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Are Glowing, Solar Smart Roads the Future?
cartechboy (2660665) writes "We were just talking about glow-in-the-dark roads and how they were having issues already. Now there's a company called Solar Roadways that's looking to make glowing, solar, smart roads. Back in 2009 the Department of Transportation awarded Solar Roadways $100,000 to prototype road systems with embedded digital signage and dividing lines, all powered by the sun. As it turns out, the company's prototype performed well — so well that Solar Roadways is now looking to go big-time, and it's asking for your help to do so. At the heart of the Solar Roadways project sit a vast number of hexagonal tiles. The bottom of those tiles consist of solar panels and circuit boards, covered with a thick sheet of tempered glass. The panels contain LED lights, which can be configured to mark traffic lanes, send messages, or fulfill other functions. The panels also have heating elements to help melt snow and ice during colder months. Are these smart roads the future, or just another pipe dream?"
I believe it was A. Coward who first postulated that if a slashdot headline is a question, then the answer is "No".
Using solar PV for keeping snow off roads would be dumb. Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious.
Solar thermal on the other hand does work quite well. You only need to keep the temperature a little above zero to stop snow laying.
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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Republican states, almost invariably, pay less to the federal kitty than the federal kitty pays back. They've great roads because they're on federal road welfare.