Jump to content

Solar Freakin Roadways!


Fox Fire
 Share

Recommended Posts

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

 

What do you guys think? I think it sounds brilliant. I also just want my road to light up and never freeze. Of course the cost of replacing thousands of miles of roads and telephone wires with this would probably be quite expensive, however, I think the investment is entirely worth it. The amount of things you could do with these, the amount of issues it addresses and money saved on maintenance is just too much to explain in this thread. However the link I posted has all sorts of info and videos.

  • Upvote 1

Fox_Fire_Txt2.png

_________________________________________________________________

<Jroc> I heard \ is an anagram of cocaine
<\> I can't be rearranged into a line, I already am a line.

--Foxburo Wiki--

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brilliant idea. In the long term this investment would definitely pay off, and it could singlehandedly be enough to reach the goals set out in the Paris climate change summit if it were set out in the world. However, how expensive is it, and how long would the investment take to pay off?

 

Also, is it durable? Because if it needs to be replaced once every while, the cost might not be worth it.

Proud Canadian, Proud Ontarian


OZFC3Z0.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, now I know you are intentionally trolling.

Oh? Now I know you don't know shit, clearly.  :rolleyes:

 

 

Brilliant idea. In the long term this investment would definitely pay off, and it could singlehandedly be enough to reach the goals set out in the Paris climate change summit if it were set out in the world. However, how expensive is it, and how long would the investment take to pay off?

 

Also, is it durable? Because if it needs to be replaced once every while, the cost might not be worth it.

Good questions. I imagine it would be highly expensive and I doubt we could afford such a project across the nation ATM. IDK how much one of these panels costs. I was just wondering that myself.

Their surface is like an inch of tempered glass and apparently pretty tough. I'd like to see someone hit one of these with a hammer though.

Fox_Fire_Txt2.png

_________________________________________________________________

<Jroc> I heard \ is an anagram of cocaine
<\> I can't be rearranged into a line, I already am a line.

--Foxburo Wiki--

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a big fan of solar energy to the point I believe all new houses built should by law require solar panels on them for starters (and the rest should with time all be outfitted too). The solar roadway thing is worth looking into definitely though it seems costly.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want to see a cost comparison of a mile of four lane highway made normally vs made with these solar panels, as well as the estimated energy output.

x0H0NxD.jpg?1

 

01:05:55 <%fistofdoom> im out of wine

01:06:03 <%fistofdoom> i winsih i had port
01:06:39 <@JoshF{BoC}> fistofdoom: is the snowman drunk with you

01:07:32 <%fistofdoom> i knet i forgot somehnt

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We should run with the concept until we can make it cost effective and applicable. I give credit to the originators.

However Kemal's post shows the flaws in the current design concept. Much advancement in just the textiles for traction alone must be implemented to make it effective long term.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's the worst critique videos I've ever seen. This guy needs to go have a look at these things, their test results and how they preform instead of making random guesses and false accusations about their physical properties. He doesn't even seem to be aware of all the actual tests these things have been through and passed or the ways they've changed throughout the testing.

"It's glass, so it would be too slippery." 

Which is why it has a rigid and textured surface. It has been revised from previous versions and according to the civil engineering universities that tested it, it can stop a car just fine.

"It's glass, so it would erode and smooth faster than rock."

Not only can I find nothing to back up this claim but I do know for a fact that glass is harder than asphalt. Also, it's tempered glass.

"They won't produce enough energy to power themselves, especially if there is no sun."

Don't even get me started on that. So many examples of solar power being used without sunlight and the way these units work make this a completely mute point.

"Why are they green when solar panels are black?" 

!@#$ if I know. Maybe it's a conspiracy and they're actually camouflaged land mines! :v

 

I'm not going to cover the rest of it. It's too long.

 

You should also considered that the hexagon bricks you see now are not what they are trying to sell. It's just the second prototype. It's like saying that google translate should have never been made because the first versions sucked. The cost will go down as technology progresses and finally, make your own argument. 

I won't deny that it's not ready to be installed in our roadways yet, but that's why it's a prototype and that's why they are still experimenting and testing. They've already built a prototype parking lot with a $750,000 contract with the government and tested it in all weather conditions to which it has "exceeded expectations." 

Overall, crap critique. I'd be more concerned about the glass getting foggy, though the current prototype is designed to last a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of 30.

Edited by Fox Fire
  • Upvote 1

Fox_Fire_Txt2.png

_________________________________________________________________

<Jroc> I heard \ is an anagram of cocaine
<\> I can't be rearranged into a line, I already am a line.

--Foxburo Wiki--

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We should run with the concept until we can make it cost effective and applicable. I give credit to the originators.

However Kemal's post shows the flaws in the current design concept. Much advancement in just the textiles for traction alone must be implemented to make it effective long term.

According to tests from civil engineering universities it's traction preforms fine and can stop a car going 80mph within a required distance. Obviously this has not been tested on a real car, but to say that it's going to be too slippery and asserting that as some kind of fact is just ignorance. Fact is, we don't know. But based on what has been tested (which led to revisions), it should preform just fine in regards to traction.

Fox_Fire_Txt2.png

_________________________________________________________________

<Jroc> I heard \ is an anagram of cocaine
<\> I can't be rearranged into a line, I already am a line.

--Foxburo Wiki--

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Physics cannot be countered with BS my friend.

