MLD Woody Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I'm guessing its very similar as the surface on the top. At this point it seems like these panels have been through many tests and iterations to pass standards. Being picked up by a large company could only help the product Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted May 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Lol, Woody not the bottom of the panel, Einstein. The actual road surface. And no it would not be the same as the top, that's the pricy part. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Oh, I that he meant the bottom. I was thinking the bottom of the panel would Neva similar material I'm strength and durability to the top. There wouldn't be a need for transparency as well, so you'd have more options (and cheaper) The surface below the panels wouldn't be exposed to the elements. It would also be exposed to less wear. Obviously there can still be some tweaks and design changes, but it seems like this is very practical. It would be cool to saw some actual studies and data on the panels though. Stress testing and stuff like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Lol, Woody not the bottom of the panel, Einstein. The actual road surface. And no it would not be the same as the top, that's the pricy part. How is the top not the same as the road surface? I think the top layer has been tested thoroughly enough that as a proof of concept, it works fine. Sure, it's been tested in warm weather, so the snow melting capacity hasn't been exposed to Alaskan conditions, and that's something they'll need to do. As for the cracks/potholes, I think it's a lot less likely than in a tarmac/concrete road. Whereas that is one rigid inflexible slab, this would be a series of individual components that are themselves relatively flexible and the connections probably make the whole thing a lot more flexible. Potentially a factor when thinking about paving in earthquake prone areas I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Well that does beg the question what are these panels installed on? Asphalt and concrete? Sand? Pachked earth ? WSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gftChris Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Well that does beg the question what are these panels installed on? Asphalt and concrete? Sand? Pachked earth ? WSS I'm sure we're not the first people to ask these questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I'm sure we're not the first people to ask these questions.I ain't applying for a patent on the question. Just curious. WSS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted May 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I am now reading they have gotten 1 million in funding. One estimate pegs the total cost to repave every road in the U.S. with panels at $56 trillion, or about four times the country’s national debt. That's according to Aaron Saenz, writing for the site Singularity hub. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/05/30/solar-roadways-indiegogo_n_5416811.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep4L18zOEYI#t=27 This shit is becoming more and more awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 What they need, is solar panels on leaves of trees.Billions of trees. That way, they could use co2, put out breathable air again, AND make all sorts of electricity ! And Shade to help global cooling and warming ! But they still have to stop destroying the earth's virgin rain forests.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Oh yeah, the rainforest bit. I should have guessed you'd work that in Don't ruin a good thing. This technology is awesome and this is a good thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cysko Kid Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I wonder what the traction would be like wet or slushed over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Well if I remember correctly from the video it was like a dimpled/rough/jagged surface. But I'm sure thats something they have tested or will tesr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cysko Kid Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Slushed over would be a particular concern here in the rust belt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieHardBrownsFan Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 I predict this will never happen. It would take decades to finish and a fortune. Not to mention the theft. There is a huge problem with theft of copper piping/wires all over the bigger cities. Can you imagine the theft that would occur with these panels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Fan Posted May 30, 2014 Report Share Posted May 30, 2014 Doesn't the rust belt resurface roads every winter or so (1-2 years maybe)? Wonder how much is spent doing that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 I predict this will never happen. It would take decades to finish and a fortune. Not to mention the theft. There is a huge problem with theft of copper piping/wires all over the bigger cities. Can you imagine the theft that would occur with these panels? Well I can only hope that people with your mindset are not in charge of its implementation (or deciding if it will be implemented). The whole thing sounds like a fantastic idea and will serve as a solution to our looming energy problem. Moving the technology forward and fixing any various issues that come up just sounds like a really interesting engineering problem. All about that problem solving man. If this is going to happen, you have to start somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Yes, the tech is awesome. But practical? Maybe in time, but the expense will be enormous. But conductive polymers have been coming for many years now, and the tech is still developing. But solar panel roads is pretty cool an idea. The amount of tech to make the road panels UV stabilized for decades, and tough enough to handle traffic and extreme cold and hot temps, and replacing damaged panels.... That's a lot to ask, and the cost is pretty prohibitive on a grand scale. Since we are already in serious national debt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cysko Kid Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 I was watching something fascinating about windows that convert sunlight to electricity yesterday. Bummed me out because I literally just replaced almost all our old windows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Well sure it won't happen in our lifetime or probably our childrens life time. Go back two hundred years and tell somebody we could fly to Mars. They didn't even fucking know where Mars was exactly. Technology is snowballing so quickly we have no idea what will be possible in 100 years. WSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Well sure it won't happen in our lifetime or probably our childrens life time. Go back two hundred years and tell somebody we could fly to Mars. They didn't even fucking know where Mars was exactly. Technology is snowballing so quickly we have no idea what will be possible in 100 years. WSS The second half of your post makes the first line in you post to be untrue. Who knows the technology that will be invented over the next two generations. We could develop some breakthrough in the production of these panels and the cost could go way down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osiris Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 Ya I honestly don't think the biggest hurdle for this is technological or financial, but political. You know your going to get opposition from energy companies, not to mention companies that provide materials for our current roadways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Steve Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 OK Woody if you think it will be completed in the next 50 or 60 years great. Personally I don't think that's realistic. I think it's more realistic to guess that some other breakthrough will show up. WSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted May 31, 2014 Report Share Posted May 31, 2014 I don't think my child's lifetime will be over with 60 years from now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadbrownsfan Posted November 13, 2014 Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/12/tech/solar-road/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 Looks like they are doing a test bike "road" in the Netherlands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbrown Posted August 22, 2019 Report Share Posted August 22, 2019 http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/turns-out-a-road-made-of-solar-panels-was-in-fact-a-bad-idea/ar-AAGbuUl?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieHardBrownsFan Posted August 22, 2019 Report Share Posted August 22, 2019 I knew it was a fucked up idea then, and I'm proven right, as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted August 23, 2019 Report Share Posted August 23, 2019 That's a bad title. It didn't prove it's a bad idea. We tried, there were failures, and now we can learn from those failures moving forward. How can we make them more durable? What environmental constraints are there? Etc. If anyone is taking this and just quitting that's sad. If anyone is taking this and saying we should just quit, while also claiming to be something like an engineer or a scientist, they must be terrible at their jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbrown Posted August 23, 2019 Report Share Posted August 23, 2019 9 minutes ago, MLD Woody said: That's a bad title. It didn't prove it's a bad idea. We tried, there were failures, and now we can learn from those failures moving forward. How can we make them more durable? What environmental constraints are there? Etc. If anyone is taking this and just quitting that's sad. If anyone is taking this and saying we should just quit, while also claiming to be something like an engineer or a scientist, they must be terrible at their jobs. Funny. I would say any engineer or scientist that thinks we'll be using roads the way we do now in 60 years, has absolutely no vision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted August 23, 2019 Report Share Posted August 23, 2019 43 minutes ago, htownbrown said: Funny. I would say any engineer or scientist that thinks we'll be using roads the way we do now in 60 years, has absolutely no vision. Not exactly what we're talking about, but alright. I wouldn't let some future vision of flying cars, fully automated transport, etc. get in the way of making improvements now Don't let best get in the way of better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htownbrown Posted August 23, 2019 Report Share Posted August 23, 2019 I'll give you 2 scenarios Woody and you pick one because I have a gun to your head or something. A) Building a massive solar panel highway when we have all the wrinkles worked out. B ) Give a massive tax break to home owners that install solar panels right now. Be as practical as you possibly can be. Don't just say some shit to win an argument. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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