YERT Conversation 19.1: Solar Roadways

YERT talks with Scott Brusaw in northern Idaho about an idea that could solve nearly every problem "under the sun" - literally. Welcome to Solar Roadways, where the rubber hits the...er...photovoltaic panel. Find more information at http://www.solarroadways.com.

• Category

  Science & Technology

[shogunkai91]

there's a fly on your cup (around 3:00)

[YERTians]

Yup. It was annoying during the shoot. It is certainly dead by now. ;-)

[drorjs]

storage. storage,storage. there are many great ideas about solar power but the ability to store the energy for night and winter use is the key problem.

[YERTians]

I believe that capacitors handle storage in the Solar Roadways. I'm going to be doing a follow-up interview soon and will get more detail at that time.

[YERTians]

Obama totally needs to hear about this!!

[yecidah]

You are SOOOOO cool Scott. May this year bring your incredible idea to reality!!

[Aries1slayer]

Carbon nano tubing, is the answer my friend. 

[Dave Burkey]

look at Jeremy Rifkin -The Third Industrial Revolution % pillars. This would fit right in #'s 4 and 5

[Shawn Nichols]

It's for everywhere. The roads heat up to melt snow and ice.

[conductinthemess]

How would they cope with snowstorms and the wear and tear snowploughs would have gouging into the road material? Are these roads only prospects for "the sunny states"?

[trailkeeper]

Maby on rooftops the requirements would be less for the glass.

[thegoodlocust]

Nice scam you have going here - perhaps Obama can send you a half billion dollar loan like he did with Solyndra for a photo op - assuming of course you are a huge campaign donor.

Your idea of course is complete nonsense because solar panels use rare earth metals and/or silver to make. Quite simply there aren't enough materials to make these roads of yours - assuming you ever get this glass built right and it works perfectly in ways you didn't imagine (i.e. snow, ice, freezing/refreezing, etc)

[sorcerykid]

Also something to think about, the illuminated pavement markings, both words and stripes, need to be elongated (approx. double lengthwise) to account for the approach angle of vehicular traffic. Likewise, all horizontal lettering strokes need to be doubled on thickness (e.g. a capital 'E', must have each of the three arms occupying pairs of adjacent LEDs).