Solar powered roads
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KidVermicious
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"Change the world" seems a little optimistic. We can't even get solar on everybodies rooftops yet, and making roads into solar arrays seems a little more problematic than rooftops.
I read an article about this last Friday and was pretty amazed. Funny thing is, I could not imagine a situation where any business would spend this kind of money on their parking lot, let alone a municipality on a road.
But lets say for a second, someone like Target decided to try this, it would be awesome of these energy hungry retail establishments were producing their own energy, especially when they are trying to cool 130k square feet when it's 110 degrees outside.
If the price on these things became somewhat affordable, I would certainly do my own driveway
BrianSD_42
New member
I don't really get the point? Are regular roads not good enough?
I rather they double the size of the interstate and institute a 90 (min) - 110 MPH Autoban style lane.
I rather they double the size of the interstate and institute a 90 (min) - 110 MPH Autoban style lane.
I'm not seeing it happen any time in the next 50ish years, maybe longer or even not at all. There are a handful of reasons why I can see this idea failing:
1) Cost. This will be an extremely expensive project that will require constant maintenance. How will they combat wear and tear due to environmental damage, tire damage, oil, etc.
2) Efficiency. Once the roads get some use and are covered in dirt, tire rubber, oil, etc. will they still be efficient without an incredibly budy maintenance program? Oh, with a heavy maintenance program will the roads still be able to be used as much as current roads?
3) Environmental. Every winter roads are salted, sprayed with brine, plowed, or otherwise treated somehow for snow and ice. How much can these roads take before a bajillion dollar "Solar Freaking Roadway" becomes an expensive plastic and silicone road that no longer produces electricity?
4) Technology. Who's to say that we will have road driven vehicles 50-75 years from now? How long do these roads need to be in operation for them to pay off? I'm not suggesting that we will have flying cars but you never know where technology will take us and these roads will have to be around for a while before they pay for themselves.
5) This one is kind of a reach but I have been told by multiple people that solar panels are a scam. For one, they take much more electricity to build a solar panel than what they will produce in their life time. Second, the savings a solar panel will net someone will barely pay for the purchase price of a solar panel by the time the panel has reached its life cycle. I say this one is a reach only because I haven't ever dug into the legitimacy of these claims but I have heard it from more than one person.
I think "going green" is a great thing and taking better care of mother earth should always be a priority in everyone's mind. I'm not a tree hugging hippie but I don't like to shit where I sleep either. Maybe some day there will be a more efficient roadway but the solar panel roads are nothing more than a pipe dream for some people.
1) Cost. This will be an extremely expensive project that will require constant maintenance. How will they combat wear and tear due to environmental damage, tire damage, oil, etc.
2) Efficiency. Once the roads get some use and are covered in dirt, tire rubber, oil, etc. will they still be efficient without an incredibly budy maintenance program? Oh, with a heavy maintenance program will the roads still be able to be used as much as current roads?
3) Environmental. Every winter roads are salted, sprayed with brine, plowed, or otherwise treated somehow for snow and ice. How much can these roads take before a bajillion dollar "Solar Freaking Roadway" becomes an expensive plastic and silicone road that no longer produces electricity?
4) Technology. Who's to say that we will have road driven vehicles 50-75 years from now? How long do these roads need to be in operation for them to pay off? I'm not suggesting that we will have flying cars but you never know where technology will take us and these roads will have to be around for a while before they pay for themselves.
5) This one is kind of a reach but I have been told by multiple people that solar panels are a scam. For one, they take much more electricity to build a solar panel than what they will produce in their life time. Second, the savings a solar panel will net someone will barely pay for the purchase price of a solar panel by the time the panel has reached its life cycle. I say this one is a reach only because I haven't ever dug into the legitimacy of these claims but I have heard it from more than one person.
I think "going green" is a great thing and taking better care of mother earth should always be a priority in everyone's mind. I'm not a tree hugging hippie but I don't like to shit where I sleep either. Maybe some day there will be a more efficient roadway but the solar panel roads are nothing more than a pipe dream for some people.
Omar RVA
New member
I’ve seen this video making the rounds recently and I think it’s interesting – especially considering that it directly affects my industry (I’m a civil engineer for the 3rd largest state DOT). I love the idea of the technology but the video/whoever made it ignores reality to an extent.
Solar technology in roads makes sense. A few areas here in VA are already implementing some sort of solar tech into pedestrian facilities. The big thing, actually in use today, is converting the deflection of the surface (by people walking over a sidewalk) into energy – same as the “perpetual” or “kinetic” functioning of many wrist watches.
