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"Almost anywhere is better than a road." No, because land close to humans is limited and I would like at least some forest to remain forests. If it would be r

"Almost anywhere is better than a road." No, because land close to humans is limited and I would like at least some forest to remain forests. If it would be really cheap to add solar panels as a bonus, even with no high efficency, this whole idea makes sense, otherwise not. So I wouldn't rule it out, if there would be a significant cheaper way, but I surely would not bet on that idea. If anything, I would make the panels as a roof over the road and get sound protection for the people and snow protection for the road as well. Still quite expensive

crooked-v 4y ago
> and I would like at least some forest to remain forests You're dramatically overestimating the actual land coverage that would be needed to power the entire world with solar panels (assuming one abstracts away the problem of actually running power lines everywhere). A square 340 miles on a side would do it, from the back-of-the-envelope calculations I've seen.
- hutzlibu 4y ago
  The forests are not cut down because of solar panels, but because of agriculture. The more land that is covered with solar panels, means less land for agriculture (I like the dual use concept, though). The spaces here in germany, that are covered with solar panels, would have been adequate agriculture area, but is now ugly and in use. So if you could just use the road as the space, you could save that other land for other use. This is the idea behind it.
IshKebab 4y ago
> No, because land close to humans is limited It's not that limited. Think how many roofs there are. Or car parks. Also HVDC power transmission is a thing now. You don't even need to have your power source close to humans.
- hutzlibu 4y ago
  "Also HVDC power transmission is a thing now." It has always been a thing, but it still means losses and expenses to build it. If you could have solar panels in the road, you could charge electric cars directly and efficently. But like I said, unlikely to happen.
  - IshKebab 4y ago
    I mean yeah but "if we had magical technology that doesn't exist we could use it" isn't a very interesting fact.
    - hutzlibu 4y ago
      Solar panels are a very real technology and solar roads are working. It is just that they are too expensive to make much sense. With many potential new solar tech that is in the pipeline, that might change.

crooked-v 4y ago

> and I would like at least some forest to remain forests You're dramatically overestimating the actual land coverage that would be needed to power the entire world with solar panels (assuming one abstracts away the problem of actually running power lines everywhere). A square 340 miles on a side would do it, from the back-of-the-envelope calculations I've seen.

hutzlibu 4y ago
The forests are not cut down because of solar panels, but because of agriculture. The more land that is covered with solar panels, means less land for agriculture (I like the dual use concept, though). The spaces here in germany, that are covered with solar panels, would have been adequate agriculture area, but is now ugly and in use. So if you could just use the road as the space, you could save that other land for other use. This is the idea behind it.

IshKebab 4y ago

> No, because land close to humans is limited It's not that limited. Think how many roofs there are. Or car parks. Also HVDC power transmission is a thing now. You don't even need to have your power source close to humans.

hutzlibu 4y ago
"Also HVDC power transmission is a thing now." It has always been a thing, but it still means losses and expenses to build it. If you could have solar panels in the road, you could charge electric cars directly and efficently. But like I said, unlikely to happen.
- IshKebab 4y ago
  I mean yeah but "if we had magical technology that doesn't exist we could use it" isn't a very interesting fact.
  - hutzlibu 4y ago
    Solar panels are a very real technology and solar roads are working. It is just that they are too expensive to make much sense. With many potential new solar tech that is in the pipeline, that might change.