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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #50 on: August 19, 2015, 04:06:19 AM »
Solar Roadways announces that the Missouri Department of Transportation wants to incorporate Solar Roadway technology into their Road to Tomorrow project.

https://www.facebook.com/solarroadways/posts/10152892309202126:0

http://www.modot.org/road2tomorrow/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #51 on: December 01, 2015, 03:59:16 AM »
Solar Roadways announces they have been awarded a new $750,000 contract by the Federal Highway Administration.

https://www.facebook.com/solarroadways/posts/10153057750657126:0
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #52 on: February 18, 2016, 02:26:29 PM »
Colas, a leading road construction company, partners with the French National Solar Energy Institute for this project.

France Will Pave Roads With 1,000 km/620 Miles Of Solar Panels
Quote
Colas claims the Wattway panels can be directly applied to an existing road surface, and will provide comparable levels of grip to conventional paving materials.

And while the panels are just 7 millimeters thick, Colas claims they can stand up to the wear and tear of heavy vehicles being driven over them continuously.

If the Wattway-paved roads really do pass that durability test, Colas claims they will provide ample power.

Four meters (13 feet) of road can provide enough electricity to power the average French house (excluding heating), the company says.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1102399_france-will-pave-roads-with-620-miles-of-solar-panels
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #53 on: June 18, 2016, 02:25:01 AM »
From April:
Quote
Big News: We can now announce where our first public installation will be - just in time for ‪#‎EarthDay‬! The first of our potential pilot projects to acquire their funding is our own hometown of ‪#‎Sandpoint‬, Idaho! The installation will be in a walking area downtown near a fountain popular with children. Sandpoint is a beautiful four season resort town. The installation is scheduled for early summer.

And today:
Quote
It's official: Missouri Department of Transportation and Road to Tomorrow have the number #2 spot on our queue and will receive the second public ‪#‎SolarRoadways‬ installation! They've selected the site: an awesome Welcome Center along the historic Route 66 - how perfect is that?

We visited the site when we were there - it's a fantastic modern rest area with a playground, picnic tables, a gift shop etc. They are going to start with a sidewalk area and go from there. The link below has a place to subscribe to receive updates about this project - hope you will all show your support for this fantastic forward thinking DOT and sign up:

https://www.facebook.com/solarroadways/posts/10153439308227126
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #54 on: June 20, 2016, 02:11:08 AM »
Nice little article and video about Solar Roadways panels to be installed first as a sidewalk at a historic Missouri rest stop. They hope to have it done before winter, to take advantage of the panels' ability to melt snow.

Solar pilot project could pave way to roads of the future
http://www.ky3.com/content/news/Solar-pilot-project-could-pave-way-to-roadways-of-the-future-383470771.html

Also: Solar Roadways' Facebook comment:
Quote
... we hope to be mass manufacturing and have them ready for homeowners in a year or two. You can keep watching here for news or if you email us, we will notify you when we are getting close: http://solarroadways.com/Home/Contact
https://www.facebook.com/solarroadways/posts/10153443816767126
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #55 on: July 30, 2016, 08:22:16 PM »
Sandpoint, Idaho, will host the first demonstration project, installed later this summer.
Quote
The city plans to include a kisok near the installation that shows visitors how much energy it is collecting in real time. People will be able to access the same information on the Sandpoint city website.

"There’s a great deal of interest in the project. We have national media contacting us regularly to get an install date. Our project will be the first project," Stapleton said.
http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/local_news/20160726/solar_roadway_project_crystallizing_
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #56 on: August 13, 2016, 03:43:55 AM »
The France-based Colas group has developed a simple solar road surface called 'Wattway' which may be tested in Australia.  Adelaide and parts of Queensland have indicated an interest in participating and western Sydney could be next.

