Solar Roads Could Power An Entire Country

[OzmO]

woah woah woah, a CTer?   A conspiracy would say they don't work, they don't generate power.  That's not the case.  They do, it's just a matter of being cost-effective.

Let's be clear there, first.  They've developed 2 projects.  We know the hex power things work.  So let's not go waving around a "CTer" flag.   Now it's just a matter of these things costing an assload of $, and not being worth it for another few decades.

HOWEVER, it is definitely a conversation worth having.  What if the govt started opening this up?   Allow private companies to "adopt" small sections of cities.  Allow people to INVEST using a common set of standards.  Some fwd-thinking cities would try it too.  I'm pretty sure SanFran would have these roads decades before Montana adopts them, which is fine.  But even if only 10% of the USA adopted them, that could deliver 30% of the power the USA needs.  (Are we ever in another mid-east war if that is the case?)

Obviously, nobody is saying "this firm will solve all US energy needs in a month!"
However, saying "let's look at growing this technology, because it just might help bring US power independence in the coming decades".

And this is DEFINITELY not a liberal/conservative thing.  If ANYTHING, I would guess conservatives would definitely support a technology that allows us to stop borrowing $, to be the world's police, when we have the potential to boost employment and US infrastructure, mnfg, and industry, all at the same time.  And it's not a CT thing, dude... it's just a cost thing.  And all tech costs decline over time as newer, better things arrive.  Plus, you exchange advertising for taking care of the costs - I bet McD or microsoft would pay for 100% of the infrastructure if an overhead view of it from space could carry their logo.  BOOM. Pay for it right there.  Those on the ground woudln't be able to make out the colors, but from space you get to see Golden Arches lol.  Permanent advertising on all google maps of NYC for ever?  I bet companies would be in a bidding war for who could pay for it and then pick up a nice chunk of Iowa at the same time.

And judging from the viral manner in which this video is taking off, I'm guessing there's a lot of national interest in this.  I suppose we'll wait until all of Europe is energy dependent from using these roads, then we'll get around to trying it LOL...

Again it all boils down to costs.   There is nothing stopping regular people, city governments, and state governments, and private enterprise from doing it.  The CT pit  danger is wondering why its not happening yet and blaming it on the "powers to be".   

We cant even maintain the roads we have now.  And we want to pave millions of miles of road with solar panels that are durable enough to handle road traffic?

Everyone who counter points me STILL ARE NOT ADDRESSING THE COSTS.  I am NOT saying we don't nave the technology. lol

[24KT]

They wouldn't work everywhere but you could develop them in states that do. As far as Europe....u need actual sunshine I suspect for these to work.

Europe has more than enough sunshine to harness solar power technology, ...even rainy dreary drab London.
The relative lack of sunshine does nothing to impede Germany's extensive use of solar power technology.

[24KT]

Again it all boils down to costs.   There is nothing stopping regular people, city governments, and state governments, and private enterprise from doing it.  The CT pit  danger is wondering why its not happening yet and blaming it on the "powers to be". 

How typical of you to deem a political fact to be a conspiracy theory.

The only caveat I see with this is the adaption of sensors to further enforce limits to the freedoms of people.
I can see it utilized as a law enforcement tool. With the current ability to scan millions of plates per second, I don't see it as a far stretch to scan other digital identifiers. ie: a vehicle's vin or muffler's bar code. There's already smart technology in refrigerators that can scan product UPC codes and upload to whoever is interested, the entire contents of your refrigerator. Who is to say that at some time in the near future, vehicles won't be manufactured with RFID VINs. We already have facebook wanting to surreptitously activate microphones and tell the world what music you're listening to, or what TV program you're watching. Who is to say the technology cannot be used to immediately locate you via GPS. That removes any perceived "cost prohibition" your imagination insists upon attributing to it. DHS and/ or DARPA would pour as much as they could into it, if it meant the ability to locate an individual at will. LEOs would have no further need to put out an APB, ...they could simply google their suspects, then go pick them up.  

We cant even maintain the roads we have now.  And we want to pave millions of miles of road with solar panels that are durable enough to handle road traffic?

Everyone who counter points me STILL ARE NOT ADDRESSING THE COSTS.  I am NOT saying we don't nave the technology. lol

Probably because the costs have previously been addressed in the video for those who have been paying attention.

[OzmO]

Where there you have it, if the costs have been addressed there should.be a line of investors a 100 miles long.   

Why don't you think solar roads are happening Jag?

[24KT]

Where there you have it, if the costs have been addressed there should.be a line of investors a 100 miles long.   

Why don't you think solar roads are happening Jag?

Clearly you don't read, or don't comprehend when you do, so I'll keep it short. They have, there are, and they are.

[Roger Bacon]

it'll be another 30 years before every road has solar roads

Yeah... Okay Vincent. .....


haha... oh brother 

[George Whorewell]

Yeah... Okay Vincent. .....


haha... oh brother 

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[POB]

The Sun has a well known liberal bias

 

[OzmO]

Clearly you don't read, or don't comprehend when you do, so I'll keep it short. They have, there are, and they are.

 


Then it should be easy for you to answer without being a nitwit.

Of course if all you do it post a vid and then condem people who question it i am pretty sure that......

1.  You are once again not considering Distinctions and Details. (same old story with you)

2.  The vid probably didn't cover actual costs in detail, they probably said something like "It will pay for itself" and you swallowed it like a teenage promise.

3.  There isn't actual "investors".  Meaning people with real investment capital pushing this forward.  

4.  The technology is probably in the development stage still.  Meaning it works, but hasn't been fully tested, maintenance costs determined, wear and tear, environmental impact, etc.

Let's just rail on like we think we know what we are talking about because we took the time to watch a snappy video.