Proven Solar Roads a solution for Hawaii

[OpenD]

What a lot of people have missed is that the prototypes don't actually have any solar cells in them, just the LED displays, which are powered conventionally. The solar power is merely a concept.

Also, the tiles' suitability as a road surface has not been tested. How will it do in high speed braking in the rain? Nobody knows. Driving a farm tractor with big balloon tires over the prototypes at slow speed proves nothing, because those tires are designed not to put a lot of pressure on soft, wet ground. An 18 wheeler could be a very different matter.

It's an interesting concept, and might see some application in urban parking garages, and fast food drivethrough lanes, but my guess is that the solar portion won't work out as conceived, the LED display won't work in bright sunlight, and the surface won't work on roadways or in the rain. Also, watch a road crew laying down a new asphalt surface, and then imagine them instead laying down individual glass tiles on some kind of support matrix. Does not compute, right?

Really, I want to believe, but I just can't, and I don't think it's just my insomnia talking.

[Kapohocat]

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

an English proverb meaning that difficult or impossible scenarios prompt inventions aimed at reducing the difficulty. (Wikipedia)

Who knows if Tesla had received more support would we even be having this conversation?

Right now the solar roadways project is in the experimentation and testing stage. I think it is a good idea. Who knows what the testing will bring?

[TomK]

Testing is one thing, using the technology is another. Still waiting to read about the government using this technology.

[Guest]

Its fantastic, and if our government wasn't worried about the industrial military complex, we would be funding this instead of more wars.

[kalakoa]

s/worried about/owned by/

FTFY.