Roads could generate solar-powered electricity under proposal
Quote
The developers are aiming to roll out 1000 kilometres of solar roads within five years and are scouting for 100 test sites around the world.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/roads-could-generate-solarpowered-electricity-under-proposal-20160810-gqp1y9.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #57 on: August 27, 2016, 08:48:10 PM »
SOLAR ROADWAYS PROJECT UNDERWAY AT TOWN SQUARE
Quote
SANDPOINT, IDAHO — The sidewalk at Jeff Jones Town Square is being demolished.

City crews began work this week in preparation for the Solar Roadways project going in at the square. City administrator Jennifer Stapleton said the preparation work should be finished this week.

"Then it's a matter of Solar Roadways getting in all of their parts, making sure all of the testing is complete," Stapleton said. "We are still anticipating the installation of the actual panels and an unveiling on that in early September."

This project will include solar panels along the walkway that have temperature sensors and the ability to melt snow. They will also feed back into the grid and offset energy usage by the city of Sandpoint, which draws from metered power in the area. It will also power the pump for the fountain in the square.

A webcam will be set up, allowing people to go to the city's website to see the panels at any time. The website will also allow people to see the fluctuation in energy the panels generate and use.
...
She said the owners of Solar Roadways have two more projects lined up after the one in Sandpoint, but are committed to having the first one in their hometown. Working out the logistics with utilities and the parks department have been time consuming, but Stapleton is confident the project will move smoothly now that the preparation and construction is underway.

"It's been a fair amount of logistics to work through, not to mention the logistics of just the public interest in this project," Stapleton said, adding that she has been contacted by several national media outlets in the last month. "In my mind it's one of the most underestimated aspects of this project is just how much worldwide public interest there is in Solar Roadways as a company and their product as an evolution in the industry of sustainability."
http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/local_news/20160825/solar_roadways_project_underway_at_town_square
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #58 on: September 10, 2016, 03:31:18 PM »
Missouri is working with the Federal Highway Administration and Solar Roadways to begin testing the product.  Interestingly, they believe crowdfunding could help finance the next big steps.

Quote
Solar Roadways:  New video showcasing our upcoming #SolarRoadways installation in Missouri. With #MoDOT and Road to Tomorrow leading the way, we are getting more and more interest from other state #DOT leaders:

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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #59 on: September 24, 2016, 09:02:37 PM »
The very first public Solar Roadways installation will be in their hometown of Sandpoint, Idaho.

Quote
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be Friday, September 30 at 3:00 p.m. at Jeff Jones Square, in downtown Sandpoint. We will stay at the Square into the evening. We are so looking forward to talking to everyone who is able to make it.

Finally, there will be a public place for all interested people to see and walk on a Solar Roadways installation! It will also be monitored 24/7 on the city’s web cam after the unveiling. You will be able to watch it on Sandpoint’s website: http://www.sandpointonline.com/current/index.shtml or on ours: www.solarroadways.com.
http://solarroadways.com/Blog/Blog
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oren

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #60 on: September 25, 2016, 12:22:54 AM »
I never could quite understand the point of these solar roadways. Surely rooftop solar, parking-top solar, almost anything-top solar, is much cheaper to build as it doesn't need to be strengthened to withstand heavy and dynamic stuff moving over it. And it's far easier to install, and to maintain. And it sees more sun. So, why bother?

ghoti

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #61 on: September 25, 2016, 04:23:29 PM »
I think of it as trying to make everything multi-use. We are beginning to relate to a roof being more than a weather barrier that does nothing else and accept that it can also generate hot water and electricity.

The idea that roads and paths take up so much area and are already built with very expensive materials leads to the possibility that they can also be used for the second purpose of generating electricity.

Whether this be done economically remains to be seen. It seems that the more simple PV systems that have been demonstrated in the Netherlands and France are more likely to be cost efficient than the much more complicated Solar Roadways versions. The simple PV road and path surfacing doesn't include signaling or snow melting. Perhaps those features add enough value to justify the additional costs. We'll see.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #62 on: September 25, 2016, 04:26:02 PM »
I never could quite understand the point of these solar roadways. Surely rooftop solar, parking-top solar, almost anything-top solar, is much cheaper to build as it doesn't need to be strengthened to withstand heavy and dynamic stuff moving over it. And it's far easier to install, and to maintain. And it sees more sun. So, why bother?


