Re:China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels
by squarefoot on Tuesday June 12, 2018 @07:51AM
(#17292421)
It's just VC fishing. Can't wait to see square meters of solar road surface from the failed project being sold on Ebay!:)
For those interested, Dave jones at eevblog.com has grokked some numbers on why this is not and will never be economically sustainable.
https://hooktube.com/watch?v=HOZBrHqTJk4
Re:China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels
by foxyv on Tuesday June 12, 2018 @12:18PM
(#17294770)
Why pave the road with solar panels. I like the idea of covered roads. Put a solar panel roof over a road and it will last a LOT longer. Especially in bad weather areas. But it still makes too much sense to put the panels somewhere else. Easier to maintain and way cheaper to install.
Re:China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels
by Erazal on Friday June 15, 2018 @02:06AM
(#17317814)
It has already been tested in France. The state subsidized the construction of a 1km road for 5 million euros.
Given the constraints of a road, I wonder how anybody can argue this is a good idea.
(source : https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/22/solar-pa...)
Re:China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels
by mikejb on Tuesday June 12, 2018 @05:27AM
(#17291855)
IIRC, they were never deployed to roads. Instead, they were deployed in a pedestrian zone (30 panels or so). It didn't go well, issues included loose panels, failing panels, and a fire in the electronics cabinet.
Re:China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels
by ryanmercer on Wednesday June 13, 2018 @09:31AM
(#17302842)
They are still around, still haven't done anything remotely impressive. These things are idiotic, I say that as someone that backed them way back when. To even remotely be worthwhile you'd need to improve the efficiency percentage several tens of percent.
Re:China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels
by anfilt on Tuesday June 12, 2018 @09:20PM
(#17299510)
Why roads? Panels are more efficient at an angle. Also what on earth would you have to make them out to sustain the wear and tear of car tires. Just imagine a small rock stuck in a tire's tread... It also has to remain clear to have any chance of remaining some what efficient.
Re:China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels
by nickik on Tuesday June 12, 2018 @09:56AM
(#17293256)
This is such a insane idea. I have never understood why so many people are so obsessed with it.
There is mostly enough land including around places that are roads.
Sure you could probably exceptions where it fits perfectly but this will never be the solution to any of our real problems.
Look at what china is doing with nuclear. That's easily a real solution that solve the carbon problem. France did it in 1970 but somehow in 2018 liberals still seem to search for a miracle solution.
For those interested, Dave jones at eevblog.com has grokked some numbers on why this is not and will never be economically sustainable. https://hooktube.com/watch?v=HOZBrHqTJk4
There is mostly enough land including around places that are roads.
Sure you could probably exceptions where it fits perfectly but this will never be the solution to any of our real problems.
Look at what china is doing with nuclear. That's easily a real solution that solve the carbon problem. France did it in 1970 but somehow in 2018 liberals still seem to search for a miracle solution.