Newfie, You may well be right on this one because paving all roads in US with solar panels is not viable financially. However, there may be a specific application for these panels we haven't thought of yet or paving could work in restricted areas like downtown. In any case, you are not the only with critical views. Here is someone offering "real solutions".
Freshly Minted: Solar Roadways Will Almost Definitely Not HappenNo shortage of solutions
Infrastructure tech companies don’t often get buzzy coverage from The Verge or Business Insider. But there are plenty of startups in this field that don’t just have cool products and clicky campaigns, but real business models.
At Urban Future Lab alone, there are startups like:
Smarter Grid Solutions — a startup that’s taking on the aforementioned issue of introducing power sources like solar and wind in older power grids.
HEVO Power — a company that makes wireless electric car charging for shipping and cargo fleets.
Enertiv — a startup that builds sensors and software to help monitor power usage coming from your breaker box, down to each light bulb and AC unit.
These are startups that know the strife of trying to affect real change in the infrastructure world, where the powers that be are reluctant to partner with tech startups.
“If you’re a city buying streetlights, you want them to last 40 years,” Mr. Kotch said. “If you’re dealing with a venture backed startup, you have no idea that they’re going to be around that long.”
But these companies are finally starting to gain traction. Smarter Grid is working with Con Edison on the New York City grid, and HEVO Power just landed a contract to pilot their wireless car batteries for Frito Lay’s trucking fleet. These are real solutions — not to mention, great solutions to solar energy that are cheaper and more efficient than putting panels in road tiles.
betabeatI just discovered where solar roads will start. It's far from over.
Solar Roadways Spark Public's Imagination, But Cost Could Be Barrier The idea is to replace all roads — starting with private driveways and parking lots — with the solar, heating and LED panels sandwiched between layers of ultra-thick glass.The initial $1 million would go toward hiring a team of engineers to expand the project.
huffingtonpost
Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. H. G. Wells.
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