Traditional-surface roads:
> Provide no income for upkeep (except when tolls are charged)
> Require polluting petroleum products or cement to build and repair
> Require large machines, vehicles and labor to repair
> Require polluting snow plows and salt to keep the roads clear in winter conditions

Solar Roadways:
> "...Pay for itself over time through the generation of renewable energy. After completing two contracts with the USDOT, it is apparent that this goal is viable. SR panels can become the nation’s smart grid, providing energy to homes and businesses along the way."
> Channel power and telecommunications cables underground, eliminating power poles and downed wire hazards.
> Melt/prevent snow and ice buildup -- acting everywhere at once to eliminate hazardous road conditions, damaging snow plows and salt.
> Channel water off the road to below ground to prevent flooding.
> Provide "smart" markings, warning of obstacles or wildlife on the road ahead, temporary speed restrictions, lane changes.
> Communicate road and module conditions, supplementing traffic cameras and providing immediate notifications of road hazards or repair needed.
> Don't "melt" in extreme heat like asphalt.
> Can be repaired by two guys with a pickup truck, removing a broken module and dropping in a new one.
> Consultations are ongoing with companies that make mutual induction plates to charge EVs while they're driving (at least one has tested successfully at 75mph). The Solar Roadway could charge the EVs while they're traveling, which would increase their range. It’s quite simple - the "receiver" plate gets mounted beneath the EV and the "transmitter" plate is installed in the road.
...
« Last Edit: September 25, 2016, 05:25:17 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #63 on: October 12, 2016, 01:27:26 AM »
The Sandpoint, Idaho Solar Roadways pilot project was... a big learning experience for the team.  A malfunction in their lamination oven destroyed the panels they had built for the display, right before the scheduled unveiling.  :-[

Making Lemonade
http://www.solarroadways.com/Blog/Show?b=4

SR PILOT ON TRACK DESPITE CHALLENGES
http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/local_news/20161007/sr_pilot_on_track_despite_challenges
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #64 on: October 13, 2016, 03:57:59 AM »
Potential collaboration with a LEED Certified hotel in Idaho.
"Talking about walkways and parking spaces up front with EV chargers. :) "

https://www.facebook.com/solarroadways/posts/10153713138042126:0

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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #65 on: November 25, 2016, 02:50:59 AM »
Solar-Panel Roads to Be Built on Four Continents Next Year
Quote
Electric avenues that can transmit the sun’s energy onto power grids may be coming to a city near you.

A subsidiary of Bouygues SA has designed rugged solar panels, capable of withstand the weight of an 18-wheeler truck, that they’re now building into road surfaces. After nearly five years of research and laboratory tests, they’re constructing 100 outdoor test sites and plan to commercialize the technology in early 2018.

“We wanted to find a second life for a road,” said Philippe Harelle, the chief technology officer at Colas SA’s Wattway unit, owned by the French engineering group Bouygues. “Solar farms use land that could otherwise be for agriculture, while the roads are free.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-24/solar-panel-roads-to-be-built-across-four-continents-next-year
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #66 on: December 23, 2016, 02:52:11 PM »
World's First Solar Road Opens in Normandy, France
Quote
France has just opened what it claims is the first public solar panel road in the world, officials said on Thursday.

The French Ministry of the Environment announced the inauguration of the "unprecedented" new road on Thursday, which is covered by solar panels and stretches for more than half mile in the town of Tourouvre-au-Perche in Normandy, France.

The road, called the Wattway, was officially opened Thursday by French Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal and Mayor Guy Monhée, according to a statement from the environmental ministry.

The stretch of road is covered in photovoltaic panels, which transform solar energy into electricity.
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/world-s-first-solar-road-opens-normandy-france-n699351
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jai mitchell

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #67 on: December 23, 2016, 05:19:28 PM »
World's First Solar Road Opens in Normandy, France

That is what happens when you have committed public/private partnership to forward alternative solutions to existential problems!
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #68 on: April 21, 2017, 06:07:04 AM »
Four months.  No news that I can find online.

