Solar Fucking Roadways..

[mamooth]

If glass could handle wear better than concrete or asphalt, we'd already be building roads out of glass. There's a reason we don't build roads out of glass. Hence this all goes into the realm of fantasy. You could do it on a pedestrian plaza, but not on an actual road with trucks rumbling over it.

 

[Sallow]

If glass could handle wear better than concrete or asphalt, we'd already be building roads out of glass. There's a reason we don't build roads out of glass. Hence this all goes into the realm of fantasy. You could do it on a pedestrian plaza, but not on an actual road with trucks rumbling over it.

There's glass in asphalt.

Waste Glass - User Guideline - Asphalt Concrete - User Guidelines for Waste and Byproduct Materials in Pavement Construction - FHWA-RD-97-148

 

[Sallow]

Wouldn't be any different than grid-tied solar. Surely if the city can read my meters anytime they want due to smart metering that can theoretically also regulate appliances should I ever buy them, they can devise a system where one can plug in a car that reports its stored voltage and trigger it to release it onto the lines when needed. I don't see that it would be any less problematic or more expensive than solar roads.

I was under the impression you were talking about trying to add that electricity to the grid while the car was in motion. My mistake.

The problem with that sort of system would be the cost to the car owner. Right now utilities require any potential "source" feeding into the line which is over a certain POTENTIAL size to provide disconnecting device (at their own cost) which can range from $100K to $1 Million, depending on the type, size, and particular utility company. At this time those devices are not required for the smaller PV/Wind generators, but that may be changing in the near future. Not to mention the cost to totally re-wire your home to be able to feed out and not just in.

Basically we are at the point where we have to start getting innovative. In terms of energy? We are stuck in a mentally that is nearly 300 years old. You burn things to turn things to produce energy.

Seriously?