The first error is that Dave is comparing a commercial off-the-shelf product with something which is in the experimental stage. Secondly he doesn't include costs to built a regular road. If the idea is outright idiotic companies with loads of smart engineers and business analysts aren't going to invest millions. I'm not going to form an opinion based on some guy ranting on Youtube.
If the idea is outright idiotic companies with loads of smart engineers and business analysts aren't going to invest millions.
I'm not going to form an opinion based on some guy ranting on Youtube.
You also have NO concept how big biz and gubbermint grants and subsidies work. It does not matter if it works or not, it just has to be something the gubbermint of the day can flag wave and say " Look what we are doing to save the world" and they will buy it with tax payer money.
If Did a YT presentation and declared biofuels will save the world and put the most flawed numbers forward you wouldn't be able to link to it fast enough and hold it out as proof of your fantasy's.
You also have NO concept how big biz and gubbermint grants and subsidies work. It does not matter if it works or not, it just has to be something the gubbermint of the day can flag wave and say " Look what we are doing to save the world" and they will buy it with tax payer money.Clearly you have no idea how government subsidies work nowadays. At least in countries with a sensible government. The times that companies could get boatloads of money from governments for some stupid idea or just to keep a company going to save jobs are long gone. Bio-fuels do get subsidies in the US but these aren't free handouts. The US government requires progress and the companies involved have to come up with 60% to 70% of the money and the subsidies are only provided to do research and get to the stage of mass production. The solar roadways in France and the Netherlands: similar concept. Part subsidized but the companies involved are paying at least half themselves. If a project gets more sketchy then the subsidies get lower. The hyperloop is a good example. The Dutch government isn't going to invest a dime at this point but is willing to facilitate to find test locations and zoning / building permits.
All this information is publicly available so you could have looked that up yourself.QuoteIf Did a YT presentation and declared biofuels will save the world and put the most flawed numbers forward you wouldn't be able to link to it fast enough and hold it out as proof of your fantasy's.No, because your numbers will be wrong and not supported by facts. Over here one the news items was a Belgian professor who calculated an EV would only start to save CO2 after 700000km. I didn't link to that in the other thread (now locked by Simon for some reason) because the numbers are obviously wrong.
From a safety point of view im going to add another concern with solar roads and that is grip in general.
As a motorcyclist i already have to avoid potholes, manhole covers, tar stripes, white stripes etc, because they get too slippery when its raining or when placed in corners.
So how will these panels perform in this regard? When that tiny layer of roughness has been grinded off from previous traffic and all you are left with is a polished slippery surface!? No way am i going to ride a motorcycle over that stuff... Can they guarantee equal performance to tarmac over years of abuse? Because that is what it takes!
So im not saying this to bash the idea based on this fear because right now i dont know how the grip of these panels holds up over time. But as an engineer you have to admit this is a HUGE risk, one that would need to be investigated thoroughly before you would even think to implement this on a public road.
From a safety point of view im going to add another concern with solar roads and that is grip in general.
Clearly you have no idea how government subsidies work nowadays. At least in countries with a sensible government.
The times that companies could get boatloads of money from governments for some stupid idea or just to keep a company going to save jobs are long gone.
All this information is publicly available so you could have looked that up yourself.
I didn't link to that in the other thread (now locked by Simon for some reason)
And so is this forum and Dave’s web site.
Back to solar roadways: do you guys really think the companies investing in solar roadways didn't do the same calculations Dave did right at the start?
Back to solar roadways: do you guys really think the companies investing in solar roadways didn't do the same calculations Dave did right at the start?Yes. Having lots of money doesn't make people less irrational.
From a safety point of view im going to add another concern with solar roads and that is grip in general.
As a motorcyclist i already have to avoid potholes, manhole covers, tar stripes, white stripes etc, because they get too slippery when its raining or when placed in corners.
So how will these panels perform in this regard? When that tiny layer of roughness has been grinded off from previous traffic and all you are left with is a polished slippery surface!? No way am i going to ride a motorcycle over that stuff... Can they guarantee equal performance to tarmac over years of abuse? Because that is what it takes!
This is not some kind of nice to have feature, this is a "must have" requirement. Unlike the stripes and manhole covers in tarmac, there is no avoiding when you are driving on a road that is made entirely from solar panels...
As a car owner you might think, well its ok if my breaking distance increases a bit, wooptidooo... But as a motorcyclist you are playing with your life. And a single wheel losing grip on a piece of polished surface means you are going down.
So im not saying this to bash the idea based on this fear because right now i dont know how the grip of these panels holds up over time. But as an engineer you have to admit this is a HUGE risk, one that would need to be investigated thoroughly before you would even think to implement this on a public road.
Don't go around pretending anything you see on Youtube is true. For example take people ranting against vaccinating children. Ignorance is bliss... meanwhile not vaccination children causes outbreaks of diseases which have been unheard of for decades.
A long time ago someone showed me a Youtube video which showed drinking glasses in a hotel room where washed in the room and not taken to the kitchen. At some point the comment of the creator of the video went like: see how the cleaning lady sprays something on the glasses from a bottle which has a label saying 'do not drink'. My first thought: ofcourse you shouldn't drink soap . What kind of idiot puts such a video together?
Back to solar roadways: do you guys really think the companies investing in solar roadways didn't do the same calculations Dave did right at the start?
Dude this is Dave. This is not “some guy”, it’s Dave. Dave who owns this web site and forums. Dave, the Dave in EEVblog.
Why are you on Dave’s forums?
Back to solar roadways: do you guys really think the companies investing in solar roadways didn't do the same calculations Dave did right at the start?Yes. Having lots of money doesn't make people less irrational.It was a rethorical question. Over the years I've been around lots of start-ups and companies going in a different direction. 9 out of 10 have a good business plan and take development step-by-step before committing large sums of money. There is nothing irrational about it; due diligence to the max. Usually the garage style companies are the ones not succeeding due to poor market investigation and not thinking ahead on how to make money from something.
Well for starters my roof is much more valuable with windows in them than with solar panels on top. It adds an extra room to the home which can be qualified as living space. Given the prices of houses in the NL the ROI of those windows is pretty good.
Well for starters my roof is much more valuable with windows in them than with solar panels on top. It adds an extra room to the home which can be qualified as living space. Given the prices of houses in the NL the ROI of those windows is pretty good.Ok, could that translate in:
Well for starters my roof is much more valuable with windows in them than with solar panels on top. It adds an extra room to the home which can be qualified as living space. Given the prices of houses in the NL the ROI of those windows is pretty good.Ok, could that translate in:No, it means that the knee-jerk reaction to put solar panels on roofs is something people should think about twice.
No, it means that the knee-jerk reaction to put solar panels on roofs is something people should think about twice.