# Solar Roadways



## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Solar Roadways


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Awesome video. And I love the idea too.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

I hope they included sensors / transducers necessary for auto-driving vehicles.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

An interesting idea but one that would have to be rolled out overnight. Imagine what happens when studded tires or tire chains meet glass.

I'm not sold that these panels would survive rock or tree falls.

I don't want to be riding my motorcycle or bicycle on wet glass because at some point, the glass will surely become smooth.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Looking at the design data it appears that many potential problems have been solved albeit at the expense of the efficiency of the panels in generating electricity. There are certainly enough parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, etc., to give this a good test. Even though my initial concerns would be is (1) the availability of enough recycled glass and (2) the cost of maintenance for a country like the ours full of people that won't fund through taxes the maintenance of it's bridges and roads now because they need the iPhone 6 to replace the iPhone 5.9 they bought last week, I'm impressed.

Also, though not important, the song at the end can be heard here.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

After driving 300 miles today and thinking about this in the almost bumper to bumper traffic at 80+mph, I think this would be a great national project once it is proven. Similar to the CCCs of the 30s and the Interstate system by Eisenhower. . . a great job provider from construction, manufacturing, to high tech for 50 years or so. Or longer including maintenance.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

I wonder if it can interact with enhance 911.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

I would think bridges would be the first place to instal this system.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

I hope they where careful with the estimations. If a car is sitting on top if it it won't be producing power. The key is I see those panels look small and they are using micro inverters so that would Maximize their power output.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> I hope they where careful with the estimations. If a car is sitting on top if it it won't be producing power. The key is I see those panels look small and they are using micro inverters so that would Maximize their power output.


Y, it's all about the numbers. Each 3x5' (roughly) panels I have on the roof produce 225 watts PEAK for a few minutes a day but in less than 3 years have produced 10+ MEGA watt Hours of electricity.

These hexagonal panels probably produce a max of 10 watts or less PEAK for a few minutes a day, but with probably thousands per mile in a single lane. And a car passing over it is only a second or less. Parking lots would be different.

My 250 watt microinverter is a 1 square foot x 1 inch embedded electronic device under each panel. The inverter on this hex panel would be less than the size of a thumb drive.

I'd rip my driveway up tomorrow if these were available at a 10 year breakeven price.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Awesome video. But unfortunately the oil lobbyists won't let the dream come true. Too much for them to loose 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

dennisj00 said:


> Y, it's all about the numbers. Each 3x5' (roughly) panels I have on the roof produce 225 watts PEAK for a few minutes a day but in less than 3 years have produced 10+ MEGA watt Hours of electricity.
> 
> These hexagonal panels probably produce a max of 10 watts or less PEAK for a few minutes a day, but with probably thousands per mile in a single lane. And a car passing over it is only a second or less. Parking lots would be different.
> 
> ...


Enphase? Look carefully at the video. They showed enphase inverters the same size as the ones you have now. .


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

That may have been just for proof of concept. . . Just like a 12volt low wattage inverter for your car is the size of a wall wart that plugs in your cigarette lighter (accessory power now), there's no reason for the micro inverter to be that big.

Electronics scale very well and this should really be a Micro (read smaller) inverter!


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

Not sure why you assume that as it'd cost less most likely to use those and they have plenty of room for them. But that's the last thing to worry about with this ends out IMHO.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

There's just a BIG difference in making prototypes or designing a production unit for millions / billions of units. In that kind of production volume a nickel difference in a connector or custom SOC makes a big difference.

There are so many other factors in large production runs . . shipping weight, heat generation / dissipation, form-factor just to name a few.

Look at the Apple TV puck and Google's Chromecast. . . fundamentally the same capability (although I don't use the ChromeCast I have) but significant difference in size and cost.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

All true (although apple is probably a bad example as the cost difference there is apple charges a premium for everything for software) but they will want a modular system for sure and as far as heat bigger may dissipate easier than a tiny one. 

Obviously the inverters themselves aren't prototypes. And my real point is that's already a universal and easy to use system. It's completely plug and play which i am sure they will want. 

It will be interesting to see
If they actually build a couple lots and such and see if this works well.


