About the collection. In general the photovoltaic technology efficiency is about 17%, commercially it's about 27% and there's technology reaching up to 45% but not commercially available.
There's another problem, the efficiency drops with temperature. I don't know what kind of heat dissipation this technology is capable of but assuming the worst case scenario the solar panels will surpass boiling point temperature. This means that without cooling the system in the solar peak it will have the worst efficiency by a huge margin. A typical solar panel is cooled by air, this possibly is siting in a heat insulator.
Another problem are the scratches. Ideally the glass need to be clear, but over time it will lose it's transparency so there is another mayor drop in the production.
There's another problem. As you can see in the video, using these roads you need to transport energy in or out. For do that you need wires, many, but they are expensive. Consider you don't use the energy generation... you still need wires to use the leds.
I consider more intelligent put photovoltaic cells in every building in the city. As you use the same power infrastructure you don't need to worry to install new wires. As the cities concentrate the use of energy then the lose of power due to heat (Joule Law) it's reduced. It's a plus in efficiency. As daily beings even if we don't save the energy collected (because batteries are expensive) is a win. We could use other energy sources during the night. There's another possibility, some scientist are trying to create a photovoltaic paint, this will be even more cheap but also less efficient.
Another ideas. Use the heat produced in thermal plants (Gas/carbon/Dissel). For example to heat the roadways or houses in cold areas (you will heat you house anyway). Use the heat for industries: smelters, oil refineries, glass makers among other. Remember the heat is a waste anyway, but is useful in many industries.
Use the sewer waste to produce biomass energy. Think about it, if your feces produce methane in your body before you poop... The idea is, in general the energy we use is carbon buried eons ago. Methane does not add carbon the the atmosphere only use carbon already there. Then add the previous idea and... imagine how much petroleum you can cut with this.
There's another problem, the efficiency drops with temperature. I don't know what kind of heat dissipation this technology is capable of but assuming the worst case scenario the solar panels will surpass boiling point temperature. This means that without cooling the system in the solar peak it will have the worst efficiency by a huge margin. A typical solar panel is cooled by air, this possibly is siting in a heat insulator.
Another problem are the scratches. Ideally the glass need to be clear, but over time it will lose it's transparency so there is another mayor drop in the production.
There's another problem. As you can see in the video, using these roads you need to transport energy in or out. For do that you need wires, many, but they are expensive. Consider you don't use the energy generation... you still need wires to use the leds.
I consider more intelligent put photovoltaic cells in every building in the city. As you use the same power infrastructure you don't need to worry to install new wires. As the cities concentrate the use of energy then the lose of power due to heat (Joule Law) it's reduced. It's a plus in efficiency. As daily beings even if we don't save the energy collected (because batteries are expensive) is a win. We could use other energy sources during the night. There's another possibility, some scientist are trying to create a photovoltaic paint, this will be even more cheap but also less efficient.
Another ideas. Use the heat produced in thermal plants (Gas/carbon/Dissel). For example to heat the roadways or houses in cold areas (you will heat you house anyway). Use the heat for industries: smelters, oil refineries, glass makers among other. Remember the heat is a waste anyway, but is useful in many industries.
Use the sewer waste to produce biomass energy. Think about it, if your feces produce methane in your body before you poop... The idea is, in general the energy we use is carbon buried eons ago. Methane does not add carbon the the atmosphere only use carbon already there. Then add the previous idea and... imagine how much petroleum you can cut with this.