TerryM

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #69 on: April 21, 2017, 10:39:00 AM »

Bob
Could the answer have been posted by oren upthread?



I never could quite understand the point of these solar roadways. Surely rooftop solar, parking-top solar, almost anything-top solar, is much cheaper to build as it doesn't need to be strengthened to withstand heavy and dynamic stuff moving over it. And it's far easier to install, and to maintain. And it sees more sun. So, why bother?


If the right of way is important to get space for solar panels, why not provide shade & rain shelter for the roadway by covering the highway with a solar canopy?
Fewer accidents on dry pavement, eliminate glare at sunrise/sunset, cooler pavement = less tire wear & the technology is arguably mature.
Why reinvent the wheel?


Terry

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #70 on: April 21, 2017, 04:57:27 PM »

Bob
Could the answer have been posted by oren upthread?



I never could quite understand the point of these solar roadways. Surely rooftop solar, parking-top solar, almost anything-top solar, is much cheaper to build as it doesn't need to be strengthened to withstand heavy and dynamic stuff moving over it. And it's far easier to install, and to maintain. And it sees more sun. So, why bother?


If the right of way is important to get space for solar panels, why not provide shade & rain shelter for the roadway by covering the highway with a solar canopy?
Fewer accidents on dry pavement, eliminate glare at sunrise/sunset, cooler pavement = less tire wear & the technology is arguably mature.
Why reinvent the wheel?


Terry

The advantage would be that you could just put these panels on the road and not have to build any supporting structure.  And I guess if you really believe that these panels can withstand traffic over decades then there could be some savings from not having to resurface the road.

But color me skeptical.  Which is why I am looking for data.

Problems I see, if there's much traffic then there's going to be a shade problem.  Short sections of panels would need their own MPPT controllers in order to contribute to the overall output and not pull the entire system voltage down.

Road surfaces get dirty. 

I don't know if there is a glass whose surface won't abraid from rocks and sand being ground in by car tires. 

Electrical stuff doesn't like being "laid on the ground".  There will be times when the panels and other components will be under water and, in some places, under snow.

Supposedly the glass has a non-slip surface.  Might that mean that less light gets through to be converted to electricity?

The panels are mounted flat.  Ideally panels should face the Sun at a 90 degree angle.  Due to mounting angle there will be less electricity produced.

We've now got a stretch  (or two?) of solar roadway and a stretch of solar bike path/walkway.  Let's see some data.

What's working best at the moment seems to be ground mounting with single axis trackers.  That's where utility solar has gone.  In the US solar farms are returning 30% CF where fixed mount would give about 23% CF. Extra 30% output.  Plus tracking means a longer solar day, reducing the need for storage or generation from another method.

I'm very interested in Tesla's solar roof tiles.  If the price works out so that it costs no more to use them than clay or ceramic tile then I think we're really going to see a change in home construction.  And it may be that while a solar roof might be more expensive than asphalt/composition shingles the electricity generated might pay back the difference in a reasonable amount of time.

If the solar tiles work, are durable, and affordable then I think we'll see home designers and architects designing roofs with sunshine capture in mind. 

Solar roads?  Someone's got to prove they work. And work as good or better than other solutions.



Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #71 on: April 23, 2017, 04:53:35 PM »
Solar Roadways has a Facebook page here:  https://www.facebook.com/solarroadways/

They had something of a fiasco last October, when they were to install the first panels at a pilot project in their local city of Sandpoint location.  They had never tried to produce so many panels at one time, and their laminating ovens failed, damaging most of the panels.  Reinstall in February was a success.

Sandpoint's webcam is here:  http://www.cityofsandpoint.com/visiting-sandpoint/solar-roadways

Here's a recent update:
Quote
Happy #EarthDay Solar Roadies! I've been asking Scott for a long time to write a blog post about the Technology Behind the Scenes at #SolarRoadways. Between working on software, firmware, hardware, production and keeping up with our current USDOT contract, he truly doesn't have the time. But today - in celebration of the precious planet that we are working so hard to protect,he agreed to take some time out to give you all a better understanding of why things sometimes seem to take so long.