It's ironic you mention that because all of the physics tests prove this dude wrong in his assumptions. I mean if there is anything in this video he is wrong about, it's his assumptions about physics and his arguing with the test results of an engineering university with absolutely no argument  other than his unrelated mentioning of sea glass and "this is the only test they have to show it will stop a car."

Yeah buddy, but at least they actually have evidence to show and not false assumptions about the physical properties of unrelated materials.

Fox_Fire_Txt2.png

_________________________________________________________________

<Jroc> I heard \ is an anagram of cocaine
<\> I can't be rearranged into a line, I already am a line.

--Foxburo Wiki--

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure you hold a degree in physics and read the paper about the experiments in detail.

 

You cannot even counter the following: If creating solar energy is this cheap and effective, why do it via roads that may or may not be in sunny areas? Just put the freaking solar panels anywhere. We don't need to drive &#33;@#&#036;ing cars over them if the goal is cheap energy.

77oKn5K.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My only skepticism is the fact that it has not been tested using actual working conditions applying vehicles. Living in Wisconsin with blizzard conditions tends to give credence to my skepticism and requires further research and testing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure you hold a degree in physics and read the paper about the experiments in detail.

 

You cannot even counter the following: If creating solar energy is this cheap and effective, why do it via roads that may or may not be in sunny areas? Just put the freaking solar panels anywhere. We don't need to drive !@#$ cars over them if the goal is cheap energy.

Yea I can counter that. The point is to utilize or make the most of roads that we can. Sure, we don't have to make them solar panels. We also didn't have to create the internet or the smartphone but that was never a reason not to try. I think the best point you have here is the limit to solar power do to atmospheric conditions. The primary problem with solar power in general. However, most people don't seem to realize that the energy absorbed from solar panels doesn't have to be used all at once. It can be stored. Homes using solar power can power their homes with little sunlight for extended periods because the energy is not simply being transferred, but stored. I know solar has it's problems and government funded programs have gone nowhere, but I know several people who use solar power in their homes and they have nothing bad to say about it, quite the opposite. These people live in places where the weather is hardly predictable and sunlight is faint in the winter season. Regardless, they can still use that energy in the winter. It's free &#33;@#&#036;ing energy regardless. 

Another thing to note that you seem to be missing is the fact that all these individual units are linked together and in the grand plan, would cover thousands of miles. I hardly think sunlight will be a problem if your entire nation is basically a giant solar panel.

 

 

I'll look at this later.

Fox_Fire_Txt2.png

_________________________________________________________________

<Jroc> I heard \ is an anagram of cocaine
<\> I can't be rearranged into a line, I already am a line.

--Foxburo Wiki--

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd actually be more interested in the generation of power from friction and or pressure at least on the roads generated by vehicles, perhaps something like Tesla's passive recharging of the battery through kinetic energy. Though solar roads are interesting to look at as well.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Note- I am not against a project like this, just the traction issues and some of the implementation. Kinetic energy mentioned above, that would be cool too.

 

We need to look towards more alternative sources, especially from the private sectors.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both internet and smartphones changed our lives dramatically (the prior of course being the most important one, whereas the latter is more of an ease of life gimmick). Solar panels? We already have that tech. Putting them on roads is retarded. Even if it were feasible to do so (it isn't), putting solar panels in deserts would be much more efficient for any given level of technology.

  • Upvote 1
77oKn5K.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is old "news" and completely idiotic. Off the top of my head (and memory), major problems include:

 

Massively inefficient energy generation: Static solar panels have a maximum theoretical yield of 55% and the current ones that exist tend to only get ~30% efficiency at the top (and expensive) end. That's just regular solar panels which don't have a thick layer glass on top of it. Much better to use tracking panels which have a theoretical maximum yield of 85% and don't have a thick layer of glass on top.

Prohibitively expensive costs: The USA can barely afford to maintain it's asphalt highways (which is a "useless" product that we gain from oil conversion, guaranteeing massive amounts of it) whereas circuitry is massively expensive in comparison.

Weather: Assuming they can magically create efficient solar panels and pull money out of thin air, weather can and will completely nullify any benefits gained from it regularly. I don't know where you live but in Northern states we have something called snow. In order to prevent the snow from covering the roads and melting and freezing and all that jazz, we cover our highways in a layer of salt instead. I don't know if you know this but rock salt is also opaque and means any highways in the top half of the country are rendered ineffective for at least a third of the year. This is not taking into account storms or cloudy weather (or rush hour traffic :v)

LEDs: LED's strong enough to appear visible in daylight hours would eat up most, if not all, of the energy generated.

 

The USA is !@#$ empty, it's twice the size of the European Union and has only ~3/5th's of the population. There is legitimately no reason we need to do this when we have more than enough space to dedicate to efficient solar panels.

 

 

People are always !@#$ about how the government wastes money. This would be, hands down, the biggest waste in human history.

Edited by Metro
  • Upvote 2

Orbis Wars   |   CSI: UPN   |   B I G O O F   |   PW Expert Has Nerve To Tell You How To Run Your Own Goddamn Alliance | Occupy Wall Street | Sheepy Sings

TheNG - My favorite part is when Steve suggests DEIC might have done something remotely successful, then gets massively shit on for proposing such a stupid idea.

On 1/4/2016 at 6:37 PM, Sheepy said:
Sheepy said:

I'm retarded, you win

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and the Guidelines of the game and community.