@Cray Fishe I swear this could have been a kinda good idea if there was enough money in it if he just left the elevator out and didn't name it fucking Hyper tunnel. The train of thought was holey like Swiss cheese
J Hughes Oh yeah! Rooftop solar panels project -- cover your wasted space with smart, self-orienting, super efficient solar panels! If we covered every rooftop in the US with just one solar panel each, we'd be making... well idk how much power that would be, but at least it'll be much more than what we'd make if we say, turned our roads into solar panels... haha, that's ridiculous, who'd ever do that?
You really wanna try doing that? Hell, I'd help you at "labor and parts" cost, just to see the real life results. Your primary problem to figure out will be storage, since you're pulling DC and then converting to AC on the spot. Which means you're having to store in batteries. You can use lithium ion or its various related tech, which is expensive, or you go lead acid, which can also be a maintenance issue if your control units ever fail and overcharge/boil the battery too hard. Here, you'll be balancing storage reliability, and energy density with storage COST. Right now, your likeliest candidates are a few very old technologies which are remarkably potent, and a few more modern tech which are almost as potent, but far more toxic, and then you've got the very modern tech of laptop batteries and electric car batteries which are the most costly. It doesn't sound like much, until you realize what kinds of maintenance and materials expenditure you're talking about. As always with a DC to AC conversion, you also have to deal with inverter loss and the fact that this is not a steady power source. Your secondary problem to solve will be surface area, which is what these guys were hoping to solve by embedding the panels into roadways (which take up quite a bit of horizontal area.) Tall buildings in big cities will not do nearly as well as suburban sprawl because you've got significantly more people drawing more power in a smaller area, and urban areas are all about packing as many people into as little surface area as possible. This is why you see solar panels on houses, but they're mostly a trivial "emergency power backup" at best on sky scrapers or any other tall building. I love photovoltaics and some of the interesting new spins on the technology, but it requires massive farms and in areas where hail occurs, it requires a much more robust panel.
Paul Constantin I wasn't going to start anything, but anyways... Putting solar panels on roofs DEFINITELY wins on the surface area department in urban areas. Look at a single block, it has 4 streets and a bunch of buildings. Would you get more energy out of putting panels on those skinny streets or covering the whole block with solar panels? As for suburban areas, even roadside panels are better than turning roads into panels (I mean just think about the maintenance!). IMO power transfer is more important than storage. All forms of chemical accumulators would run out of lifespan and eventually require replacement. Instead of storing a huge surplus of power at day, we could somehow export the power to the areas that are currently in night time (I know, freaking cross-country power transmission we're talking about here). Currently, the only candidate is HVDC electric lines which are known for their efficiency in cross-sea power transmission. The US only covers a +- 3 hour timezone though, which means to constantly get solar power, you'd have to pump power from China. Political cooperation aside, beaming power this far will be the single most amazing engineering marvel to ever be created. No cables will ever be able to do that, as the maintenance will be massive and any little earthquake across the 4-5 tectonic plate boundaries will render it useless. We might just end up putting the panels in the North and South poles, where the sun shines half a year and are both closer to NA.
I’ve got loads of them, I even tried to design a magnetic floating car using magnets repelling each other (in my intoxicated mind of course). Then I put it on paper the next day. Went straight to the waste paper basket in 30 seconds! 😂
I'm pleasantly surprised to see someone who not only understands hard, real-world limitations standing in the way of lofty kooky ideas but is actually willing to go to the trouble of making a video debunking them, explaining the unaddressed problems to everybody else. You sir have my deepest respect...
the inventors made a small demo exhibit for the public. A patch of a few hexagons that malfunctioned and *caught fire* within days. Thunderf00t did a video on that too.
@@philojudaeusofalexandria9556 Really shows how America is right now. Scams are the best way to make money, since mostly everyone is dumb enough to fall for it.
Eugh. Just got an image of me falling off my bicycle and right into the gate as a kid. Those forehead stitches were not fun. I can't imagine any motorcycle, let alone a motorist, wanting to drive on these glass things.