We are very concerned with time too, especially since we truly believe SR is the best solution to help halt Climate Change and help to heal this planet. With the help of so many of you who have donated on Indiegogo and our website to bring us to this point, the technology now stands ready for our first full production line so that we can begin to produce hundreds of panels a day, accept the orders that await from all corners of the Earth, and create jobs for many who want to join us on this mission.

We've been exploring all models to raise the funds we need for this expansion and have just begun to schedule meetings with those who have reached out to help.

Blessings to all of you who are honoring the #Earth today through marching, raising awareness, planting trees, sending up prayers or whatever feels right to you. Thank you to all who continue to share this journey to heal this precious planet we all call home.

For those who want to connect with us: http://www.solarroadways.com/Home/Contact
 
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Bob Wallace

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #72 on: April 23, 2017, 06:52:15 PM »
RE:  Solar Roadways Facebook report.

Lots of  faith.  No evidence.

Judgement will have to wait.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #73 on: April 23, 2017, 08:16:31 PM »
RE:  Solar Roadways Facebook report.

Lots of  faith.  No evidence.

Judgement will have to wait.

real time daily energy outputs.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/V3vh1173801/overview
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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #74 on: April 23, 2017, 10:27:20 PM »
RE:  Solar Roadways Facebook report.

Lots of  faith.  No evidence.

Judgement will have to wait.

real time daily energy outputs.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/V3vh1173801/overview

On the page it says "Tilt: 48.3°".  That's not a non-tilted roadway.  There's a mistake somewhere or this is a test of the panels mounted above road levels.

If these were flat mounted (roadway) panels then before we can make any determination we'd need comparison data from a fixed tilt array.  We'd need to see the output over time as they were exposed to real world road conditions.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #75 on: April 23, 2017, 11:29:45 PM »
wikipedia gives its latitude as 48o16' , thats pretty close to 48.3, could it be what they mean by tilt angle? 
Not sure what the technical term would be.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #76 on: April 24, 2017, 12:32:27 AM »
Yeah, I thought about that.  For this time of year (spring equinox) the ideal mounting angle would be the same as the latitude.  15 degrees flatter at the summer solstice and 15 degrees steeper at the winter solstice.

The thumbnail on the page opens a picture of some panels attached to a pedestrian 'plaza'.  So, in that case they are mounted flat.  But not on a roadway or even in a place likely to receive heavy foot traffic.

Their first installation was on a concrete pad outside one of the buildings at their home. 

They claimed to have some skidpad data that showed the panel cover glass to be safe for cars.  But I've seen no data that tells whether that surface does or does not reduce output.  And no data on how it holds up to traffic over time.

I'm skeptical but open to being proved wrong.  They need to step up their game, IMHO.  Right now by doing stuff like installing their solar "roadway" in a protected environment and giving no comparison data from a normally mounted panel nearby they come across more as people who are trying to create an income for themselves.

Go out and install a few panels in your own driveway along with a 'control' panel.  Let's see what flat mounting, normal dirt washing over, and a tiny bit of traffic do to the output.  If that's encouraging then find a place to do a test where there is higher traffic flow.

ghoti

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #77 on: April 24, 2017, 01:36:42 AM »
The output of the 30 panels is impressively tiny. It seems that the array is maxing out at about 10 cents of electricity a day. There really seems to be something lacking. Perhaps way too much emphasis on packing lights and computers into the panels instead of actual solar cells.

Compare this to the array on the Sandpoint Charter School at 25kwh for the days the Solar Roadways array produced 1kwh.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/3u9B26571/overview

Sigmetnow

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #78 on: April 24, 2017, 03:24:47 PM »
.
...

