
China Is Testing Roads Paved with Solar Panels - Nrbelex
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/business/energy-environment/china-solar-roads-renewables.html
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squarefoot
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](https://hooktube.com/watch?v=HOZBrHqTJk4)

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foxyv
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.

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Erazal
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...](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/22/solar-panel-road-
tourouvre-au-perche-normandy))

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RustySpottedCat
Wasn't there an indiegogo called Solar Roadways exactly for these types of
roads? Didn't they fail after a couple of weeks of traffic?

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mikejb
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.

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anfilt
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.

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nickik
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.

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Black-Plaid
you have to be kidding me...