GearZNet And it wouldn't work. If there was enough energy in play to heat up the snow to melt it, the sun would do it directly. You wouldn't be able to generate enough electricity from solar power to heat the roads enough to melt snow.
mythousandfaces I assume most of the energy would be stored in batteries. And during the winter season they could funnel some of that into heat, preventing the buildup of large amounts of snow. If anything decreasing the need of snow plowers and the like.
mythousandfaces What if you were to concentrate that energy into sections and melt the snow a chunk at a time? Once one section is melted move to another and so on down the line. Seems (to me at least) the reason the sun doesn't melt the snow effectively has more to do with its indirect angle and the reflective properties of snow than "not enough energy". Add on top of that you would then be using two types of heat transfer - thermal conduction from the road panels and thermal radiation from the sun - it might just work. (disclaimer - I don't know shit about the technology or science behind any of this)
Thunderf00t copied my video that I was just about to think of making on this exact topic. This is essentially what I was going to come up with therefore you can credit the video to me. you're welcome
tjpld BULLSHIT ALARM! 20M? That's it? These people are in no way doing actual fusion. You can't do that in your home. The magnets required would need to be enormous to sustain fusion, and these are some rag-tag chumps.
Diana Peña Read the article. You can do fusion in a small lab with a Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor it isn't hard. Net-Energy is hard. Also 200K is not to get a commerical reactor. They're getting more fusion yield from their input than all of the expensive government programs for a fraction of the budget. They have been developing this approach which isn't new for over a decade. There are more appraoches to fusion than just the "Let's get some big fucking magnets and contain some plasma" approaches.
The funny thing is that these are going to fail, and people are going to blame oil companies unjustly for shutting it down never realizing how absurd an idea this truly was to begin with.
DeviantDespot Others will probably blame Obama, or The Republicans. Yah, sure, oil companies have earned our distrust (as have politicians), but using them as general purpose villains to explain every thing that doesn't go the way we want can create a dysfunctional separation from reality.
Another thing they forgot to consider: Roads are not flat, they are often curved to some degree, especially in places like San Francisco. How will these flat panels account for that?
Drones to light specific areas? That's basically casting giant spotlights on the roads. That might not be nessecary though, as one technology doesn't get better in a vacuum.
Nice idea, but as you've pointed out there are so many reasons why it won't work. I think modular solar pv roof panels would be a better option to invest in.
Yeah, there are so many places we should cover in solar panels before we even think about the roads. Starting by putting them on roofs and in deserts seems like a better idea. And solar is expensive enough for the power you get without blocking off the light by putting a dirty road on top of them.
ybra sadly, this won't happen so long as corporations control the US government. Oil and coal won't allow green energies to grow as they should. They stifle the competition.
The God Emperor Yeah, but neither will solar freakin roadways, as it simply wont work. And a thing like this might even hurt the cause, as they will become an example of a failed environmental program.
ybra I think it could work, just not for every road in the nation, more for parking lots and drive ways, possibly for side walks (actually, walk ways might be the best place for it, far less wear and tear cause we humans aren't quite as heavy as a car :P).
I dont know if you have it in other places, but in Israel we have on the roofs of a lot of houses black barrels, pretty cheap. Cold water in, sun in, hot water out. Something as simple as that, if incorporated in a large scale water system of sorts (even cleaned sewers water), could probably be heated to boiling point and create some energy for small desert towns and the sorts. Maybe not. Anyways, this wouldn't cost that much to make, could be made by personal investment of one town or so, it's black barrels, "tunnels" and a generator for fucks sakes. Maybe I'm 100% percent wrong, but it does seem more feasible to me.
I use this video on a regular basis to listen to while falling asleep, not because it's boring, but because listening to Thunderf00t dismantling pseudoscience and other bullshit ideas from Indiegogo, gives me the peace of mind I need to sleep in this crazy world of stupid and insane people. Keep it up and I hope when someone reads this comment Thunderf00t will have hit the 1 Million subs milestone.
