
Super-Tough Solar Panels Could Make Every Road Into A Power Plant - vaksel
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/08/super-tough-solar-panels-could-make-every-road-into-a-power-plant/
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harpastum
This is just confusing. As far as I understand it, the problem with solar
panels has very little to do with where they are put--it's their prohibitive
cost that is the real issue.

And anyway, roads seem like a pretty poor place to put a solar panel anyway.
Vibration from cars and wear and tear are bad enough on cement and asphalt.
I'm not sure what translucent covering they're going to use on the solar
panel, but it's going to be expensive or wear down quickly--or both. Also,
having to support an active electrical grid that spans the entire country
sounds like a nightmare to me.

According to the Solar Roadways website [1], the US Interstate System is 25
million square miles of road. That is coincidentally very close in size to the
Mojave desert [2]. Wouldn't that be a lot better choice? (I'm not saying a
giant solar array in the desert is a _good_ idea, just a lot better than
trying to hybridize roads and solar panels)

[1] <http://www.solarroadways.com/The%20Numbers.htm>

[2] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_desert>

