Solar Roadways
 

I think this is an incredibly good idea, if and only if, the structural integrity, transparency, traction, glare, etc. etc. can all be properly maintained. Allthough he did mention that even operating at 15% efficiency, these roads can power the entire country annually. Imagine developing nearly-perfect, efficient roads in the more urban areas, giving us more energy output in denser areas.

http://www.wimp.com/solarhighways/

I for one believe we need to drape our skyscrapers in Thin-Film PV sheets. The cost is minimized and the area of efficiency is maximized.

ty for necro

disappointed this wasn't about roads in space

ty for share

No no, ty for share.

ty for shaere

This is an interesting idea if you're living in the Tron universe, but the "if and only if" practical hurdles are impossible to conquer as-is. Assuming you manage to build the perfect road-panel and make it cheap is the whole game, not some triviality to be handwaved away. We can't do it at current tech without it costing its weight in platinum.

The fact that this guy uses peak oil as his argument as to why this will become cost-effective is pretty telling in itself.

Regular photovoltaics are already so cost-ineffective they depend on subsidy and the PR they generate to make it to daylight. Regular solar panels depend on a long lifespan to ever pay for themselves. The idea of putting them into something that takes as much abuse as a road - which is now made from consumable asphalt for a reason - is absurd if you're trying to call this achievable in our lifetimes. Until we develop some kind of unobtanium-based road (carbon nanotubes etc) or far-future tech like nanomachine-based maintenance of these things, this is a pipe dream. You can call it an attempt at a cool proof-of-concept, but in order for this tech to ever be viable the game will have had to change so much that this materials research will be long obsolete.

A responsible scientist doesn't take pipe-dream claims like these to the media and paint them like there's a product just around the bend. These guys may not be pushing a perpetual motion machine, but they're still a few steps from scrupulous to be fishing for capital investment this way.

Why not work on improving photovoltaic technology so it's profitable in the first place? Well, because these guys are cranks using marketing to pay their bills.

I like the proper use of terminology, and presenting it in a manner that is easy to understand and enjoyable. I feel like I understood everything you said, even when it was worded unfamiliar(photovoltaics). I thank for share.