The supposed "green" credentials of this idea are obviously horse shite too. If you use all the recycled glass to build roads, you need to use a lot more primary glass to make bottles etc. And that needs a lot more energy than recycling does, so even IF they could transport the energy from their worn down, dirty, oil-covered glass roads, they'd just find the energy bill for glass production increasing, along with all the energy needed to actually make their glass roads. Since their tiles won't produce enough energy to make more tiles, it's just a colossal waste of time, money, energy and resources.
Marverick Mercer There is nothing for them to market. That's why they didn't think of it. The materials to build the shade structures and the panels to put on top already exist. They needed something they could promote and trick people into donating money for.
***** Their reasons are stupid and wrong. "Would be incredibly expensive" is not an excuse when the product you're trying to market is even more incredibly expensive.
They would be SO much more expensive though- both material-wise, and I could see money wise too. Plus these have the added benefit of being a lot more than just a driving surface....
Well, if you read Jules Verne's 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea, the protagonist use sodium/mercury batteries (with the sodium extracted from the seawater) to power his submarine. Although I'm not sure if it works flawlessly in real life. I'm not an engineer
We simply start a mining operation on the sun, bring back small pieces of the sun to Earth and install these pieces under all the cars to improve the output of our newly installed Solar Freakin Roadways. Now I'm just a simple country god fearn creationist who loves apple pie and social justice and I thought of this all on my lonesome so whats you big city chemists doing? just a moanin and a fussin. ;).
That’s a brilliant idea, I can’t top it,but maybe equal it, how about a gas line from all the solar gas giants direct to earth. Since they are so huge we would have gas for a billion years (calculated on the back of an envelope). 😂 ✌️From a working class normie from Scotland 🏴 😂
Thunderf00t is really being generous in this! He said that the couple who are heading this just don't know that this isn't possible... I think they're just fucking con artists who ran an indygogo scam.
+Tom Riddle I agree, partially. They very well might think that this horse shit can work and it's an unintentional scam. If it's intentional though, I wonder if they could be sued for fraud. There's no science behind this shit, but it seems like you can get away with anything when it comes to crowdfunding. That seems like something that the law needs to address.
+TheGreatYukon If they really believe it, it would not be fraud. I however find it hard to imagine someone dumb enough to believe the idea but smart enough to run the effort to raise money.
I think it is a scam, I did mateirals engineering and it is easy to get industry or government funding for anything. If this was legit they wouldn't need an indiegogo campaign.
***** "If this was legit they wouldn't need an indiegogo campaign" Pretty much the best "in a nutshell" response I've heard to this thing. Why didn't I think of that
+Tom Riddle Agreed, I refuse to believe they actually put any money into any prototypes whatsoever. They just slapped some stuff together that might look like solar panels. That's it.
imagine if we just put them on the moon!!!! just replace the moon with one big solar panel, and run a cable to earth. we could generate TONS of energy from it!!!
@ JOseph Payne Jokes aside, ever play that old Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed game from SSI (gold box sci fi rather than D&D game) for DOS? If you do, try to remember the Mariposa stations around Mercury which, in the game universe were solar collectors which focused the energy and sent it out via microwave to receptors further out in space and planetside? The concept isn't that far out, and work has been done on that in the past. Once the tech is fully commercially viable, who needs the cable?
In all seriousness, really the only/best way to transmit power between Earth and Moon would be something like a laser/Maser etc.. And that has some relatively large losses and challenges. It could be done, but at that point you might as well just create a bunch of solar satellites orbiting close to the sun, and have them 'beam' the energy back. Probably doesn't cost much more lol.
Having read all these comments, I find myself asking the only logical question one could ask having done so...How many TH-cam accounts does the guy asking for money to put solar panels in the fucking roads have? There is literally no way any human being who can use a keyboard and make some kind of language with it could be even close to dumb enough to defend this idiotic idea unless they were financially invested in it.
phil j I'm going to have to give you a warning for that. I said NO cheesy conspiritard soundbites. Here's how this works...You tell us why solar roadways are a good idea. Then, I tell you why you are wrong. If your next reply is like that one: IE contains zero information and zero contribution to the discussion, then you'll be talking to yourself. Of course, Poe's law is also in play here, so I may need you to prove you are an actual supporter of this retarded "technology" and not a Poe. For now, it doesn't matter. The hippy weirdos who can't see what a bad idea this is, will learn as much from seing a Poe getting dismantled as a genuine fruitcake.