Go out and install a few panels in your own driveway along with a 'control' panel.  Let's see what flat mounting, normal dirt washing over, and a tiny bit of traffic do to the output.  If that's encouraging then find a place to do a test where there is higher traffic flow.

They've done a lot of testing on their prototype installation at their home, such as this:


Their plan is to begin with sidewalk installations, then parking lots, then roads, as they further refine their design before they begin volume manufacturing....


I'd rate this about as complex as starting an electric car company.  Elon Musk heard people say, over and over, that Tesla would fail, because an EV company would never work.  His response:  I don't care.  We're doing it anyway. 

I keep watching, to see how the Brusaws progress.  :D
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jai mitchell

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #79 on: April 24, 2017, 04:41:34 PM »
I wouldn't expect to see strong panel output until June, considering the siting (flat pavers) and state (Idaho).

It should be noted that the primary benefit of the panel technology is to offset the cost of traditional pavement and provide an easily replaceable system that also happens to generate electricity.  An early spring production of 1Kwh per day for such a small array does provide lots of potential for larger arrays in the southwest desert states.
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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #80 on: April 24, 2017, 06:15:50 PM »
Actually at that latitude the April incident solar on a horizontal surface is almost identical (within 5%) to that on a south facing 45 degree slope. I really expect the values are low because that actually area of solar cell is small relative to the panel size.

jai mitchell

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #81 on: April 24, 2017, 06:30:42 PM »
ghoti,

it is actually closer to 20% as measured by the difference in cosine of the zenith angles at Sand Point and Albuquerque NM. 

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TerryM

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #82 on: April 24, 2017, 10:08:03 PM »
Jai
 While desert roadways are in general less complex than in more northern climes, there are some aspects of the desert that might prove problematical:


Extreme heat - AFAIK PV abhors heat. A dark car will burn your hand on contact in summer
Extreme cold - The diurnal temperature swing is brutal. Expansion/contraction joints will need to be well thought out as well as materials that won't prove too flexible when heated and too brittle when chilled
Solar radiation - I've seen fiberglass canoes that have melted from solar radiation. Nothing plastic lasts for long
Sand scouring
Flash floods


I'm not sure that it wouldn't be better to work out the bugs in a less challenging region before tackling the desert.


Terry






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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #83 on: April 24, 2017, 10:15:39 PM »
I have no idea if PV pavement is feasible, but a roadway that could capture and store enough energy to melt off winter snow cover in a timely manner would be a huge hit in the northern states and Canada. If the paving is unable to do so, the damage done by snow removal equipment needs to be taken into account in any region that still experiences snowfall.


Terry

ghoti

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #84 on: April 24, 2017, 10:32:33 PM »
Jai, zenith angle is only a small part of the story. I'm going off of tables of average daily total incident for cities of similar latitude. Tables compiled by the National Research Council of Canada (in "The Solarium Workbook" I happen to own).

In any case 1kwh max per day is tiny for 30 panels. Even 1.2 kwh per day is tiny. There has to be very little in the way of solar cell in those panels.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #85 on: April 24, 2017, 11:26:46 PM »
I have no idea if PV pavement is feasible, but a roadway that could capture and store enough energy to melt off winter snow cover in a timely manner would be a huge hit in the northern states and Canada. If the paving is unable to do so, the damage done by snow removal equipment needs to be taken into account in any region that still experiences snowfall.


Terry

I think that math has been done and there wouldn't be enough energy produced to keep the roads snow free.

Wonder how these panels might hold up to snow plows?  I've seen scrapes in concrete....

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #86 on: April 24, 2017, 11:41:28 PM »
Quote
The 150 sq ft (14 sq m) installation in Sandpoint's Jeff Jones Town Square is made up of 30 SR3 panels.  (T)he SR3 ... is rated at 48 W....

http://newatlas.com/solar-roadways-sandpoint-public-installation/45723/
 

Apparently some of the 30 panels did not work when the installation was done last October.  I don't know how many might have been replaced to date.  If they are all working the peak output should be about 1,440 watts.

