Solar Roads Can Power the Entire World?!?

Solar Roadways is a finalist for the $200M GE Ecomagination prize thanks to it's innovative plan to build American roads with the power to harness solar energy. Determined to be recognized as having a possible solution to the country's energy needs, Solar Roadways is working to streamline production and lower costs.

Check out the story:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/09/solar-roadways-fix-the-power-grid-and-cr...

Join The Daily Conversation on Facebook
http://tinyurl.com/TDConFacebook

Follow our Tweets for new videos
http://twitter.com/TheDailyConvo

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• TDC
• TheDailyConversation
• Solar
• Energy
• Alternative
• Power
• Grid
• System
• Panel
• LED
• Technology
• Roadways
• Roads
• Glass
• Driving
• Cars
• Highways
• American
• President
• Obama
• World
• Global
• Climate
• Change
• Carbon
• Tax
• Trade
• Oil
• dependence
• shortage
• middle
• east
• rich
• powered
• road
• cement
• asphalt
• highway
• freeway
• sun
• rays
• heat
• 21st
• century
• USA
• talk
• show
• commentary
• analysis

[ZJLange12]

Interesting concept, there is also a pressure plate technology that could be coupled with this. Basically when pressure is applied to the plate, out creates a charge, those could even go in sidewalks.

[osaka35]

@MendocinoCoastFilms2 They could probably put enough redundant LED lights in there to last the lifespan of each section. That'd be my guess.

[piggy933]

If you connect 3 solar cell in series, the total current will be same as the minimun current produces from a single solar cell. That why battery will used up faster if you put a good and bad battery together. This mean that the moment a car cover one single solar cell, the entire current will be reduced

[toobigaman]

All I can say is what about upkeep ya know it would have to be made out of some amazingly tough,troublefree stuff thats been proven to be all they claim it to be.and what about all that nice black spent tire rubber,motoroil,grease and other fluids?whats the cost to clean a mile of this stuff and how often per year.how much does it cost for annual monitoring and inspection.I believe what I have envisioned is a better approach.

[Saje3D]

Gotta love some of the comments... Does someone actually believe GE would put their name behind something that wouldn't work? They're in the business of screwing US, not themselves.

[MentalFramerate]

@MendocinoCoastFilms2 The average lifespan of an Led light is 20 - 30 years. and the average cost is somewhere around 15 bucks from what i can google. That seems more the sufficient to me.

[jcb570]

i wounder if thay could recharge a car like the pad for cellphones as the car is moving ? that could be the end of oil in the roads and cars. this could be done in the here and now

[jcb570]

not in are lifetime lol theres still money out there

[MendocinoCoastFilms2]

Would the LED lights have to be replaced after a certain number of years? That cost could be considerable.

[koneye]

No they can't