Ash Scott You don't get to tell me what to say. As in any civilized conversation we'd have to agree to disagree. I don't have to comment on solar roadways because I didn't create the idea, but you obviously have an opinion of it and so I commented. I said you're ignorant because you say solar roadways is "retarded technology," which is offensive to a lot of people. That doesn't help your argument thus making it juvenile.
phil j So, you are offering nothing at all to back up your insinuation that a person pointing out the flaws in this idiotic, backwards, inefficient, ineffective solution to a problem that doesn't exist, is working for the oil industry? I was hoping you would at least TRY, even though you started from an indefensible position. Oh, well. Oh, and my use of the word "retarded" has nothing whatsoever to do with humans who have genetic mental handicaps. Just because people can and do apply that word to those people, doesn't mean that's what the word actually means.
A resident of the Pacific Northwest, I've been subjected to all manner of media promoting this thoroughly unrealistic project. That *anyone* who has lived in this area, infamous for its' extreme weather patterns (sudden, significant snowfall, ice storms, high winds blowing this area's abundant, towering evergreen trees onto roadways, not infrequent river-flooding rainfall, autumnal leaf falls blanketing any exposed surfaces, etc), accepts this concept as viable tends to reinforce my belief that my neighbors are idiots. Further, I've heard no consideration of how these roads would fare secondary to mild to moderate earthquake activity peculiar to specific regions of the PNW. Finally; have these so-called innovators reckoned how such roadways would function following the eruption of an active volcano? When Mt St Helens erupted in May of 1980, the ground glass that is volcanic ash covered *everything*, accumulating anywhere from 3-4inches to better than a few feet, dependent upon location. The sunlight obliterating results notwithstanding, the fine, sharp-edged ash would certainly damage electronics beneath their glass panelled surface.
How about thorium powered road ways? The radiation will keep the surface warm, so no snow or ice. People will not want to get too much radiation, so they will stop using their cars as much, which will be good for the environment AND remove congestion. Maybe you can even make a 2nd generation version where we just use nuclear waste. No longer any problem with finding a place for spent reactor fuel and such. I think I maybe on to something here. Send money now.
Benjamin Filbert I doubt it would be a good walking surface, either. However, those bright minds in Europe have installed a solar bike path in The Netherlands. I'm curious how they fared over their first Winter? www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/10/363023227/solar-bike-path-opens-this-week-in-the-netherlands
PonzooonTheGreat Yes, cause we always walk on the rooftops.... When you have solar panels on the sidewalks _as well as_ on the rooftops, you increase the rate at which you can produce solar energy. Furthermore, lighted panels on the sidewalk would make for greater illumination of say, crosswalk areas, displaying the meter time, so one can easily see from the buildings if they need to feed the meter, storefronts can rent the area in front of them to put their signs on the sidewalk (increasing revenue potential for the cities), highlighting where someone is standing at night, (which could provide an effective deterrent for crime), and many other uses, including for emergencies and festive events. The possibilities really are limitless. We could even forgo the solar source for energy. There is a company in Japan that had proposed sidewalks that produce energy simply from people walking on them, much the same way there are wristwatches that are wound by the vibrations in your wrist.
@James- And you forgot about the criminals that already go around to road constructions sites and steal their equipment. Fact is, there will always be thieves, no matter the industry.
the biggest reason we use asphalt on most roadway surfaces is because of it's flexibility. It can flex slightly under heavy loads, expand and contract with the changes in weather. Glass surface road would HAVE to be able to expand and contract sometimes a foot or more per mile between day heat and night cool. these panels are, well, look to be about a foot... Give it a few days, none of those pretty 'interlocking' panels will be where you put them. Highways use concrete, but have expansion gaps at regular intervals. Those expansion gaps are designed to keep the segments of roadway in line as well. Those sections are quite large indeed, and a shift of a few inches isn't going to be the end of the world. When you have small road panels, they can be shifted and pushed around quite a bit more. This means that maintenance costs will be through the roof, as every mile will require re-aligning on a regular basis. I've seen some pretty rad road damage from extremely hot days in places that aren't used to it, the road can literally wrinkle. This is another reason these roads are simply not an option, not to mention price.
