# Solar FREAKIN' Roadways! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2014, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129 "2014-05-23T22:11:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/101 "2014-05-26T05:21:26Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Adding new dimension to “Blue Screen of Death.” Looking forward to the DefCon presentation: “Hacking I-405” ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/102 "2014-05-26T05:24:42Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Me, I think there’s more future in mash-ups such as edible firearms, Boy, now you really don’t want to leave them where the kids can get to them. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/103 "2014-05-26T06:26:30Z")
Indiegogo project: [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-roadways](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-roadways) So this project has been getting a lot of attention lately. They’re planning to put hexagonal solar cells on roads. The solar cells are covered in glass for protection and traction. Other than that, they’re regular solar cells Is this the best place to put solar cells? I mean, it’s not like we have a shortage of areas with lots of sunshine. By putting them on roads, they have the problems of: [ol] [li]Covered more of the time (especially in gridlocked traffic)[/li][li]Require thick glass for protection and grip[/li][li]In turn, this thick glass absorbs light and reduces efficiency[/li][li]The harsh environment might reduce the lifespan of the solar cells[/li][/ol] Maybe I’m just cynical, but I think there’s a reason this hasn’t been done before, and they haven’t addressed this. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/104 "2014-05-26T06:37:58Z")
There is a 3 page thread in MPSIMS ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/105 "2014-05-26T06:52:57Z")
Oh whoops, I didn’t see that. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/106 "2014-05-26T07:00:26Z")
Merged the topics. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/107 "2014-05-26T07:16:13Z")
Thanks, and I just finished reading the previous thread. Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this won’t work. It’s not so much that it’s impossible, or even that it might not break even (in a monetary or energy sense), but even if both of these were true, **it’s still not the best use of solar cells**. I just wonder, from an energy perspective now, solar cells require an enormous amount of energy to produce (you gotta refine silicon, dope it, etc. etc.). So they have to be driven hard to break even. Now if you hide it behind a thick layer of glass, reduce its lifespan because of pressure, shock, vibration, water ingress, will it still be able to produce as much power as used to create it in its short lifetime? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/108 "2014-05-26T08:00:17Z")
> [@armedmonkey](#): > > Get the tech and engineering bugs worked out on something simple before you use that same tech on something more complicated. Isn’t that what this is? Here in Australia, the move to cheap solar panels to eliminate household electricity costs is incredibly popular and successful. We have the good fortune to have an incredible amount of sunlight most of the year, much like some parts of America, so it really works in our favour. But I think this means the simpler tech already works well enough to give something more complicated a few test runs, and this project is the first step in that direction. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/109 "2014-05-26T12:47:06Z")
Unless and until I see a better edited video, I will never support this idea. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/110 "2014-05-26T14:00:18Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Unless and until I see a better edited video, I will never support this idea. So a sober, well-edited video with a sonorous VO would make all the technical hurdles go away? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/111 "2014-05-26T14:21:43Z")
It’s a silly idea, but the inventors are good enough salesmen that they have enough people fooled to give them a nice income, so who cares? And the product has some interesting (and potentially useful/profitable) aspects to it: for starters, it looks easily scale-able. Unfortunately, solar road panels are solving a problem solar grid technology isn’t facing: an apparent lack of flat, empty spaces in the USA in which to place panels. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/112 "2014-05-26T14:23:28Z")
Totally and completely impractical. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/113 "2014-05-26T14:35:27Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > People are desperately trying to find ways to make solar roads make sense because their seduced by the concept but it’s ridiculous, there’s no way to make solar roads make sense. Anything a solar road can do, a solar roof can do better. Agree. It’s difficult enough to design a standard, free-standing PV array that can withstand wind, dust, snow, rain, and temperature extremes. (And it’s debatable if these PV panels generate any net energy to begin with.) And now someone has invented a PV array that can _also_ withstand five ton trucks driving on it all day? The _only_ people who think this is an efficient, practical, and viable technology are those with absolutely no background or training in the hard sciences. Even the most cursory analysis would reveal _many_ major problems, any of which would be a showstopper. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/114 "2014-05-26T16:01:31Z")
Their Indeigogo campaign has so far raised $1,217,158. The goal was $1 million. What happens if they can’t actually do what they’re claiming? Can they just walk away with the money? I need to come up with some utopian sounding idea and make a hip video! Dave’s Freakin’ _somethingsomethingsomething_. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/115 "2014-05-26T22:17:22Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Unless and until I see a better edited video, I will never support this idea. There are other videos on the site, but I have a feeling they aren’t going to change your mind. I’m glad they got the money they needed so they can do more testing. If nothing else, maybe it will inspire other inventors to improve on the general concept. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/116 "2014-05-27T00:07:03Z")
Did the SD put these guys over the top? I could be wrong but I thought they had like $600,000 a couple of days ago. Now they are over their goal at $1,200,000. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/117 "2014-05-27T00:36:42Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > This Youtube video is making the rounds on FB. Sounds awesome, but the Dope has never met an idea it couldn’t stab in the stomach. > > What are the downsides? > > I know the idea's been around for a long time, but this is the first glitzy video I've seen. Great concept. Implementation will be dicey and expensive. And the video sucks pondwater. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/118 "2014-05-27T01:26:01Z")
That pondwater sucking video (which I too find annoying) is what put them over the top. It was released a couple of weeks ago and went viral. Maybe the annoying nature of it is what made it go viral. Maybe hipsters were sharing it ironically and then everyone was talking about how hilariously bad it was - “but what a great concept!” Michael Naphan, the man who created the video, may be a marketing genius. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/119 "2014-05-27T01:38:59Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > That pondwater sucking video (which I too find annoying) is what put them over the top. It was released a couple of weeks ago and went viral. > > Maybe the annoying nature of it is what made it go viral. Maybe hipsters were sharing it ironically and then everyone was talking about how hilariously bad it was - “but what a great concept!” > > Michael Naphan, the man who created the video, may be a marketing genius. Yeah, I would not be surprised the hip screamer nature of the video put them over the top, and they’ve still got five more days. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129/120 "2014-05-27T01:45:17Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Okay, let’s play “you should read the FAQ whack a mole.” Despite the video in my OP’s rah-rah let’s do this! theme, the inventors aren’t saying we should rip up all our roads and just “do this thing!” Raise some money and test it. Start small, in southerly locales that don’t need heating systems. See if it works. If if does work, it still doesn’t involve ripping up all our roads. They suggest using existing roads as the foundation. You can’t use an existing road as a foundation for anything because it’s an inherently unstable platform. > [@levdrakon](#): > > Roads need to be repaired and upgraded once in awhile anyway. If it doesn’t work in heavy rush hour areas then don’t put it there. It’ll have been tested for years in other areas first. No one is saying we should spend a trillion dollars on what might be a hair brained idea right now. You do realize crowdfunding isn’t the same as spending tax dollars that will never exist, right? you can’t crowd-fund a public works. Well I shouldn’t say “can’t” because anything is possible but in this case there is too much money involved and it would take an act of Congress for it to happen. > [@levdrakon](#): > > Roofing tiles make sense, but what do you want? The government to make them mandatory? LOL. I want a flying car and a puppy. Thanks for asking. I don’t want the government to do anything. If it’s a financially viable roofing tile then best of luck to the company. I’m coming up on a roof shingle replacement in the next 10 years and would like something cost effective. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-roadways/689129.md?page=7)