They claim a peak today of  0.16 kilowatts (11:15 AM). 160 watts.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/V3vh1173801/overview

If you take the 15 minute periods from 11:00AM to  12:00PM it sums up to  110 Wh.  During the 11:45 to 12:00 block they report 33 Wh.

My guess is that they have few working panels installed.  Maybe three?

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #87 on: April 25, 2017, 03:50:21 PM »
On January 9, 2017, Solar Roadways posted to Facebook:

Quote
Irony = We are stranded at home today in north #Idaho with a #WinterStorm Advisory. In spite of repeated plowing and shoveling, our car got stuck on our own driveway and we’ve had near 0 temps. We don’t get these extremes very often here, but the good news is that it’s giving Sandpoint’s panels a real test on our parking lot.

Since we are not there today, we asked a friend who is in town to go take a pic for us. As you can see, it looks like one panel is out (probably a loose connection) but the rest are keeping up pretty well, even though we are not there to make adjustments. We do want it to warm enough for the snow on the connectors to melt too, so we will keep fine tuning before we put the panels in at Jeff Jones Square.

Hope you all like this vision of how we will be able to #disruptwinter keeping us all safer when driving and walking. We want to take the pain out of winter and leave only the beauty.
https://www.facebook.com/solarroadways/posts/10153955929677126:0

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jai mitchell

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #88 on: April 25, 2017, 04:06:48 PM »
Quote
The 150 sq ft (14 sq m) installation in Sandpoint's Jeff Jones Town Square is made up of 30 SR3 panels.  (T)he SR3 ... is rated at 48 W....

http://newatlas.com/solar-roadways-sandpoint-public-installation/45723/
 

Apparently some of the 30 panels did not work when the installation was done last October.  I don't know how many might have been replaced to date.  If they are all working the peak output should be about 1,440 watts.

They claim a peak today of  0.16 kilowatts (11:15 AM). 160 watts.

https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/V3vh1173801/overview

If you take the 15 minute periods from 11:00AM to  12:00PM it sums up to  110 Wh.  During the 11:45 to 12:00 block they report 33 Wh.

My guess is that they have few working panels installed.  Maybe three?

have you checked the weather in Sandpoint this last week?

it has been very cloudy  http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/east/eaus/flash-wv.html
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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #89 on: April 25, 2017, 06:04:53 PM »
If the panels are covered with snow then the heat used to melt the snow is not coming from electricity generated by the panels.  The electricity consumed is coming from the grid.

They've installed these panels but they don't seem to be monitoring the amount of electricity they pull from the grid, only what they contribute.  Or they aren't making that data public.

These people seem to have no background in science.  Perhaps only an engineer who knows how to attach wires to stuff.  Their data collection and controls really stink.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #90 on: April 25, 2017, 10:52:46 PM »
Jai yes I checked the weather and compared production from other systems in the same town. They are just doing a very sloppy job monitoring and managing their installation. It is very clearly under producing. We aren't there and so we can't know what the problems are but they are there and should be fixing things.

It is a bad situation when you take a good idea and implement is badly and give the whole concept a bad reputation.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #91 on: April 26, 2017, 12:42:03 AM »
If the panels are covered with snow then the heat used to melt the snow is not coming from electricity generated by the panels.  The electricity consumed is coming from the grid.

They've installed these panels but they don't seem to be monitoring the amount of electricity they pull from the grid, only what they contribute.  Or they aren't making that data public.

These people seem to have no background in science.  Perhaps only an engineer who knows how to attach wires to stuff.  Their data collection and controls really stink.

Some sunlight reaches the panels through snow.  When the panels are operating, they generate heat, apart from any special melting technology.  That's why I didn't need to clean the snow off the solar panels on my (slanted) roof this winter -- the snow just slid off as the panels warmed. :)

Heat from the solar roadways panels in operation could thin the snow layer enough to increase PV output, and eventually let an auxiliary melting circuit kick in.


