Solar FREAKIN' Roadways

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

So yeah, just found out that this is an Indiegogo campaign. Basically these guys propose to turn roads into solar panels all across America, using technology that already exists. Personally, I'd love to see this happen.

 

What are y'all's thoughts? Does it sound feasible? Unrealistic? I dunno. I'd love to believe it's possible, believe that it's going to happen, but part of me has trouble believing enough people would get behind it for it to be successful.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

Then that means, we'll have to change our cars to solar cars and...I don't think this is gonna work. 

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

Then that means, we'll have to change our cars to solar cars and...I don't think this is gonna work. 

 

No, we wouldn't. The solar panels wouldn't be for energy for cars, but for businesses and houses and.... pretty much everything. I mean, we could switch to electric cars if the energy output was high enough, as it sounds like it could be potentially, but it wouldn't be necessary to the project.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

No, we wouldn't. The solar panels wouldn't be for energy for cars, but for businesses and houses and.... pretty much everything. I mean, we could switch to electric cars if the energy output was high enough, as it sounds like it could be potentially, but it wouldn't be necessary to the project.

But then, what would happen on overcast/rainy days?

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

But then, what would happen on overcast/rainy days?

I reckon much of the energy produced would be stored, not just used right away.

[Golem 65]

Well, it's gone up around $1000 since I last looked at it.. around an hour ago I believe. Might be a little more. I think even if it doesn't completely fund it, it's going to get REALLY close.

 

It's a brillaint idea, imo. I'd love to not have to walk in the snow anymore. heh.

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

I think my main fear is that the world might not be ready for the idea, even though it's a brilliant one. Where we are right now as a society, I feel like most folk will think it's just too outlandish and not worth investing in, so even if the campaign is fully funded, not many people will actually pay to have roads replaced with this jank.

[Golem 65]

Thing is, people don't like change. If you don't give people a gentle nudge into the future they'll never accept it. Like everything really. Hell, when people change a site's design from an old buggy one to a new one people cry out and dislike it, once they get their head around it, they realise 'well hey, this IS actually better then the previous method we had'.

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

Thing is, people don't like change. If you don't give people a gentle nudge into the future they'll never accept it. Like everything really. Hell, when people change a site's design from an old buggy one to a new one people cry out and dislike it, once they get their head around it, they realise 'well hey, this IS actually better then the previous method we had'.

 

True dat. Peeps be like, "No, don't make things better by changing them! Make them better without changing them! I don't want you to fix what's wrong, just make it not wrong!"

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@@Henny Penny Benny,

 

Well still, a lot of energy will be used.  

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

But yeah, considering it's gone up about $7,000 or $8,000 since I looked at it about forty minutes ago, I'd say it's reasonably likely to be fully funded. Whether or not it succeeds in the end is a different question.

@@Henny Penny Benny,

 

Well still, a lot of energy will be used.  

 

True. But the idea is that a lot more will be generated.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

But yeah, considering it's gone up about $7,000 or $8,000 since I looked at it about forty minutes ago, I'd say it's reasonably likely to be fully funded. Whether or not it succeeds in the end is a different question.

 

True. But the idea is that a lot more will be generated.

But most of the energy must come from the sun or a of radiating heat. 

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

But most of the energy must come from the sun or a of radiating heat. 

 

Yes, and? Isn't that kind of convenient, since that sun is likely to be there for a good long while?

[Nulln 754]

I love it and I wish they would do that here.  They're always tearing up our broken roads, so we need new ones anyways.  Plus we have sun almost the entire year. IF we get rain, there's only like 3 or 4 days that the entire sun is actually blocked, so I think this should be required in super sunny places like where I live.

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

I love it and I wish they would do that here.  They're always tearing up our broken roads, so we need new ones anyways.  Plus we have sun almost the entire year. IF we get rain, there's only like 3 or 4 days that the entire sun is actually blocked, so I think this should be required in super sunny places like where I live.

 

Yeah, it'd be super convenient in places like New Mexico and Arizona, out west where there's practically never clouds.

[Atteez 10]

I think something like this would be expensive to start with, but it doesn't hurt to give it time and hard work.

 

It seems like a brilliant idea. It could benefit a lot of people and I hope it is introduced to other countries as well. I'll be honest, I have no idea how long it's going to take to complete, but it interests me and it seems like something I would take pleasure in helping with.

[Celtore 2,769]

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea. It's just that it's a bit too... well, ambitious. It hasn't been really implemented in the real world on a small scale and it's being touted as a solution to the country's energy problems. It just leaves a bit of a bad but familiar taste in my mouth. I don't think this idea is going to take off anyway, people are cheap and will go for the least expensive solution that is known to work.

Edited May 24, 2014 by Celtore

[Nulln 754]

I don't see any downside besides the cost.  It's been through tons of tests, the government has already partly funded it.  Solar energy is already proven extremely useful.  Solar energy can also be stored, so don't worry about rainy days.  I can see it maybe being a problem for somewhere where it rains all the time, but I do think it has it's place.

[Lateon 588]

 

 

people are cheap and will go for the least expensive solution that is known to work.

 

 

And that's how fossil fuels became popular. HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

 

This sounds like an awesome idea. It actually circumvents the low efficiency of current solar panels quite nicely as well with sheer volume.

[~Chaotic Eddie~ 479]

This is, quite frankly, an idea that needs to be funded. I can't even begin to count the problems that this will solve. This is the kind of step into the future that we need. The world only needs to accept it...

[Nine 707]

Ha, that video was awesome anyway.

 

I'd like for something like this to work if only because winter driving is the worst thing about being a living person.

 

But I can't give a real opinion because I really don't know anything about the costs involved with installing and maintaining this vs. traditional roads. Seems like there'd be a lot of math to do with stats that may not even exist .. and I wonder about how resistant to washouts and erosion they would be, with an underground data tunnel buried next to every road?

 

Would .. would people dig up and steal the panels? There might be salvageable metals in those ..

[Rascal~ 657]

Nine's point are pretty good, people may try to steal the panels and such, but oh hell this sounds like an amazing idea. 

I know that it would definitely be beneficial here in Australia, I reckon if we had a couple of these roads in Central NT/Australia then we could possibly power Darwin and Possibly all the towns between there and Exmouth! 
But I have a feeling that these panelled roads may not work in the Cities, since many cars would be blocking the sun when there's traffic, and Highways may suffer also because of the traffic. But placing these roads in towns and along highways that don't get as much attention would be perfect and a great way for countries to power themselves up. 

And what's good is, America will try this out and see if it's a good idea, and then Australia will have a go at it if it works!

[BayoUni2847 528]

I really like the idea. Hopefully it's something that can happen in the near future. Solar technology is such a convenience.

 

Only problem is they would need good defense in harsh winters when there's frost in the ground. That frost really messes with roadways, especially when it's really deep down.

[Golem 65]

I think it's made something like $200,000 since I last looked at it now. At this rate it's gonna be funded c:

[Rascal~ 657]

$746,069USD right now as I'm typing this. In 8 days? This thing is definitely gonna make it's mark. I can't wait to see this in action.