4 ms·
Why not place a bunch of solar panels in the desert or, indeed, on roofs, instead of covering highways with glass? This makes no sense at all.
by thisjepisje 12y ago
Why not place a bunch of solar panels in the desert or, indeed, on roofs, instead of covering highways with glass? This makes no sense at all.
- Shivetya 12y agoThis idea has been refuted on so many levels on so many sites it is distressing to see it posted again and again.
- ctdonath 12y agoBecause there isn't a desert next to my house nor state. The problem is finding a large flat surface that shadowing won't harm. My roof may not be large enough for enough power via solar cells (and I'm really not keen on climbing on that steep a surface that high up), I don't want to cover the lawn with panels, and I'm not cutting down my forest ... but my driveway (and street) gets a lot of light - given a solar panel tough enough to drive on, that would reclaim sunlight-rich surfaces with zero further impact. This "road surface solar cell" solves the problem of "solar strip mining" whereby sunlight is denied en masse to an area that otherwise needs it (lawns, deserts (yes, light-needing stuff lives there)). Paved areas have already completely destroyed anything living there, and are not likely reclaimed for any life or activity other than driving. Good to dual-use a road rather than lay waste to even more square mileage of land. (I'm skeptical of the durability of these things though. Roads, even mere driveways, are an awfully harsh environment.)