Solar Roadways

solarroadways.com...

I found this via nextworldtv.com. It's about a project to make roads out of glass photovoltaics which can generate solar power. I don't really understand the mechanics behind it, but it does sound very exciting, as far as the energy generating possibilities are concerned.



I want to bring this to the attention of someone here, who might be able to do something more about it, as I kno this site has a large readership. I know there's a lot of doom porn posted to this site, but I want to try and balance that by letting people know about positive things like this, as well. The solutions are out there; the problem is getting people to become willing and open their minds.

Originally posted by petrus4
solarroadways.com...

I found this via nextworldtv.com. It's about a project to make roads out of glass photovoltaics which can generate solar power. I don't really understand the mechanics behind it, but it does sound very exciting, as far as the energy generating possibilities are concerned.

I want to bring this to the attention of someone here, who might be able to do something more about it, as I kno this site has a large readership. I know there's a lot of doom porn posted to this site, but I want to try and balance that by letting people know about positive things like this, as well. The solutions are out there; the problem is getting people to become willing and open their minds.

Wow....what an elegant and simple solution to our energy needs! This idea actually makes a whole lot of sense! (Which of course means it will never get off the ground)

Sorry for being a 'glass half empty' type of guy today.....It just seems like ideas this good hardly ever see the light of day.....I hope I'm wrong of course!

reply to post by petrus4


Interesting idea, but even if they solve the strength/brittleness issues, there's still the problem of dust & rubber building up on the glass making the solar cells useless, and also the massive issue of complete lack of traction (especially in the wet). Even textured glass is slippery to walk on let alone drive on when it gets wet :/

reply to post by petrus4


The real challenge with something like that will be making it so that the photovoltaics can still function as a road. From that standpoint - it might be more cost effective and practical to construct 'sun roofs' over roadways with photovoltaic cells or paints on them, as opposed to trying to make the road, itself, a solar panel.

Further - in some areas, the benefits would be fairly negligible. Congested roadways would be continually shaded by cars (which is why building a 'roof' over roads may be preferable, anyway).

However, photovoltaic paints on highways could be a cost-effective solution (particularly on rural highways and roadways):

news.softpedia.com...

www.pv-magazine.com...

Efficiencies of only 1% - but if they could get that up to 5 or even 10% - you're looking at a potentially cost-effective solution that could be added on as a post-process to road construction (with, perhaps, the need to place some kind of resin over the top to prevent rapid wear).

Another interesting idea would be incorporating a layer of graphene supecapacitors under roadways (which could, at least in theory, be done). These could be treated, at least in more urbanized areas, as a large power distribution bus with enormous capacitance (as in - no need for back up battery systems unless you plan to go without power generation for a week).

Of course - that might really only be sensible in locations where space is at an absolute premium already.

reply to post by petrus4


Sounds awesome! I don't know how they will accomplish cars from sliding on glass with rain soaked and snow covered roads, but if they can that would be fantastic. I guess it would eliminate the extensive cost of repaving roads year after year. It would also eliminate a lot of road signs since, the signs are imbedded in the road itself. Night driving would be lit up like a discotheque dance floor. That gives a new play on words with the Rolling Stones song "Dancing in the Streets."

Some ideas and inventions are great in theory and work practically.

Some ideas and inventions are great in theory and DO NOT work practically.

This is a case of the DO NOTS.

Originally posted by DaRAGE
Some ideas and inventions are great in theory and work practically.

Some ideas and inventions are great in theory and DO NOT work practically.

This is a case of the DO NOTS.

Do you actually know that, or are you just being narrow minded and pessimistic for the hell of it? Aim64C had what sounded like some good objections; your opinion, on the other hand, just sounds like pure negativity.

Originally posted by petrus4
Do you actually know that, or are you just being narrow minded and pessimistic for the hell of it? Aim64C had what sounded like some good objections; your opinion, on the other hand, just sounds like pure negativity.

Actually I did read the above posts and agreed with them.

Driving on a glass surface is crazy especially in the wet. Hopefully the glass can hold tons and tons of trucks, cars, etc without cracking. The cost of implementing an energy producing road would more than likely be an astronomical figure. When a rubber tyre drives over a surface (the road), 3 atoms thick of rubber is left behind attached to the road. How is the sun going to get through all those sun blocking atoms that cars and trucks leave behind?

I'm sorry my post sounded negative. Next time i'll try to insert some smiley faces to brighten things up.



Some inventors think of an idea that seems good, but they don't think about the practicality of it.

See the apple macintosh portable

Some buildings are portable, if you have access to a Freightliner. Stonehenge is a portable sun dial, if you have enough people on hand to get things rolling. And in 1989, Apple offered a "portable" Macintosh--a 4-inch-thick, 16-pound beast that severely strained the definition of "laptop"--and the aching backs of its porters. Huge lead-acid batteries contributed to its weight and bulk; the batteries were especially important because Portable wouldn't run on AC power. Some computers are affordable, too; the Portable met that description only if you had $6500 of extra cash on hand.

a reply to: petrus4

www.engadget.com...

At some point, you've probably sat back and said "Couldn't we solve climate change and the broader energy crisis just by sticking solar panels to everything?" It's not a bad idea, mind, but the cost and resistance to such a scheme would make it a nightmare to implement. But what about if we turned the nation's highways into solar farms that we could drive along?

A new article posted today on engadget has breathed new life into your thread.

It seems that the idea has not only persevered, but has grown to the funding stage.

Good subject!

BT

a reply to: DaRAGE

No great points for marketing, but I do think this could be a great way forward. Given a lot more design and research in application it really does seem to me that it could be an incredibly flexible and amazing system. I don't think this idea that will go away soon.
The idea that driving on glass is the biggest problem here is just simplistic thinking.

originally posted by: LordGoofus
reply to post by petrus4

 

Interesting idea, but even if they solve the strength/brittleness issues, there's still the problem of dust & rubber building up on the glass making the solar cells useless, and also the massive issue of complete lack of traction (especially in the wet). Even textured glass is slippery to walk on let alone drive on when it gets wet :/

The solution is simple.

Build an elevated solar canopy over the road...not solar panels on the road. Will keep rain, snow and frost off the road surface too...two for the price of one.

originally posted by: MysterX

originally posted by: LordGoofus
reply to post by petrus4

 

Interesting idea, but even if they solve the strength/brittleness issues, there's still the problem of dust & rubber building up on the glass making the solar cells useless, and also the massive issue of complete lack of traction (especially in the wet). Even textured glass is slippery to walk on let alone drive on when it gets wet :/

The solution is simple.

Build an elevated solar canopy over the road...not solar panels on the road. Will keep rain, snow and frost off the road surface too...two for the price of one.

The cost of doing that over such a scale would be crazy high. At least with solar panels on the road, there is very other little cost. Raising it requires the additional cost of build huge structure(s) to support the panels.

Solar roads in principle are a good idea but there are numerous drawbacks. The main one would be dealing with rain, snow, ice etc. It would need to be cleaned regularly to deal with oil, spills, rubbish thrown while vehicles are in motion etc, etc. On top of that, during rush hour the motorways/highways are congested & there will be little power generated thanks to all the tailbacks.

A simpler one would be to use the piezoelectric effect to capture vibrations from the tyres as they move along the road. It won't provide enough power compared to solar, but it's safer as the sensors are implanted beneath the surface. It could be used to power led lights along the length of the motorway/highway, power illuminated signs. There might even be a way to eventually use it to give the road's surface just enough heat so that ice doesn't build up, snow doesn't lie etc.