EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!

[Koen]

For the previous video I tried to find if there were any links between the French minister and Colas in some way. Donations, family ties etc, but if was hard not speaking French.

Colas is massive and this is a practical way for the french government to help its industries. They've just ordered new high speed trains to help Alstom too. It's usual, it avoids hearing Europe whine about preferential treatments for national companies and it looks better in the medias than "Colas to end 3000 jobs : government to intervene by donating 2B".

[jancumps]

Ah - but the REAL proponents are the government and their cronies. Why spend that money on 20x the actual solar installations when you can skim 50% off the top and benefit you and your cronies and build a useless but feel good solar roadway? Too cynical? But how else do you explain this huge disconnect? 20x the cost even if you ignore the science and say it is otherwise equal in all ways - no one can be this blind, it HAS to be deliberate.

For the previous video I tried to find if there were any links between the French minister and Colas in some way. Donations, family ties etc, but if was hard not speaking French.

I'm cynical on average, but not that cynical.

[johndoe123]

the new panels are comming:

http://www.sandpointidaho.gov/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-1

currently under construction!

[rs20]

The bizarre thing is that my script, which is recording the webcam feed to disk, is still running as I type this. Curious to see what I'm recording! (Not at home to see it right now.)

[LabSpokane]

So this round gets done in secret unless I drive up and take photos...  :-/

Or, perhaps the City of Sandpoint has grown weary of broadcasting public humiliation around the world. 

Today was our first real day of snow in the region.  Cutting the video feed is convenient timing, since perhaps a live video feed of a snow-covered Solar Roadway would not be so flattering.   

[EEVblog]

the new panels are comming:
http://www.sandpointidaho.gov/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-1
currently under construction!

The Solar Roadways Live Cam is temporarily unavailable while the site is under construction.  The SR3 panels are being replaced with the newest SR3.1 panels. We are also upgrading our Internet connection which will provide you with an enhanced viewing experience.

How convenient!

[Kean]

They'll probably put up their work tent over the site during the install anyway

[ChunkyPastaSauce]

the new panels are comming:

http://www.sandpointidaho.gov/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways#ad-image-1

currently under construction!

Solar Roadways is likely under contract to replace non functioning panels:

"System warranty, including repair/replacement of defective panels at SR cost for a one year after installation"

"SR represents and warrants the solar panels being installed against defects, as provided for all its products (see Exhibit A).  A defective panel is defined as a panel that does not function as designed:  the heating elements fail; the LED functionality fails; they don’t produce energy, etc.  Cosmetic defects such as scratches or bubbles do not constitute a defective panel.  Each panel contains 336 LEDs, 56 of which are  redundant.  Per  the  LEDs,  a  defective  panel  is  defined  as  one  where  over  five  percent  (5%)  of  the  LEDs do not function"

http://www.cityofsandpoint.com/Home/ShowDocument?id=3720

Or, perhaps the City of Sandpoint has grown weary of broadcasting public humiliation around the world. 

I don't see how it reflects poorly on the city of Sandpoint. People all over the world know the City now. Including me. It looks like a perfectly nice place from the reading I did. And I did find out a little bit about the place as a direct result of the solar roadways experiment. Publicity gold.

Plenty of worse ways american towns get publicity in Australia. No-one has died for a start.

Yeah I think it's net positive, by a lot, for the city.  They put in a few thousand dollars (bulk appears to be paid by state, not city) and in return they get a ton of 'positive' coverage.

[EEVblog]

Or, perhaps the City of Sandpoint has grown weary of broadcasting public humiliation around the world. 

I don't see how it reflects poorly on the city of Sandpoint. People all over the world know the City now. Including me. It looks like a perfectly nice place from the reading I did. And I did find out a little bit about the place as a direct result of the solar roadways experiment. Publicity gold.
Plenty of worse ways american towns get publicity in Australia. No-one has died for a start.

Yup. Between mine and Thudef00t's videos the town's name got exposed to half a million people maybe?

[rs20]

From my still-running video recording, just now (and yes, I have a recording of all the work leading up to this state):

[ludzinc]

From my still-running video recording, just now (and yes, I have a recording of all the work leading up to this state):

Woah!

[Brumby]

From my still-running video recording, just now (and yes, I have a recording of all the work leading up to this state):

===>  WATCH THIS SPACE  <===

[Delta]

That is a huge improvement.  Solar generation is unchanged (still zero), but mains power consumption has been reduced massively.

[Brumby]

An astute observation.

[ludzinc]

That is a huge improvement.  Solar generation is unchanged (still zero), but mains power consumption has been reduced massively.

 

Well played Sir. Well played.

[FloFo]

That is a huge improvement.  Solar generation is unchanged (still zero), but mains power consumption has been reduced massively.

Not to forget the non-slip properties were improved.

[AndyC_772]

Longer MTBF too 

[LabSpokane]

Or, perhaps the City of Sandpoint has grown weary of broadcasting public humiliation around the world. 

I don't see how it reflects poorly on the city of Sandpoint. People all over the world know the City now. Including me. It looks like a perfectly nice place from the reading I did. And I did find out a little bit about the place as a direct result of the solar roadways experiment. Publicity gold.
Plenty of worse ways american towns get publicity in Australia. No-one has died for a start.

Yup. Between mine and Thudef00t's videos the town's name got exposed to half a million people maybe?

The parking lot at the ski hill was packed to capacity *before* the advent of solar discotheque. Sandpoint is well-known.

[Brumby]

Perhaps - but now that it is on the global scene....



You're going to need a bigger parking lot.

[Barny]

@Andy / Flo:
If you look carefully, you'll see that there is a little difference in high of the old and new surface.
It looks like something between 3 to 5 cm.

I think they changed the fundation too after talking to someone who knew what he is doing or take a look at Google.

Dont be afraid, the fun will go on with a new version of cells.

[ludzinc]

@Andy / Flo:
If you look carefully, you'll see that there is a little difference in high of the old and new surface.
It looks like something between 3 to 5 cm.

I think they changed the fundation too after talking to someone who knew what he is doing or take a look at Google.

Dont be afraid, the fun will go on with a new version of cells.

Oh cool!   

[EEVblog]

From my still-running video recording, just now (and yes, I have a recording of all the work leading up to this state):

Youtube post please!

[rs20]

Youtube post please!

Pff, when have you ever posted a video for my entertainment? Oh wait, I forgot about those 944 videos.

Sure thing! Here you go . The recordings have reached 120GB by now, glad something truly interesting has finally happened.

My recording terminated at 6:18am November 17th (Sandpoint time). This was always a regular occurence, but my script requires the original webpage to be up to restart the recording, so whatever's happening right now isn't be recorded by me. Annoyingly, there probably still is a URL out there that would continue the feed, but it's a URL I can't know (good ol' security through obscurity.)

So LabSpokane, now we need you to maintain coverage! 

[johndoe123]

Im not sure if this is supposed to be the stream, found it in the cache, its dead:

//v.angelcam.com/iframe?v=n8l9z0k9y0&amp;autoplay=1

[rs20]

Im not sure if this is supposed to be the stream, found it in the cache, its dead:

//v.angelcam.com/iframe?v=n8l9z0k9y0&amp;autoplay=1

It changes continually, which is why I went to the effort of writing the script to scrap the original webpage. So no, it's probably not dead, just on a different, unknowable URL.