Parking lots, pedestrian facilities, cross walk approaches, etc. are all feasible in the near future but I seriously doubt seeing this implemented on a large scale on streets, roads, and highways in my lifetime (I’m 25 years old, for reference). The cost of building 1 mile of road can range anywhere from $2 Million to $20 Million depending on the location and details (2 lane rural vs. 8 lane interstate) and Virginia typically has between $2 to $4 Billion (give or take) to spend/year (split among maintenance, new construction, right of way purchase and design, as well as 7000 employees). As TOY2G stated, I can only think of a handful of circumstances where a business could justify spending that kind of dough for a parking lot, much less a state/locality spending that kind of money for a public highway (assuming that a public entity is being a true steward of tax payer dollars). The reality is that we’re going to be lucky to maintain the roads we already have in a cost efficient way. Not to mention that the asphalt/concrete lobby will do everything they can to ensure that their industries don’t lose the largest chunk of the pie in transportation infrastructure.
TL;DR – Awesome concept but our kids or grandkids will be the first to really enjoy it.
OA
Solar technology in roads makes sense. A few areas here in VA are already implementing some sort of solar tech into pedestrian facilities. The big thing, actually in use today, is converting the deflection of the surface (by people walking over a sidewalk) into energy – same as the “perpetual” or “kinetic” functioning of many wrist watches.
Parking lots, pedestrian facilities, cross walk approaches, etc. are all feasible in the near future but I seriously doubt seeing this implemented on a large scale on streets, roads, and highways in my lifetime (I’m 25 years old, for reference). The cost of building 1 mile of road can range anywhere from $2 Million to $20 Million depending on the location and details (2 lane rural vs. 8 lane interstate) and Virginia typically has between $2 to $4 Billion (give or take) to spend/year (split among maintenance, new construction, right of way purchase and design, as well as 7000 employees). As TOY2G stated, I can only think of a handful of circumstances where a business could justify spending that kind of dough for a parking lot, much less a state/locality spending that kind of money for a public highway (assuming that a public entity is being a true steward of tax payer dollars). The reality is that we’re going to be lucky to maintain the roads we already have in a cost efficient way. Not to mention that the asphalt/concrete lobby will do everything they can to ensure that their industries don’t lose the largest chunk of the pie in transportation infrastructure.
TL;DR – Awesome concept but our kids or grandkids will be the first to really enjoy it.
OA
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fo' runnin'
New member
All about that oil money...
That is an interesting figure. However, you cannot put a price on an action to keep terrorism out of our country and attack those who killed thousands of innocent civilians.
ndcent
New member
But Obama is doing a fine job keeping terrorism out of our country. He just sent five high level terrorists home! lol!
KidVermicious
New member
If we had solar on every house, we'd have a lot less need to be mucking around in the middle east and pissing off nationalists and religious nuts in the first place, though.
Being free of reliance on foreign oil would be awesome.
Being free of reliance on foreign oil would be awesome.
MStudt
official vendor
As long as there is oil and coal this isn't going to happen. The US government will never let this happen since they'll be losing money.
BlackWorksInc
New member
A better idea is an article I read about using oscillation collectors in roads to generate electricity. I don't remember the article exactly (this is roughly what I am talking about Carbon Zero Road Block System by Park, Jaeyong » Yanko Design ), but basically it was something along the lines of as vehicles drive over it, it generates electricity from the rebounding of weight as a vehicle travels. I see that as a better solution that solar energy, which is more or less gimmicky at this point due to materials cost/availability and energy efficiency issues that plague large scale solar arrays these days (not saying its bad tech, but really its just not efficient enough to overcome the amount of rare earths and cost that go to do this on a macro scale.)
Another idea I heard was using roads as thermal generators of some kind.
Another idea I heard was using roads as thermal generators of some kind.
I think these would be great for parking lots, especially in office parks. There's lots of open pavement there that would do a great job of powering those buildings. These lots also don't have nearly as much wear-and-tear as roadways, so they wouldn't be as costly to maintain.
I'm a big supporter of alternative energy sources, especially those that replace petroleum. Quite simply... it leaves more fuel for us!
I'm a big supporter of alternative energy sources, especially those that replace petroleum. Quite simply... it leaves more fuel for us!
fo' runnin'
New member
Another thought.... It would be IMPOSSIBLE to see those LEDs in the bright sunlight on a hot summer day!
