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Why are people so obsessed with "solar roadways" or "solar train tracks"? This is a joke, a gimmick, it makes absolutely no sense. Well, except for the startups

Why are people so obsessed with "solar roadways" or "solar train tracks"? This is a joke, a gimmick, it makes absolutely no sense. Well, except for the startups that are getting massive subsidies and grants for these clown projects. There are still millions of open-space square meters all over the country. Think of flat-roof warehouses, supermarkets, parking facilities and more. Those places are easy to access, easy to install, easy to maintain. These train track installments however.... hard to install, require non-standardized panel sizes, non-standard wiring, special equipment, are in a dusty/dirty uncontrollable environment, maintenance is only possible in coordination with the train company. My guess is that these things are 4-5x more expensive on a per kwH basis, if you consider the total cost of ownership.

the-dude 3y ago
Most of the roofs you mention are not built to support load.
- atoav 3y ago
  As someone from the Alps, I'd really see a source on that. Most alpine roofs are built to survive extreme snow loads. My father just covered his roof in solar and that roof was built in the 70s.
- rasz 3y ago
  Thats why they are dismantled every year just before winder and rebuild after last snow melts.
- lopis 3y ago
  Maybe in America?
atoav 3y ago
Solar train tracks or roadways are a dumb person's idea what innovation looks like.
ajsnigrutin 3y ago
Solar on roofs is a solved problem, chinese make the panels, and hundreds of locals installers install it. If you want grant money, you need something new, like a solar monorail!
- dudeinjapan 3y ago
  The name's Lanley, Lyle Lanley. And I come before you good people tonight with an idea. Probably the greatest—Aw, it's not for you. It's more a Shelbyville idea.
lopis 3y ago
The people from Solar Roadways actually got support from several governments in the US. It's totally bonkers. They never had a proper functioning system. The whole idea is ridiculous and people pointed it out since the beginning. But it generated so much news that governments were so ready to jump on it. And they are STILL at it. So here we are, 10 years later, and still talking about putting solar panels in places where they will: break, get very dirty, be hard to fix and replace. We can't have good things because money and politics talk, not science. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OLnfNrCQM4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OLnfNrCQM4
ZeroGravitas 3y ago
You get ad impressions from people who read the headline and think "that's a great idea", or "that's a stupid idea" or "wait, is that actually possible?" or "that sounds neat" and they all count towards the algorithm in a way that "Let's put solar on the boring places" doesn't. On a graph, the money spent or the capacity installed has never been more than a blip of a blip but it gets eyeballs.

the-dude 3y ago

Most of the roofs you mention are not built to support load.

atoav 3y ago
As someone from the Alps, I'd really see a source on that. Most alpine roofs are built to survive extreme snow loads. My father just covered his roof in solar and that roof was built in the 70s.
rasz 3y ago
Thats why they are dismantled every year just before winder and rebuild after last snow melts.
lopis 3y ago
Maybe in America?

atoav 3y ago

Solar train tracks or roadways are a dumb person's idea what innovation looks like.

ajsnigrutin 3y ago

Solar on roofs is a solved problem, chinese make the panels, and hundreds of locals installers install it. If you want grant money, you need something new, like a solar monorail!

dudeinjapan 3y ago
The name's Lanley, Lyle Lanley. And I come before you good people tonight with an idea. Probably the greatest—Aw, it's not for you. It's more a Shelbyville idea.

lopis 3y ago

The people from Solar Roadways actually got support from several governments in the US. It's totally bonkers. They never had a proper functioning system. The whole idea is ridiculous and people pointed it out since the beginning. But it generated so much news that governments were so ready to jump on it. And they are STILL at it. So here we are, 10 years later, and still talking about putting solar panels in places where they will: break, get very dirty, be hard to fix and replace. We can't have good things because money and politics talk, not science. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OLnfNrCQM4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OLnfNrCQM4

ZeroGravitas 3y ago

You get ad impressions from people who read the headline and think "that's a great idea", or "that's a stupid idea" or "wait, is that actually possible?" or "that sounds neat" and they all count towards the algorithm in a way that "Let's put solar on the boring places" doesn't. On a graph, the money spent or the capacity installed has never been more than a blip of a blip but it gets eyeballs.