Waayy outside the box

Rick Parker · #1 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 11:33 PM

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

I think it's a "Pipe Dream"

Buzz · #2 (**permalink**) 03-02-2011, 11:19 AM

I like it. There's all kinds of potential benefits, but one problem I see without giving it much thought is the fact that the ground tends to shift, move, sink and heave - especially in colder climates. Glass may be easily hard enough, but it sure doesn't like to flex. I suppose a grid system of flexible joints could be devised, but up pops that nasty "cost" thing again.

Ron61 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-02-2011, 11:28 AM

That is an interesting idea and could work. Buzz pointed out some of the potential problems and there is one other that they will need to overcome that I have seen happen around here with solar panels. If they get dirty, that tends to cut down the efficiency a lot, and with the rubber tires there is going to be rubber marks and dirt. Also the replacement of sections of panels would have to be worked into the road as there are going to be some get broken or just go bad.

Ron

YerDugliness · #4 (**permalink**) 03-02-2011, 06:44 PM

I really liked the idea of using the contents of our landfills as bed material on which to locate the panels. WAAAAY COOL!

Cheers from Doug

!!

Wayne Maybury · #5 (**permalink**) 03-03-2011, 11:36 AM

That is a great idea but can it work? I am looking at putting a couple of solar panels on my boat this summer and these things are really very fragile. Can they make these things strong enough to absorb the abuse that the typical road surface must with stand? That is very difficult to say.

Wayne

rustyBob · #6 (**permalink**) 03-04-2011, 08:15 AM

the energy it would take to pull up the existing roadways and then manufacture those panels strong enough for a 80,000 pound semi truck to drive on those panels.....the cost would be out of reach, you would be talking many trillions of dollare not to mention the cost of digging up all those land fills...peeeyeeewww
I'm all for a soultion to all of this but at least be practical about it...

YerDugliness · #7 (**permalink**) 03-08-2011, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyBob

the energy it would take to pull up the existing roadways and then manufacture those panels strong enough for a 80,000 pound semi truck to drive on those panels.....the cost would be out of reach, you would be talking many trillions of dollare not to mention the cost of digging up all those land fills...peeeyeeewww
I'm all for a soultion to all of this but at least be practical about it...

Do they need to pull up the existing roadways to be able to position the panels? I don't remember seeing or hearing anything about that, but I've slept since then and at my age the memory isn't so great (they say the memory is the second thing to go

).

Agreed the rigors of enduring the poundings by an 80,000# semi-rig would be a challenge, but IIRC they would sandwich the PV cells inside some sort of shock-absorbent medium between two thick panels of Lexan type material....I could see that this method would be adequate.

As for the cost, it would be recovered MANY times by the electricity generated, no?

Agreed, it would be a monumental undertaking, but the "impracticality" would be overshadowed by the benefits....imagine NO fossil fuels or nuclear energy used to generate ANY of the electricity our country needs

!

The smell of digging up the landfills.....well, ya got me there (not to mention that the methane produced by landfills can be used as an alternative energy source, too)!

Cheers from Dugly

Paul F · #8 (**permalink**) 03-08-2011, 07:36 PM

It is simply ridiculous from an economic point of view. Ignore the complexity of making a road from solar panels. Simply consider solar. If it were economical as a energy source, we would be using it today as a bulk energy source.

...and what does the LEDs and signage have to do with solar panels? He didn't once talk about the technology, cost, or feasibility of the solar panel.