More Solar Roadway Nonsense

[SkyTech]

I know this is a topic that has been THOROUGHLY covered in the past and I apologize for even bringing it up but I have been assaulted with Facebook posts from my crunchy alternative energy friends about this particular project lately and no amount of logic can dissuade them from their beliefs that solar roadways are finally here.

The project in question is this http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/world-s-first-solar-road-opens-normandy-france-n699351

If there's already a thread going about this I must again apologize and request that I be pointed in the right direction.
If not, can we perhaps discuss the viability of this project and it's potential shortcomings?

Thanks,

-SS

[kripton2035]

easy : https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-632-solar-roadways-are-bullshit!/?topicseen

[Codebird]

I think you are asking the wrong question.

Solar roadways are ridiculous. They are ridiculous in concept,  in physics, and in engineering. We all know this. Everything from the insolation of horizontal planes to the wear characteristics of glass to erosion resistance of tiled surfaces to LED visibility in sunlight says that the idea is ridiculous.

What we should be asking is 'Why do people keep falling for this?' Not just the hopefuls of crowdfunding who can be blown away by a well-produced video, but real politicians who should have advisers to warn them again such obvious scams.

[josecamoessilva]

What we should be asking is 'Why do people keep falling for this?' Not just the hopefuls of crowdfunding who can be blown away by a well-produced video, but real politicians who should have advisers to warn them again such obvious scams.

I made a stab at a general answer sometime ago, but basically there are two main groups of people involved: those who profit from this (directly or indirectly) and those who are too lazy, ignorant, or stupid to do the minimal thinking necessary to see that it's nonsense.

General stab at answer here: http://sitacuisses.blogspot.com/2016/05/groups-who-facilitate-or-benefit-from.html

Profiting from a Solar Roadways project: http://sitacuisses.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-rational-case-for-solar-roadways.html

Cheers and Merry Christmas,
JCS

[GoneTomorrow]

 

5 million Euro's. The town has about 1400 houses (pop. 3400 / 2.38 persons per house average in France). So instead of a silly 1km solar roadway that will produce next to no power and take longer to break even than Tellurium-128's half-life, they could have put a nice 3500 Euro solar system onto the roof of EVERY house in the town.

 

[tuo]

I noticed the same news from this link:

http://www.archdaily.com/802338/worlds-first-solar-panel-road-debuts-in-france

The beef is in the end of the article: "The road will now begin a 2-year testing period, in which the feasibility of adapting the technology will be measured."

So after wasting few million euros and two years they might be ready to bury the idea in the sand. 

[SeanB]

I noticed the same news from this link:

http://www.archdaily.com/802338/worlds-first-solar-panel-road-debuts-in-france

The beef is in the end of the article: "The road will now begin a 2-year testing period, in which the feasibility of adapting the technology will be measured."

So after wasting few million euros and two years they might be ready to bury the idea in the sand. 

No, after 2 years they will do an "extended test" while conveniently forgetting all the original specs, and only giving downrated ones from the "test" as the base for improvement.

If I lived in that village I would be at the council next meeting, asking them if they were paid, and just how much this has cost each villager in extra taxes for this. Then call for an impeachment vote to get them out and bring out the tar and feathers, or bring back the stocks for them.

[EEVblog]

Easy:

[kripton2035]

we have one chance, we elect a new president in May, and it will almost certainly change the politics as the actual is very bad
so the new government may cut money for this project as it was a project from the former government.
but hey if it's a real waste of money, they can also go on with it ...

[fusionchip]

Actually there is a solar cell road in Germany I read about in one of popular science mags.

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[bazza]

There is no energy crisis. Just a political crisis.
If there is an environmental crisis, it's not bigger than the political and monetary one.

A central authority will not 'take care of it'. Never has. Never will. It starts with you. The less people have control over their financial destinies (and today taxpayers have less control than ever), the more room there is to siphon off a lot more money from The Slaves (ie. you) in financial scams like this. It doesn't matter if it makes no technical sense: as long as the topic is 'trendy' like solar, and as long as it can be wrapped up in that feel-good 'renewables' flag, it's all good. After all, it guarantees that a few Phat Cats can retire early - on your back.

Again.

[marko_lorentz]

Actually there is a solar cell road in Germany I read about in one of popular science mags.

 
OMG you're right: http://www.solmove.com
(Nothing constructed yet but funding in progress.)

How everything sounds familiar:
Next Economy Award 2016, Price for best investor pitch 2017, money from government granted ...

German Engineering going downhill. Embarrassing.

[Farrel]

if there is a energy crisis, i think it would be good just to make geothermal power plant or nuclear power plant instead solar energy nonsense