Edit: Tesla solar roofs can melt snow yet still generate a "strongly net positive" output.
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/792220517654597633
« Last Edit: April 26, 2017, 01:17:41 AM by Sigmetnow »
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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #92 on: April 26, 2017, 01:47:12 AM »
Quote
Some sunlight reaches the panels through snow.  When the panels are operating, they generate heat, apart from any special melting technology.  That's why I didn't need to clean the snow off the solar panels on my (slanted) roof this winter -- the snow just slid off as the panels warmed.

If I wait for my steeply slanted panels (almost 60 degrees) to heat up on their own and shed their snow I could lose many hours of generation.  And these roadway panels are mounted flat.

Self-cleaning would, I suspect, only work if the panels were capable of keeping snow from sticking from the start.  And, I suspect, the power demand is simply going to be too high.

Then - if the panels are mounted on highways there's going to be a lot of mud and ice tracked onto them, even if they do melt off their own snow.


jai mitchell

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #93 on: April 26, 2017, 03:45:56 AM »
If I wait for my steeply slanted panels (almost 60 degrees) to heat up on their own and shed their snow I could lose many hours of generation.  And these roadway panels are mounted flat.

hopefully they will also have road traffic on them when tracks move over them, the surface being slightly warmer would allow for melt in that track greatly increasing production.  In addition, a single pass from a squeegee plow would provide enough surface to begin generation.
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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #94 on: April 26, 2017, 09:24:18 AM »
It's been a few years since I heard about this, but weren't they originally supposed to be able to melt snow/ice via built in heaters?

Yep..

Quote
They contain heating elements to prevent snow and ice accumulation.

http://www.solarroadways.com/

I don't know if that means they actually need to be connected to the grid or what....

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #95 on: April 26, 2017, 10:02:43 AM »
They would need to pull electricity from the grid if they were going to be very functional.  Imagine a snowfall at night.  The panels won't be making enough power to melt the snow the next day.

Here's the Solar Roadway's page on heating.  They mention nothing about power draw.  They do talk about keeping the surface warm enough to keep snow and ice from forming.

http://www.solarroadways.com/Specifics/Heating

BTW, there is a company that sells solar panels which are designed to generate heat and sluff off snow (get it to slide off).  I've heard nothing about their effectiveness and if anyone is buying them.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #96 on: April 26, 2017, 01:49:02 PM »
This all reminds me of the time when I was building and selling ultra-energy-efficient computers (even offering them with wooden casings), naively thinking I could change the industry. Just as with me, it all looks rather amateurish and lots of blah-blah. If it doesn't get picked up by a larger company - that's where I failed - it's probably not going to happen.
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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #97 on: April 26, 2017, 02:21:31 PM »
I don't know if that means they actually need to be connected to the grid or what....

Presumably they would be connected to the grid anyway.

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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #98 on: April 26, 2017, 02:58:13 PM »
France paved a road with solar panels

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2016/12/worlds-first-solar-road-opens-in-france/

World’s first solar road opens in France: It’s ridiculously expensive
Kilometer-long road cost $5.2 million to build.

it is one lane and provides enough power equal to the demand for street lighting.

but the economics of this is actually in the investment of long-life pavers, not energy.

A typical city street (2 lane) costs about $250,000 per km/lane to strip and resurface.  So if the panels last 20 years (doubtful) then a large portion of the cost is offset from maintenance savings.  If they are safer, provide self cleaning (snow) and some power then that would be additional savings.

I have always suspected that if this technology is to work it would be implemented on Route 66 in the southern united states.
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Re: Solar Roadways
« Reply #99 on: April 26, 2017, 03:27:47 PM »

World’s first solar road opens in France: It’s ridiculously expensive
Kilometer-long road cost $5.2 million to build.

it is one lane and provides enough power equal to the demand for street lighting.

but the economics of this is actually in the investment of long-life pavers, not energy.

A typical city street (2 lane) costs about $250,000 per km/lane to strip and resurface.  So if the panels last 20 years (doubtful) then a large portion of the cost is offset from maintenance savings. 

Do you expect roads to be stripped and resurfaced every year or is that a cost per year?