[basil_hayden]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Subjectivist', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lpetrich', 'S')olar-road tiles also have the problem of surviving heavy vehicles traveling over them, like 18-wheeler semi-trailer trucks. I think that this problem is much more serious than what some of the tiles' advocates seem to think. Equivalent Single Axle Load | Pavement Interactive gives an approximate rule of thumb:

(road-damage amount) ~ (weight per axle)4

From that page:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'H')eavy trucks and buses are responsible for a majority of pavement damage. Considering that a typical automobile weighs between 2,000 and 7,000 lbs (curb weight), even a fully loaded large passenger van will only generate about 0.003 ESALs while a fully loaded tractor-semi trailer can generate up to about 3 ESALs (depending upon pavement type, structure and terminal serviceability).

[lpetrich]

Progress in photovoltaic-cell canopies:

SolarCity and Zep Spice Up the Solar Carport Race : Greentech Media -- PV canopies for parking lots. Solar Carports and Structures by Park'n'Shade has some video about an innovative construction scheme: build the canopy framework, then slide in the solar panels.

Europe's first solar powered train tunnel goes live on Belgian high-speed line (video) (Engadget), Infrabel and Enfinity announce completion of 16,000-panel solar train tunnel (Gizmag) -- both have pictures of that PV-roofed tunnel. It's about 3 km / 2 mi long.

India's Largest Canal-Top Solar PV Plant To Come Online in Gujarat | CleanTechnica at about 10 megawatts. A 750-m / 2500-ft canal PV canopy at Narmada, built earlier, generates 1 MW.

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he local authority-funded pilot scheme costing €3m ($3.7m) "SolaRoad" pilot cycle path is constructed with two lanes, one of which is made of prefabricated concrete slabs connected to the national grid. One lane is made of 2.5 by 3.5 meter slabs of concrete with an integrated layer of crystalline silicon solar cells and has a top layer of translucent, tempered safety glass (~1cm thick).
...
The short stretch of road is expected to generate enough electricity to power 2 or 3 average homes annually.

[Subjectivist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Keith_McClary', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he local authority-funded pilot scheme costing €3m ($3.7m) "SolaRoad" pilot cycle path is constructed with two lanes, one of which is made of prefabricated concrete slabs connected to the national grid. One lane is made of 2.5 by 3.5 meter slabs of concrete with an integrated layer of crystalline silicon solar cells and has a top layer of translucent, tempered safety glass (~1cm thick).
...
The short stretch of road is expected to generate enough electricity to power 2 or 3 average homes annually.

[dinopello]

Another MSM article on the solar road in the Netherlands with pictures.

It's really more a bike path than a road. The US would never build such a thing. Anything for cars would have the dilemma that it would typically be backed up with cars in traffic so no sun would get to the panels. And, most places in the US wouldn't build a path for silly little bicycles.

[Graeme]

Public Works: Could a Solar Power–Generating Road Someday Power Your Car?

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')n Amsterdam suburb now has a bike path that generates solar energy. On November 12, 2014, Dutch minister of economic affairs Henk Kamp unveiled a 70-metre cycle route in the commuter town of Krommenie, Netherlands, kicking off what could become national trend in power-producing roads.

Called SolaRoad, the innovation consists of 2.5-by-3.5-metre sheets of concrete, overlaid with crystalline silicon solar cells, and a centimetre-thick layer of protective, skid-resistant, tempered glass.

Kamp told reporters at the unveiling that the Netherlands aimed to triple its use of sustainable energy within five years and be energy-neutral by 2050.


Over the past year, the Netherlands has seen such eco-energy advances as solar panel “skins” retrofitted onto old houses and a bike path illuminated at night by millions of glowing, solar-powered nibs meant to look like van Gogh’s “Starry Night”.

“This could be a breakthrough in the field of sustainable energy supply,” writes Sten de Wit, one of the minds behind SolaRoad. “In particular, if the road concept will develop into a system, with which the generated electricity [powers] the vehicles driving on the road. Try to imagine that power will then be generated at the place where it is needed.”

[Keith_McClary]

http://phys.org/news/2015-05-solaroad-p ... yield.html

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Keith_McClary', 'h')ttp://phys.org/news/2015-05-solaroad-path-electricity-yield.html

[Tanada]

Here is a video for the true believers in this technology. Watch until it sinks in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR574qhPSDY

[lpetrich]

Tanada's link titled: The stupidity that just won't die! Solar Cycleways and other snake oil!! - YouTube

Like finding out that a solar roadway has half the energy efficiency of rooftop solar panels. Thunderf00t, the video's author, mentions solar-panel canopies toward the end, and I agree that that makes *much* more sense than solar-panel roadways.

[Newfie]

4x0=0

[Keith_McClary]

The World's First Solar Road Has Officially Crumbled Into a Total Failure

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Keith_McClary', '[')url=https://www.sciencealert.com/the-world-s-first-solar-road-has-turned-out-to-be-a-disappointing-failure]The World's First Solar Road Has Officially Crumbled Into a Total Failure[/url]

[Newfie]

Here’s your answer, they didn’t account for LEAVES.

Who woulda thunk!

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'H')ere’s your answer, they didn’t account for LEAVES.

Who woulda thunk!

[Newfie]

OK, I’ll try to not be snarky now.

The whole thing seemed a long shot from the start. I don’t understand how so many folks could have been caught up in the enthusiasm. But maybe this is just an example of how little of the physical world folks understand today.

Not a good thing.

[EdwinSm]

Where it might work is in parking lots. Traffic is slower and there would be less wear and tear.

Looking at how badly the roads get around where, I live I hold out little hope for the top to be strong enough to cope with large vehicles (like tractors). Also I doubt it would last anywhere where a snow plough is needed.

[Newfie]

Ed,

To my way of thinking it would make great sense to COVER parking lots with solar panels. I can think of a lot of advantages, but especially in warm places like Florida and Texas. It would shade the cars, cool the place, remove some of that heat the parking lots create, and provide rain cover. It is also a cost off set on otherwise non productive land. The down side is that they would require a substantial support structure and be susceptible to vehicular damage, but I think those things are within our grasp.

I see it happen occasionally, but very infrequently. Why? What am I missing?

[lpetrich]

There are several companies that sell solar canopies for parking lots and the like. Here are some:

Solar Canopy from SunCommon
Solar Canopy/Carport Solutions – RBI Solar Inc
Solar Canopy | Brooklyn Solar Canopy
Beautiful Solar Panels, Carports, Awnings, EV Charging, Canopies | Lumos Solar
Solar Canopies from Ameresco
Solar Canopies & Awning Systems

[Newfie]

Thanks,

What amazes me is this simple and proven technology is bypassed for something so complex and risky.