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## tsmacro (Apr 28, 2005)

Ok I didn't see this before I posted another thread in the OT section about this, I even tried searching it before I posted to see if it had been posted yet and got nothing. But anyway here's my posts from that thread to add to the discussion:

Posted Yesterday, 12:21 PM
So apparently this is a real thing, not just one of those "too good to be true on the internet things". I must say if this is actually feasable it could be one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time!

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

Posted Yesterday, 03:57 PM
Rich, on 30 May 2014 - 1:15 PM, said:


Rich said:


> Wow! Too bad most of us won't live long enough to see this implemented throughout the country. Seems like the perfect solution to our energy needs. That alone will probably doom it.
> 
> Rich


I kind of wondered about the whole big energy companies trying to squash it. However if any of them have any kind of sense they'll embrace it and become road construction and maintenance companies. I mean think about it, big energy company says to the inventor of the solar road panels hey we'll buy as many of these things as you can produce as fast as you can produce them. Then they turn around and approach cities, states and countries and say we will repave and maintain your roads. The governments get the savings of not having to take care of their own roads and the energy company gets to charge for the electricity those roads generate. It's either that or litlle by little, businesses and municipalities on their own start installing these solar road panels and generating their own energy and cutting the energy companies out of the picture. Seems like it would be in the big energy companies best interests to take the lead in implementing this technology rather than fighting against it. But what do I know? In the world we live in now where companies are more worried about this quarter's profit margins than their long-term viability they could decided to throw an army of money and lawyers trying to undermine it if they felt that would cost them less right now.


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## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

tsmacro said:


> Ok I didn't see this before I posted another thread in the OT section about this, I even tried searching it before I posted to see if it had been posted yet and got nothing. But anyway here's my posts from that thread to add to the discussion:
> 
> Posted Yesterday, 12:21 PM
> So apparently this is a real thing, not just one of those "too good to be true on the internet things". I must say if this is actually feasable it could be one of the best ideas I've heard in a long time!
> ...


I know some people that work for those big energy companies. They went from the corporation I worked for to the energy companies and were astounded at how much money those companies had to spend and didn't seem to know what to spend it on. Those are the kind of companies to work for. On a personal basis, of course. I'd think they'd fight tooth and nail to keep things as they are.

Rich


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Tonight, it made my local news.


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## SteveHas (Feb 7, 2007)

come on, I would love this, but glass like tiles for roads in winter states? NEVER going to work. If you thought pot holes were a problem...


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

SteveHas said:


> come on, I would love this, but glass like tiles for roads in winter states? NEVER going to work. If you thought pot holes were a problem...


There's a lot about this new tech you probably don't know. For one,
it's _not_ your grandfather's glass. Many said the idea of putting a PC
on every desk will never work, but I'll bet you have one in your hand.


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## tsmacro (Apr 28, 2005)

Reading through their site you see where they've already addressed most of the "oh this won't work because...." things that people come up with off the top of their heads. At this point any nay-sayers are irrelevant anyway, they've got the support they need to take it to next stages which will include releasing it to the wild in at least a limited area and will allow them to see how it works under real world conditions. If it ends up working as well as they're promoting it, it'll only take off from there, if not, well it wouldn't be the first bright idea that didn't turn out as well as it's inventor thought it could. Just in case you think you're the first person to think you've figured out a reason it might not work, here a couple links to where they address almost anything anyone has come up with:

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

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


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

SteveHas said:


> come on, I would love this, but glass like tiles for roads in winter states? NEVER going to work. If you thought pot holes were a problem...


They're self heating.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

The problem with roadways is the soils underneath the surface. If the subsoil is stable, then it is possible to create a road surface that does not crumble if maintained,

On the other hand, in our area the hillsides slide and the valleys can be mostly wetlands that sink. CalTrans just repaves, then fills and fills, then repaves, the fills and fills. We won't see any glass except on bridges and clearly stable areas.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

As I understand it, this system requires a sub-system, much like a concrete tray that these glass 'legos' would lock in to form the roadway or parking lot. This 'tray' would have the wiring and drainage and other connections for electrical and control.

As much as I like the idea, I don't think I'll ever get to drive on it.


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