Solar Roadways

I never really became a regular poster here since soon after signing up I slipped into a darker segment of life. I did no wrong to others but I don't like the person I've become and I'm turning to here again to try and become a better person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlTA3rnpgzU

Anyway I thought I'd start by sharing this, it's the one good thing I've done in this time I think, I've shared the idea to people, I haven't argued about it, I've just spread the word in the hope people will support it. It will obviously need a lot of work and investment to ever get off the ground, but if it does I can only see it growing and becoming something that will benefit our entire world.

What are the thoughts of everyone else on here?

Yeah I've seen this video in a couple of places, it really is a great idea. As the guy in the video said, it only has to begin with people's driveways and it will be a great start, doesn't even need to be on roads, the pilot testing could be done on pavements and that would probably be effective enough, it would certainly create less of a reliance on fossil fuels.

Sounds like a really great idea!

the melting snow off the road thing kinda blew my mind
I can imagine telling my grandkids in the future or something how my father used to have to wake up early and get in a big truck to plow the snow off the street.
plus no shoveling it's a dream come true

I love the idea and support it fully. That said, it would take an act of Congress to get it implemented Country wide. Why you ask?

It is a solar road way. Yes there will be a need for concrete as the foundation, but the replacement of concrete will drop dramatically after they are installed thus a job loss. They are solar road ways… the power companies are going to have something to say about that! The Rail Road Commission will become an enemy unless we show them a way to draw a profit from it.

I think that having them put in will be great and create jobs. I think once they’re in it would become a totally different story.

Don’t get me wrong, I would put them in my drive way for sure!!! I think it’s a great idea. I just see a lot of problems to overcome before it is accepted.

Great idea for carparks!!! Nice way to track activity as well, a criminal stealing solar road panels could be tracked by the other panels as they drive off..... unless they go offroad :ohmy: bugger, oh well. I wonder how many would be lost to theft. Obviously they dont generate when traffic is blocking the Sun, so road margin's would pick up the slack in peak hour, what about persistant overcast weather... lucky LED's do not need much power but a combination of overcast and snow coverage could require a large draw from elsewhere if its expected to melt snow (I'd imagine).

Wescli Wardest wrote: I love the idea and support it fully. That said, it would take an act of Congress to get it implemented Country wide. Why you ask?

It is a solar road way. Yes there will be a need for concrete as the foundation, but the replacement of concrete will drop dramatically after they are installed thus a job loss. They are solar road ways… the power companies are going to have something to say about that! The Rail Road Commission will become an enemy unless we show them a way to draw a profit from it.

I think that having them put in will be great and create jobs. I think once they’re in it would become a totally different story.

Don’t get me wrong, I would put them in my drive way for sure!!! I think it’s a great idea. I just see a lot of problems to overcome before it is accepted.

Every new technology destroys jobs, but even with the massive advancements in technology over the last 300 years, people still manage to find employment.

@ Akkarin...

People finding work is not the question. Time and time again mankind has shown it’s resilience. The struggles that face development are often overlook or dismissed though. Look to the industrial revolution for frame of reference and watch the progression of the modern era and its effect on society over time.

Where the automobile may have caused a decline in some industry it spark a massive boom in several others creating a future job security which is still felt today. Even the airplane had positive impact on the economic environment.

And when we look to the industrial revolution we see new technologies creating jobs at the expense of other jobs causing an influx of laborers. They in turn were forced to work under poor conditions and sub-human wages because the level of laborers available far exceeded the supply of current jobs. That is why the unions were created, to protect the workers. History has shown us the error in our thinking time and time again if we look back to see what has already transpired.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea and thing that things like this are the future. And we get to see them in their infancy. But without care there are serious reproductions that could be had. And several people in lucrative positions will be opposition to it that will have to overcome.

Perhaps we should be looking to re-model what we think of as a virtuous work-ethic. :dry:

Alexandre Orion wrote: Perhaps we should be looking to re-model what we think of as a virtuous work-ethic. :dry:

I am ALL for that!!!

People may not realize it, but Americans work (on average) more hours than any other industrial nation. We work a LOT!!! And our pay is not necessarily reflective of that effort. I would so go for rebalancing and redefining a virtuous work-ethic!