Author Topic: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!  (Read 399322 times)

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Offline coppice

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #550 on: October 03, 2016, 06:31:15 pm »
And so is missed the entire point of having an education in science and engineering: so we can spend 10 minutes with a napkin and a calculator and know what *not* to spend $3MM and ten years developing.

But they're Americans! Americans can achieve anything if they just want it badly enough.
And just how badly do they want their solar roadways to work?
 

Online Fungus

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #551 on: October 03, 2016, 07:09:15 pm »
And so is missed the entire point of having an education in science and engineering: so we can spend 10 minutes with a napkin and a calculator and know what *not* to spend $3MM and ten years developing.

But they're Americans! Americans can achieve anything if they just want it badly enough.
And just how badly do they want their solar roadways to work?
Several million $$$ of taxpayer money, that's how badly. That's what fuels their passion. It's the American dream!
 
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Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #552 on: October 03, 2016, 11:01:34 pm »
It looks like we have an answer to visibility of road markings question. Here is how that thing looks in a day light.


Did they switch it on?  :-DD
And it's early morning and there isn't any direct sunlight (no shadows)
And they are reflective buggers too, surprise surprise.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2016, 11:15:25 pm by EEVblog »
 

Online nctnico

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #553 on: October 03, 2016, 11:16:14 pm »
And why isn't the solar roadway not in the road but on the sidewalk? Has it become a solar sidewalk?

Besides that it isn't the first public solar roadway. There has been one in the Netherlands since 2014.
On this website ( https://www.tno.nl/nl/over-tno/nieuws/2015/12/solaroad-in-de-race-voor-europese-milieuprijs/ ) they are touting a whopping result of 70kWh per square meter. Not mentioning that that number is half of what you'd get when the panels are properly mounted on a roof.
There are small lies, big lies and then there is what is on the screen of your oscilloscope.
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #554 on: October 04, 2016, 12:00:55 am »
Hold the presses!
There is a film coming:
http://www.solarroadwaysfilm.com/

Guess the plot  ::)
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #555 on: October 04, 2016, 12:04:31 am »
And why isn't the solar roadway not in the road but on the sidewalk? Has it become a solar sidewalk?

Basically.
IIRC they have several product directions now and one of them is for solar sidewalks or whatever. Maybe they even have different glass types?

Quote
Besides that it isn't the first public solar roadway. There has been one in the Netherlands since 2014.
On this website ( https://www.tno.nl/nl/over-tno/nieuws/2015/12/solaroad-in-de-race-voor-europese-milieuprijs/ ) they are touting a whopping result of 70kWh per square meter. Not mentioning that that number is half of what you'd get when the panels are properly mounted on a roof.

I've done two videos on that.
 

Offline Mr.B

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #556 on: October 04, 2016, 12:10:50 am »
And why isn't the solar roadway not in the road but on the sidewalk? Has it become a solar sidewalk?

Maybe its because when you Google "Solar Sidewalk" the word BULLSHIT does not appear as often as when you Google "Solar Roadways"...  ::)
I approach the thinking of all of my posts using AI in the first instance. (Awkward Irregularity)
 

Offline DrGeoff

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #557 on: October 04, 2016, 12:13:18 am »
Hold the presses!
There is a film coming:
http://www.solarroadwaysfilm.com/

Guess the plot  ::)

If you spend enough on advertising and PR, whether it works or not is immaterial.
Was it really supposed to do that?
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #558 on: October 04, 2016, 12:37:34 am »
They are fishing for another grant for inclusion of EV charging!

http://www.solarroadways.com/Blog/Blog

Quote
This year, we began talks with a consortium in Utah (http://select.usu.edu/) who are working on the technology for dynamic charging of EVs (charging while they drive). They tell us that if just interstates alone which account for 2% of roads offered this service, it would take care of 98% of the miles EVs travel.

But integrating such technology into a standard road would be difficult. Solar Roadways® panels create an electric road with the needed electricity and all of the cabling and connections to facilitate the implementation of this technology. Their mutual induction plates could be fitted right into a Solar Roadway®. To that end, we are looking for a shared grant to enable research and development of this collaboration. We’d like to create a shared demonstration at their ¼-mile track to show what the marriage of these two technologies would offer to the EV industry and of course… our fragile planet.
 

Online nctnico

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #559 on: October 04, 2016, 01:07:55 am »
IMHO it is time politicians should pass a math and physics test before being allowed to become part of the government. After all every job has minimum requirements so why should being part of the government be any different?
There are small lies, big lies and then there is what is on the screen of your oscilloscope.
 

Offline Mr.B

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #560 on: October 04, 2016, 01:56:53 am »
The MTBF is exceptional...
There appears to be 3 non working panels tonight.
(At least as far as the LEDs are concerned)

http://cityofsandpoint.com/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-7
I approach the thinking of all of my posts using AI in the first instance. (Awkward Irregularity)
 

Online ataradov

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #561 on: October 04, 2016, 02:11:48 am »
The third panel is dead. What a piece of junk. They could not even manage to make a reliable LED blinky.
Alex
 

Online ataradov

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #562 on: October 04, 2016, 02:13:51 am »
Did they switch it on?  :-DD
It was on, but the only way it was visible is by changes on the stream compression quality around changing areas.
Alex
 

Offline LabSpokane

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #563 on: October 04, 2016, 02:26:53 am »
The MTBF is exceptional...
There appears to be 3 non working panels tonight.
(At least as far as the LEDs are concerned)

http://cityofsandpoint.com/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-7

Yup. Those panels are dropping like flies.

