# Free Power From Freeways?



## OnePercenter (Jun 18, 2018)

*Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels*

*Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels*

*



			Because roads run through and around cities, the electricity could be used practically next door to where it is generated. That means virtually no power would be lost in transmission, as can happen with projects in outlying locations. And the land is essentially free, because roads are needed anyway. Roads must be resurfaced every few years at great cost, so the installation of durable solar panels could reduce the price of maintenance.
		
Click to expand...

*
Very cool idea!


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 18, 2018)

*China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels*

Great idea. Putting solar cells where they'll get run over, dirty, oily, that won't degrade their performance. 

*Free Power*

_Solar roads are also more expensive than asphalt. It costs about $120 a square meter, or about $11 a square foot, to resurface and repair an asphalt road each decade. By comparison, Pavenergy and Colas hope to be able to bring the cost of a solar road to $310 to $460 a square meter with mass production._

Free? LOL!


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 19, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> *China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels*
> 
> Great idea. Putting solar cells where they'll get run over, dirty, oily, that won't degrade their performance.
> 
> ...



And when your paid for the energy the solar road produces?


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 19, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > *China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels*
> ...



It still won't be free.


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 19, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> OnePercenter said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...



It is for those that pay for the road.


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 19, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...



They're hoping to bring the cost down to $310/square meter.

That's not free power.


----------



## IsaacNewton (Jun 19, 2018)

An alien race shows up and says "we've got a free limitless pollution free energy source for you". 
"How do we get it? Drlling? Mining? Do we need explosives and have to risk thousands of lives?" 
"No we'll beam it to you from our planet, you just have to build collectors for it." 

And that is what solar power is.


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 19, 2018)

IsaacNewton said:


> An alien race shows up and says "we've got a free limitless pollution free energy source for you".
> "How do we get it? Drlling? Mining? Do we need explosives and have to risk thousands of lives?"
> "No we'll beam it to you from our planet, you just have to build collectors for it."
> 
> And that is what solar power is.



An expensive, unreliable source of intermittent energy. Sweet!!


----------



## IsaacNewton (Jun 19, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> IsaacNewton said:
> 
> 
> > An alien race shows up and says "we've got a free limitless pollution free energy source for you".
> ...



You lie but your a con, lying is sweet to you. Like buttered corn in July.


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 19, 2018)

IsaacNewton said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > IsaacNewton said:
> ...



Where do you get your cheap, reliable, uninterrupted solar power?


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 20, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> OnePercenter said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...



The cost is paid by those that buy power.


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 20, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> IsaacNewton said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...



What I produce and don't use is sold back to the grid reducing my bill to close to zero.


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 20, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...



How much does it generate? How long does it take to recover the extra $190-$340 per square meter cost?

Edit: _And a solar road can produce about $15 a year worth of electricity from each square meter of solar panels. So it could roughly pay for itself, compared with asphalt, over about 15 years._

So, with an overnight interest rate of about 5%, your extra (they hope), $190 expense, gets paid off in 20 years, longer if rates rise. Hmmmmm…..are they expected to last 20 years?


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 20, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > IsaacNewton said:
> ...



Doesn't answer the question.


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 20, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> OnePercenter said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...



Sure it does. You sell energy to maintain the roadway.


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 20, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...



Maintain? You haven't even repaid the cost of the road.


----------



## Manonthestreet (Jun 20, 2018)

Solar Road Is ‘Total And Epic’ Failure, 83% Of Its Panels Break In A Week
Been done and failed


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 21, 2018)

Manonthestreet said:


> Solar Road Is ‘Total And Epic’ Failure, 83% Of Its Panels Break In A Week
> Been done and failed


You do realize that link is almost 2 years old, don't you think the technology has advanced in the last 2 years? Moron


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 21, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> OnePercenter said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...



How do you know?


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 21, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...



Math.


----------



## Skull Pilot (Jun 21, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...


I thought you said it was free

If people pay for it it is not free


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 21, 2018)

Skull Pilot said:


> OnePercenter said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...


----------



## dannyboys (Jun 21, 2018)

A local gas station/convenience store recently installed solar panels on half their roof.
The solar panels where all put on the NORTH FACING side of the roof!!!!!!!!!
I wondered what the former employees of that huge failed solar panel manufacturer were doing for a living.


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 21, 2018)

Toddsterpatriot said:


> OnePercenter said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...



Show us your work!


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 21, 2018)

Skull Pilot said:


> OnePercenter said:
> 
> 
> > Toddsterpatriot said:
> ...



When did I write it was free?


----------



## OnePercenter (Jun 21, 2018)

dannyboys said:


> A local gas station/convenience store recently installed solar panels on half their roof.
> The solar panels where all put on the NORTH FACING side of the roof!!!!!!!!!
> I wondered what the former employees of that huge failed solar panel manufacturer were doing for a living.



In Australia?


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 21, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Toddsterpatriot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...



Free Power From Freeways?


----------



## Toddsterpatriot (Jun 21, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Skull Pilot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...



Free Power From Freeways?


----------



## Skull Pilot (Jun 21, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Skull Pilot said:
> 
> 
> > OnePercenter said:
> ...


 Gee only in the title of the thread


----------



## Manonthestreet (Jun 21, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> Manonthestreet said:
> 
> 
> > Solar Road Is ‘Total And Epic’ Failure, 83% Of Its Panels Break In A Week
> ...


Not enough no...not to mention if you read how is it going to work covered in cars a good part of the time


----------



## eagle1462010 (Jun 21, 2018)

I heard that solar panel companies are giving away entire solar power grids to anyone who wants them..........Free shipping.......Free installation..........

It's all Free folks................


----------



## Old Rocks (Jun 23, 2018)

dannyboys said:


> A local gas station/convenience store recently installed solar panels on half their roof.
> The solar panels where all put on the NORTH FACING side of the roof!!!!!!!!!
> I wondered what the former employees of that huge failed solar panel manufacturer were doing for a living.


I would laugh. Except that I have panels for warming water for a swimming pool. On the north facing roof. On first use, the previous owners left the pumps on all weekend on a sunny March weekend. When they got back, the pool was too warm to use. The pool measures 16X24, and is 7 foot deep.


----------



## Old Rocks (Jun 23, 2018)

eagle1462010 said:


> I heard that solar panel companies are giving away entire solar power grids to anyone who wants them..........Free shipping.......Free installation..........
> 
> It's all Free folks................


LOL And you think that you are such a smart fart.


----------



## eagle1462010 (Jun 23, 2018)

Old Rocks said:


> eagle1462010 said:
> 
> 
> > I heard that solar panel companies are giving away entire solar power grids to anyone who wants them..........Free shipping.......Free installation..........
> ...


By your own logic.............then oil, coal, natural gas, are free as well...........Problem is I don't live in the delusional world of Liberalism...........


----------



## Jarlaxle (Jul 1, 2018)

I wonder how well these things will hold up to sand, salt, and carbide-edged snowplows.


----------



## Shrimpbox (Jul 27, 2018)

OnePercenter said:


> *Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels*
> 
> *Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels*
> 
> ...


So you really believe solar panels are stronger than concrete and asphalt and can survive huge temperature swings. Of course all the oil and dirt dripping on the road will not diminish their effectiveness. And I am sure the surface will not be more slippery and dangerous when it rains. And of course roads will be cheaper to build. You can’t fix stupid.


----------

