOT of vegetable oil to make plastic. And people still need to eat.

Hemp is a really good alternative in my mind. It has thousands of uses just a shame people see it as something evil. All I can do is keep trying to inform people their are different ways to do things that can have a huge impact on this earth!!1

[Zoo]

Tucker 48 got 20 mpg in the 40's.  Despite its size and 4,200 pounds of heft, the Tucker could manage the 0-60 mph sprint in about 10 seconds. Top speed was at least 120 mph, thanks to the aerodynamic styling with an estimated drag factor of 0.30 -- good even today. Factory tests showed a creditable 20 mpg at a steady 50-55 mph. Just as nice, the rear-engine layout, all-independent suspension, and center-point steering combined for surprisingly easy handling and secure roadholding.

We are hardly doing better now!!1

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/tucker-cars.htm

[Zoo]

Once again the USA is first in doing the right thing for the environment. Oh wait it was the Netherlands because they actually give a shit!!1

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/11/09/netherlands-is-the-first-country-to-open-solar-road-for-public/

[MV/Liberace!]

Once again the USA is first in doing the right thing for the environment. Oh wait it was the Netherlands because they actually give a shit!!1

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/11/09/netherlands-is-the-first-country-to-open-solar-road-for-public/

it's a narrow 70 meter bike path that cost $4.6 million.  70.  meter.  narrow.  bike.  path.  $4.6 million.  and it even generates 30% less electricity than traditional solar panels because it can't be properly angled to catch as much sunlight as possible.  they'd be better off just spending that $4.6 million to give homeowners free solar panels.  i'm not anti solar, but i don't understand why a road is considered such a wonderful use of the technology.

[Zoo]

it's a narrow 70 meter bike path that cost $4.6 million.  70.  meter.  narrow.  bike.  path.  $4.6 million.  and it even generates 30% less electricity than traditional solar panels because it can't be properly angled to catch as much sunlight as possible.  they'd be better off just spending that $4.6 million to give homeowners free solar panels.  i'm not anti solar, but i don't understand why a road is considered such a wonderful use of the technology.

I do see your point about putting them on roofs but we also have to think outside the box. I think this is more of a proof of concept. They are showing the world this can be done and I for one back it 100%. I rather pay $4.6 million for a  70 meter bike path that generates 30% less energy than pay anything to big oil. Because you will never hear a solar road broke and spilled thousand of sunrays into the drinking water. How much is it going to cost to clean up from the train that exploded up? What is the long time cost of all the pollution that it is causing right now!!1

[albrecht]

it's a narrow 70 meter bike path that cost $4.6 million.  70.  meter.  narrow.  bike.  path.  $4.6 million.  and it even generates 30% less electricity than traditional solar panels because it can't be properly angled to catch as much sunlight as possible.  they'd be better off just spending that $4.6 million to give homeowners free solar panels.  i'm not anti solar, but i don't understand why a road is considered such a wonderful use of the technology.

What is somewhat intriguing is the company that is including heating elements and LED in the material so, in their theory, you could have a non-icy road and even illumination. And roads (and parking lots) in many areas are exposed to the sun for much of the day. Sure expensive as heck and I wonder about its ability to actually deal with real traffic of cars and trucks but a neat concept. If durable it would also save money on plowing, repairing damage from tire-chains and salt and freezing/warming expansion, etc. As far as the expensive Netherlands variety. A bit crazy since except for summer there isn't a huge amount of sun and trees and buildings would seem to also cut into the available sunlight. But they do love their bikes, so no surprise that they would spend to do it. Bikes are a lot less damage-making so probably easier than to make a real road.

[MV/Liberace!]

I do see your point about putting them on roofs but we also have to think outside the box. I think this is more of a proof of concept. They are showing the world this can be done and I for one back it 100%. I rather pay $4.6 million for a  70 meter bike path that generates 30% less energy than pay anything to big oil. Because you will never hear a solar road broke and spilled thousand of sunrays into the drinking water. How much is it going to cost to clean up from the train that exploded up? What is the long time cost of all the pollution that it is causing right now!!1

i understand and share in the desire to use renewable forms of energy.  however, current solar technology is too expensive and just barely produces enough power to constitute a net gain.  only in 2012 did the solar industry start producing more power than it consumed through the production process.  it's expected that the industry will have "paid back" its production energy by 2020, so we still have some time until the tech is credible enough to get really excited about in terms of both efficiency and cost. 

we can't and won't ever escape oil entirely.  it's linked to every manufactured item you touch, especially plastics.  i think we can all acknowledge, regardless of any new electricity production tech... plastics are here to stay. 

and the bike tires used on this solar road? oil.

[Zoo]

i understand and share in the desire to use renewable forms of energy.  however, current solar technology is too expensive and just barely produces enough power to constitute a net gain.  only in 2012 did the solar industry start producing more power than it consumed through the production process.  it's expected that the industry will have "paid back" its production energy by 2020, so we still have some time until the tech is credible enough to get really excited about in terms of both efficiency and cost. 

we can't and won't ever escape oil entirely.  it's linked to every manufactured item you touch, especially plastics.  i think we can all acknowledge, regardless of any new electricity production tech... plastics are here to stay. 

and the bike tires used on this solar road? oil.

Hemp oil can do the same!!1