So far they have installed gaps between every glass part of the panel for the prototypes. There are three layers in the panels, the bottom layer is interlocking and provides support.
Kevin Casper yup, and that is suicidal for differential loading on a road surface. When a car rolls over that crack, there will be much higher loads because the gap provides no support for the vehicle. Look at your typical expansion joint on a bridge. They are usually pretty well armor plated for just this reason. Now you would have that mechanical shortcoming on every tile on the entire road surface!
And, just thinking about this now, many many roads will get erosion underneath the roadbed causing whatever underlay material to get moved about or even washed away (note how sinkholes happen in many older roadways in neighborhoods where the upkeep on said roads may not be very regular). Even the difference of an inch between tiles would spell disaster here. Ever driven a car over an old cobblestone or brick road? It would likely be something like that.
ReddmanDGZ Bullshit! Your entire line of thinking about this is sheer bullshit. Only fools say 'It can't be done.' Ever hear of 'research and development'? You might want to look into that. We come up with new and better ideas every fucking day. Figure it out. Sheesh!
Dan Lewis And for every working new and better idea there are a thousand ideas that don't work and have to be discarded. Get over it, this will not work in a country that hasn't the money to even maintain the existing infrastructure.
Huid Hoofd It was earth and physical science. We didn't cover shit like dinosaurs. Also, this was a year ago. I can't be expected to remember all those years.
I bet if I put enough bottle rockets on my pogo stick I could get to the moon eventually, right? When I first saw the obnoxious (albeit effective) ad about solar roadways, I can't deny that I was skeptically a little hyped about the idea. But really, it's the same as someone presenting "future-y" ideas from a cheesy sci-fi book and saying "lets do this". It might seem cool, but there's probably a few simple reason behind why we haven't done it, the foremost being that it's likely impossible given current technology. It's not pessimistic, it's simple reality. Thank you for making this video. Subscroob'd.
I saw the video, and critiqued it, glass is a brittle material, friction will polish the glass to dangerously smooth. And solar panels wont work if it got dirt and cars on top of it. I also proposed to put road solar roofs instead, but people reacted against me in defense of this silly idea. Basically, at first glance of the solar freaking roadways video, my views matched a fraction of the facts TF mentioned in this video. This is an excellent well rounded video. Great job TF.
IAN 4000 Uhm, you seem to forget the dimension of space in all this. Just because we could do it elsewhere doesn't mean we can't also do it here. The whole idea behind this concept is more efficient use of space. Inside most cities it appears like this is commercially viable given land prices.
Blah b So you're going to literally bankrupt every world economy just so you can put a delicate photovoltaic cell under a place where cars and multi-ton trucks roll over every day? Do you even UNDERSTAND how much you'd save on materials if you just PUT THEM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD???
Dolan Duk That's true because where Blah b is suggesting (city streets) is shaded a majority of the time, by buildings, so "efficient use of space" to provide solar energy conversion to electricity doesn't make any sense in that instance. I guess Blah b doesn't realize solar panels require sunlight to create electricity?
Also about the tractor thing, loads of farmers around my area in the UK either completely forget or can't be bothered to lift their equipment so ends up scraping the road. Imagine how much damage that could possibly do to a glass tile.
My husband and I live in Sandpoint. We called Public Works. They have yet to see a working prototype. All projects are proposed, there is no approval for anything, everyone is awaiting an actual product. When questioned, the Brusaws were evasive at best. Since their crowdfunding, they have acquired a building, conference room furniture, etc.; still no product. After searching the internet, I located this pdf from a student allegedly working on the civil engineering testing; Mr. Brusaw asserts he has never met this individual, I am in the process of contacting some media outlets and the state and federal agencies involved to determine if the pdf is in fact true or not. I can however tell you that the Brusaw's took enough exception to pointed questions that they removed them from their social media sites, along with anyone elses pointed questions or concerns. Now they are setting up for crowdfunding round two with no accountability for funds received in round one. At present I think there are real reasons for concern that these folks are swag merchants, not real visionaries with a viable and tangible product to roll out to market. www.pitt.edu/~ngd13/Writing%20Assignment%203.pdf
Great post! I personally think Solar Roadways should be indicted for fraud, I have researched their claims thoroughly, and they don't add up by any means, and have been debunked many times by other engineers.
