China's 2000 Mile Solar Panel Highway
- Thread starter Ar-Pharazon
- Start date
I don't know how they are going to possibly maintain the reliability of the PV system with all the wear and tear the road will go through.. In addition to all the traffic, there will be weather issues that will cause wear and tear and not to mention just general dirtiness from all the dirt, oil, grime and other stuff that will quickly cover the road. If it's heavily traveled, the traffic will block the sun and the amount of energy generated will fluctuate wildly... If they develop some kind of battery storage I guess that might be ok for later distribution...
Better served, is the concept of transparent PV panels that are starting to pop up as windows on sky scrapers, I think... But then again, I'm in the energy industry, so I'm biased. LOL...
Better served, is the concept of transparent PV panels that are starting to pop up as windows on sky scrapers, I think... But then again, I'm in the energy industry, so I'm biased. LOL...
Whatever they use as the top surface, it's probably cheaper to replace than the actual solar panels, so there's that.
As far as storing that much power, what kind/size of facility would be needed? They'd need dozens of facilities the size of the Tesla one making batteries.
As far as storing that much power, what kind/size of facility would be needed? They'd need dozens of facilities the size of the Tesla one making batteries.
Solar freaking roadways
The link goes to a completely different article than what the address indicates, for some reason.
As for solar roads, it seems maybe it would make more sense to build the panels along the edges of the roads. Another good idea I've heard would be building windmills along the roads to gather power from the wind of vehicles racing past.
What we really need are solar parking lots -- arrays of solar panels above the parking spaces, keeping the cars in the shade so they don't overheat.
As for solar roads, it seems maybe it would make more sense to build the panels along the edges of the roads. Another good idea I've heard would be building windmills along the roads to gather power from the wind of vehicles racing past.
What we really need are solar parking lots -- arrays of solar panels above the parking spaces, keeping the cars in the shade so they don't overheat.
The original youtube videos for Solar Roads appeared to be some kind of flim flam from what I have read, I remember those videos being everywhere
You do understand how "Solar Freaking Roadways" is a HORRIBLE idea.
That's like the WORST way to use a Solar Panel.
It shouldn't have taken $30 Million dollars of government money to figure out how STUPID of an idea it was.
Anybody with enough common sense and basic scientific & engineering literacy could point out how DUMB of an idea it was to mis-use Solar PV's in that way.
How about building the solar panels into the car roofs instead? That seems more sensible.
(I actually have one inside my windshield, a solar trickle charger I bought to keep my battery topped up, since I drive infrequently and kept having batteries die on me.)
(I actually have one inside my windshield, a solar trickle charger I bought to keep my battery topped up, since I drive infrequently and kept having batteries die on me.)
The new Toyota Prius already does that.
My issue is that Toyota is using cheap Chinesium Panels instead of the best Quality Solar Panels on the market with the highest Efficiency available commercially.
Which is made by SunPower / Maxeon, the best ones have a efficiency of 23.5%–24.1% + 25 Year Warranty.
Those are the panels I want Toyota to transition to, that means ALOT higher recharge rate, and greater longevity.
Heck, if I had my way, ALL Solar Panels would be of the Highest Quality style Solar Panels, anything less than the best wouldn't be allowed to be made.
Wasn't there a line about this on SNW, I am pretty damn sure Pike said that the world had changed and there is a line how we put solar panels all over our vehicles. It's in that episode where WW3 is mentioned
Do you have a link to this product? How does it plug into the battery? I don't drive my car much during the winter, so I have similar battery issues.
I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WP95W51 Of course there are links on the page to other models so you can shop around for the best one for you.
The panel plugs right into the lighter socket. I was surprised to learn that power can flow both ways through the socket, but apparently it can. Although it depends on the car model, so the panel comes with a pair of alligator clips as an alternative connector. Apparently there are wires under the dashboard you can clip them to if you know how -- I'm guessing they're the same wires that characters in TV and movies pull out to hotwire cars -- though fortunately I didn't need to figure it out. This thread has some videos that might be helpful: https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threads/anyone-install-solar-trickle-charger-permanently.43674/
The instructions say to unplug the charger before starting the car, since the power surge on startup could damage the panel, but the thread suggests it's okay to leave it plugged in permanently. The instructions also recommend taking it down when you drive, I guess so the suction cups don't get knocked loose, but the one time I took it off for a long trip, I had trouble getting one of the cups to stay attached afterward. The only time it's come loose during driving was during that brief period. So I figure it's better just to leave it attached.
I found some of the videos that first led me onto this. This stuff has been around for some 13 odd years.
Thanks Christopher! I'll have to look into this; my car regularly struggles during the (Vermont) winters.
Good for China, I guess. Sounds very expensive and I doubt anything like this will ever get done in Canada. We have a hard enough time with asphalt from winter to winter and construction.
I imagine maintenance would be a nightmare, especially if parts start breaking down from constant wear. Honestly, for now, I think sticking to more traditional setups like solar panels on rooftops or even fields makes more sense. I’ve seen a lot of homes switching to solar panels in Cork, and it’s definitely more practical.
Our office in Glasgow has those. I’ve seen some at Italian service stations too. Such an obvious thing to do (well in hot countries - maybe not Glasgow) that I’m not sure why it isn’t done more.
I just wish 2-Axis Sun-Tracking Solar Panel Rigs mounted on top of a pole were cheaper.
I really liked what James Cameron did with the Solar Power Setup that was designed to look like a Sun Flower for his wife's college.
I wish that was commercially available to anybody who wanted it.
I really liked what James Cameron did with the Solar Power Setup that was designed to look like a Sun Flower for his wife's college.
I wish that was commercially available to anybody who wanted it.
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