Solar glass highways in development
 

Scott Brusaw and his Solar Roadways company are banking on the sun for power.


His idea is to replace pavement with glass-covered solar panels that would work as roads, but also generate electricity. The roads themselves could carry power across long distances and even up to peoples' homes, potentially replacing overhead power cables altogether.


One of the main obstacles is developing a glass-like surface that would work just as well as pavement for vehicles. But, we'll let the cool video explain:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiZ5b...embedded#at=58

saw this on MSN page, fasinating !!

the city of vancouver can barely keep up with basic pavement maintenance let alone some new technology that would cost exhorbitant amounts of money to implement

^ lol, i dont see city of vancouver implement this technology anytime soon...

im posting about the whole idea :D its neat

what highway??!

ya.. interesting things that are not cost effective... and plus.. come on.. RAINcouver? I think if anyone is gonna go thru with this route, it would be somewhere like Dubai, sunshine + more money + shit load more money xD

cool concept nonetheless

very neat idea and yea I agree no way it'll be implemented here. lol i wonder how it's like to be driving on that surface.

cool concept, wonder how it would stand up against an earthquake though, would probably leave gaps in between panels?

Better idea to fund new houses to have solar panels incorporated into their roof design.

I'm sure this has already been thought of many times. I recall some Popular Mechanics articles. I think there's even a relevant Simpsons clip to go with the follies of having solar panel roads.

As for the musings of this Solar Panel highway company, i could see some place like India/China/UAE take up the idea since they ARE in the process of making energy independent/free/0 energy, projects

that would be interesting if there was a bylaw incorporated that demanded any new development include solar panels



Im surprised that the Solar Tower project hasn't taken off at a faster pace...


you may remember it used in a few Hollywood films

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_updraft_tower

interesting project

wonder how long it'll take to see this in Dubai :/

maybe the bike lanes :troll:

I bet they would use gold.

interesting thing about having an "electric" road is that with the increasing use of electric cars, you could wirelessly transmit power to those vehicles as they travel along the road kind of like the powermat charging device.

Its a very cool idea. I didnt expect to hear that the US department of transportation funded those guys

been watching more, this guy has all the anwsers:

So what happens when it snows? Tire chains/snow plows?

Solar power is inefficient as hell isn't it?

Solar panels have been in Popular Science magazines since I was a kid, LOL. They still haven't made them work that well.

A whole roof of a house covered with solar panels would probably generate enough power to turn on an iPod for a grand total of two hours. LOLOLOLOLOLOL.

I'm just teasing.

Plus, in Vancouver, the trillions of fucking birds will shit all over the solar panels and reduce its usefulness. I know we're talking about glass roads, but......... just trollin'

ever seen a heated driveway in whistler?? Heating elements in the road, just like the rear defogger in your car. Seriously, in that presentation video he has all the anwsers

Saw a few while I was in Japan.
http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4536/dsc02345d.jpg

China has been gobbling/adopting solar panels like crazy, its projected to surpass Germany for the #1 spot in 2 years (for Solar energy use)

China is already #1 for energy consumption; and they're one of the largest (or The largest) producers of Solar Panels

haha i bet you people in china are already working to get this idea out first...
then hacks hack into it wirelessly and display retarded messages... which causes even more car crashes

I could already picture "copper guy" in the middle of the freeway trying to rip up a solar panel. (cue Mack truck headlight barreling down on him)
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in Hawaii all the houses have huge solar panels.