It also looks like individual LEDs are starting to fail as well as entire panels. I'm betting it's mostly defunct in a week.

Not that this will have any effect on the stream of grant money...
 

Offline Mr.B

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #564 on: October 04, 2016, 02:32:28 am »
It also looks like individual LEDs are starting to fail as well as entire panels. I'm betting it's mostly defunct in a week.

WS2812B LEDs from seller dodgy_leds_r_us on ebay...  ;D
I approach the thinking of all of my posts using AI in the first instance. (Awkward Irregularity)
 

Offline LabSpokane

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #565 on: October 04, 2016, 02:59:22 am »
They're rebooting it right now.  Looks like they might have a voltage drop problem.  I'm watching them trouble shoot it live. 
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #566 on: October 04, 2016, 03:02:27 am »
The MTBF is exceptional...
There appears to be 3 non working panels tonight.
(At least as far as the LEDs are concerned)
http://cityofsandpoint.com/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-7

Was it only the centre 12 that are supposed to be lit up? If so, then all working when I just looked.
 

Online ataradov

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #567 on: October 04, 2016, 03:04:07 am »
Was it only the centre 12 that are supposed to be lit up? If so, then all working when I just looked.
They just fixed them. But that's why we have screenshots. So web cam is a weak point of this scam.
Alex
 

Offline Mr.B

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #568 on: October 04, 2016, 03:05:57 am »
You bet me to it ataradov.
I was going to say that they definitely were not working an hour ago.
Have a look at the screen shot by ataradov, two posts after mine.
I approach the thinking of all of my posts using AI in the first instance. (Awkward Irregularity)
 

Offline LabSpokane

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #569 on: October 04, 2016, 03:08:27 am »
The MTBF is exceptional...
There appears to be 3 non working panels tonight.
(At least as far as the LEDs are concerned)
http://cityofsandpoint.com/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-7

Was it only the centre 12 that are supposed to be lit up? If so, then all working when I just looked.

The only panels that have ever worked are the center twelve.  18 of the panels were defective at the outset and have been used as a border. 
 

Online ataradov

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #570 on: October 04, 2016, 03:09:45 am »
The only panels that have ever worked are the center twelve.  18 of the panels were defective at the outset.
Are they actual panels? I though it was a different color concrete.

This makes human behavior even more interesting, because most of the people stand next to the lit area, but apparently don't mind stepping on the same type of material without LEDs turned on.
Alex
 

Offline LabSpokane

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #571 on: October 04, 2016, 03:11:51 am »
The only panels that have ever worked are the center twelve.  18 of the panels were defective at the outset.
Are they actual panels? I though it was a different color concrete.

This makes human behavior even more interesting, because most of the people stand next to the lit area, but apparently don't mind stepping on the same type of material without LEDs turned on.

Yes.  The black hexagons are actual panels, but were defective and have had the leads completely cut off. 
 

Offline ChunkyPastaSauce

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #572 on: October 04, 2016, 03:17:38 am »
The MTBF is exceptional...
There appears to be 3 non working panels tonight.
(At least as far as the LEDs are concerned)

http://cityofsandpoint.com/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-7

Yup. Those panels are dropping like flies.

It also looks like individual LEDs are starting to fail as well as entire panels. I'm betting it's mostly defunct in a week.

Not that this will have any effect on the stream of grant money...

So far, at a min, $4million usd funding.... in cash ($100k in SBIR I, $750k in SBIR II, $750k in SBIR IIB, $2,274k from indigogo https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/355949 )
« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 03:19:22 am by ChunkyPastaSauce »
 

Offline rsjsouza

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #573 on: October 04, 2016, 03:35:30 am »
The MTBF is exceptional...
There appears to be 3 non working panels tonight.
(At least as far as the LEDs are concerned)

http://cityofsandpoint.com/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-7

Yup. Those panels are dropping like flies.

It also looks like individual LEDs are starting to fail as well as entire panels. I'm betting it's mostly defunct in a week.

Not that this will have any effect on the stream of grant money...
If they have good PR behind, that is one more reason to secure more money: it will be crucial to increase yield and reliability. Where does it end? At this point nobody knows for sure, but I suspect we are still far from the end of it.
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Oh, the "whys" of the datasheets... The information is there not to be an axiomatic truth, but instead each speck of data must be slowly inhaled while carefully performing a deep search inside oneself to find the true metaphysical sense...
 

Offline Red Squirrel

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Re: EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!
« Reply #574 on: October 04, 2016, 06:08:57 am »
It's neat to see "the real thing" despite this whole idea being absurd.   They are also much thinner and look kinda "cheap" than I expected.  I don't know how smart it is to have them be laid on sand... with the frost heave etc these things are going to get wrecked!   

I still don't get why they went with a hexagonal design, a square or rectangular design would have been better, if the hexagonal design was for better strength when they are interlocked, you could simply install rectangle ones like bricks.   

Looking at the cells in there I don't imagine there is more than 30w per tile of solar.  The only way I see these viable is for indoor applications or perhaps residential settings, like building a walkway or deck out of them, could make for a neat outdoor lighting display for parties and stuff I suppose.
 


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