EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!

[james_s]

I still can't figure out how this idea even got started. I mean of all the places one could put solar panels, why roads? I could it being considered if we had installed so many panels that we ran out of roof space and were running out of exterior walls, already had one on top of every utility pole, the top cap on every fence, wall, railing and every other semi-practical location then ok fine, consider roads. Better yet how about sidewalks? They generally spend less time covered with big things like cars, and a lot less wear & tear. Until that time when we run out of all the vastly more sensible places to put them, roads?! Really?

[Brumby]

I still can't figure out how this idea even got started. I mean of all the places one could put solar panels, why roads?

You're asking the wrong questions.

A better series of questions might be:

 Q. I want to make money in an industry that's underdeveloped where funding can be found... What could that be?
 A. Renewable Energy!

 Q. What technology can I reasonably play with in my garage?
 A. PV Solar!

 Q. Now, where can I put them? ........

[james_s]

But the answer to the "Now where can I put them" question, there are so many reasonable and at least semi-reasonable answers that come before "roads."

[josecamoessilva]

But the answer to the "Now where can I put them" question, there are so many reasonable and at least semi-reasonable answers that come before "roads."

But the other places were logical (or more logical) so there were other people already working on them. A new product must be distinctive. (Apparently they skipped the part of the class that mentions feasible and economical  )

[Brumby]

But the answer to the "Now where can I put them" question, there are so many reasonable and at least semi-reasonable answers that come before "roads."

But the other places were logical (or more logical) so there were other people already working on them. A new product must be distinctive. (Apparently they skipped the part of the class that mentions feasible and economical  )

You got it!

[f4eru]

The reasoning goes more like :

"oh, there's a possibility to extract subventions from the sector of road construction and green energy"
"yeah, le's do that !"
"ok, what can we do ?"
"let's put PV over the road"
"that's expensive, we need a lot of structure to put a roof over roads"
"le'ts put PV directly on the road then, with cars rolling over it"
"but that's ineffective and doesn't last long"
"we don't care, we want only subventions for nice and cheap demo projects"
"OK, let's do it"

[Domagoj T]

Iffy roadways don't have to be solar

Does it come with a complimentary burger?

[EEVblog]

Thunderf00t posted this!
New panels been in less than a month and it's failed AGAIN!
Both fully off and high brightness problem?

[Kean]

The "high brightness problem" actually seems to be part of the animation.  It moves between panels.
But one is certainly dead - not at all surprising.

[madires]

How embarrassing Considering how long it took to produce the new panels their yield must be quite bad. And if tested panels fail so soon the production process seems to be a lottery. Haven't they spent 5 years or so on that?

[bktemp]

Thunderf00t posted this!
New panels been in less than a month and it's failed AGAIN!
Both fully off and high brightness problem?

It is not fully off, there is one LED stuck fully on...

It would be interesting so see if/how they fix those problems: Is it only a crashed microcontroller on the individual tiles, so cycling power fixes the problem, or did the tile really fail?
Some days ago I noticed two darker panels with some snow on them, but they fixed them a couple of hours later.
So my guess was, probably those panels had a bad connector and got less voltage, therefore the LEDs were dimmer and the heater also did not get its full power. But it didn't look like they removed any of the tiles to repair the wiring, so it was either a bad connection inside the kiosk/power supply cabinet or a software problem.

[Domagoj T]

It would be interesting so see if/how they fix those problems

Last time, random passersby jumping on panels seemed to do the trick. 

[LabSpokane]

Thunderf00t posted this!
New panels been in less than a month and it's failed AGAIN!
Both fully off and high brightness problem?

 Now that the 2nd install has failed, the webcam has been taken down for "maintenance."

Again.

[ataradov]

Now that the 2nd install has failed, the webcam has been taken down for "maintenance."

I wonder who owns the camera? If it is owned by the city, then they should be able to comment on this? Do SR guys have control over it? Why? Would be nice to get some comments from the officials.

[LabSpokane]

Now that the 2nd install has failed, the webcam has been taken down for "maintenance."

I wonder who owns the camera? If it is owned by the city, then they should be able to comment on this? Do SR guys have control over it? Why? Would be nice to get some comments from the officials.

Owned and operated by the city.

[ataradov]

Owned and operated by the city.

Then SR can't take down the stream on their own, presumably? I would not think that the city is interested in hiding faults of this technology.

[LabSpokane]

Owned and operated by the city.

Then SR can't take down the stream on their own, presumably? I would not think that the city is interested in hiding faults of this technology.

The Mayor was a chief proponent of the project.  It's safe to say there is a vested interest in the appearance of success, or at least the lack of a stream of webcam footage being recorded that documents failure.

[FrankBuss]

The "high brightness problem" actually seems to be part of the animation.  It moves between panels.
But one is certainly dead - not at all surprising.

And it is not even on a road. Imagine thousands of cars per day rolling over it. It wouldn't survive one day and may even cause car accidents and kill people, if the quality of the rest is the same as the electronics quality.

[Brumby]

Owned and operated by the city.

Then SR can't take down the stream on their own, presumably? I would not think that the city is interested in hiding faults of this technology.

The Mayor was a chief proponent of the project.  It's safe to say there is a vested interest in the appearance of success, or at least the lack of a stream of webcam footage being recorded that documents failure.

That seemed more than obvious to me.  The 'technology' is only a foil.  The game being played here is politics.

[ataradov]

The stream is up, but all the panels appear to be off.

EDIT: I guess this  explains it:

The Solar Roadways electrical system is currently undergoing maintenance. Please check back late next week.

"Your road is undergoing maintenance, check back in a few weeks, good luck with your insurance claims"

[Delta]

Never mind their stupid random LEDs going dark, how many kWh has this pile of shite put into (or more likely consumed from) the grid?

Show us the data!

[Brumby]

Never mind their stupid random LEDs going dark, how many kWh has this pile of shite put into (or more likely consumed from) the grid?

Show us the data!

I asked that question:

Yes .... I want to see the energy balance sheet.

They'll never show it.

[EEVblog]

Fire brigade called! 

You can't script this stuff!

[Brumby]

Imagine the smoke that could be generated by a few thousand kilometres of these!

[ataradov]

I wonder when they will finally give up.

And it is not like something really stopped them from installing this at their house and figuring all that stuff there.