ronc1357 Thank you. Interestingly enough, after being publically blocked for asking pointed questions, Mr. Brusaw has seen fit to contact me personally. He only responded to the pdf, which of course he asserts is merely a creative writing assignment by a student he does not know. As I pointed out to Mr. Brusaw, he has no credibility with me at present, thus until the appropriate state and federal agencies can investigate the veracity of his assertions, I am not interested in further dialogue, especially since any dialogue should be public. Regardless of whether the pdf is true or not true, it does not erase your observation, Ron, that once held to the scrutiny of science, his claims and assertions are invalid and grandiose. My husband specifically asked him for photos of the actual demonstration of the unit melting snow and ice; their present photos are photoshopped and none of their simulated photos indicate they are simulations; a direct violation of green truth in advertising laws, thus my first letter will more than likely go to the FTC. For a four year old unit that is a strip next to their home to be presented as a parking lot, with no data for power generation, photos of how it works, etc., available seems odd, particularly in light of the Norwegian project which already has a working solar bike path complete with data available after only five years of work. If anyone wants to help and can get someone in the media interested or is willing to write letters, I would be thankful for the back-up. I have contacted a few tech writers but have not heard back from anyone yet. I am hoping that Thunderf00t will see this and take an interest as well. So I, like you, want to either see a tangible product or some sort of accountability for the funds they have secured to date. The present Indiegogo extension campaign is offering new "perks" as we speak, and it appears that the new building is more swag processing and mailing center than actual manufacturing or "work" space...but then...hey..."they wear many hats at Solar Roadways." ;)
This was my original open letter to them which they removed and to date have still not answered. "I have been following your idea for quite some time. Initially I was rather enthused, after recent observations and a timely call to the Sandpoint Public Works Department; I am concerned. Per the Public Works department, everyone is eagerly awaiting an actual tangible product from Solar Roadways so that grant funds can be secured and proposed projects can be solidified. At present everything is merely proposed and hinges on a tangible functional product and the successful presentation of that product. It concerns me that your resounding success appears at present to be fundraising and “perks” when product development and production of that product should be paramount. While a conference room is nice, I am more interested in where your research, development, and production is taking place. I worked with a company that created innovative technology and rolled it out successfully; their initial focus was on engineering and development staff; and the tools and materials to create their working prototypes. Once designed prototypes were installed there were months of on-site work to “work out the bugs” and inevitable unforeseen issues that surface when taking an intangible idea and making it a tangible product. I think most folks are interested in this product because of the potential good it could bring should it prove successful. I for one can buy a coffee cup or a tee shirt if I want one. I would rather know that when I recommend a business, or I invest in a business that there is transparency of the actual product and its readiness for market. As a business person I would like some of the hard facts that any investor has a right to ask: 1. What steps are you currently engaged in to have a working product available to present to the municipalities and federal entities related to the fundraising you have done to date? 2. What date do you anticipate having this working prototype ready for presentation to said entities and based upon what material facts? 3. If the aforementioned projects and or funding grants are not approved what are the proposed contingency options? 4. How much of your donated funds are allocated to the following: a. Research and development b. Research and development staff c. Production of prototypes d. Proposed projects e. Marketing/perks f. Support staff and services g. Equipment, tools, and building acquisitions. 5. At a time when you have no actual awarded contracts or secured funding sources other than publicly solicited funds; why was your priority to buy a building? Was it cheaper to purchase a property than it was to lease commercial space for production? With Sandpoint’s current economic climate I would imagine there would have been numerous options which would have afforded you to prioritize towards production with what little liquidity you raised. A project of this magnitude will need much more than the two million raised to date if there was an actual product available now. Now some may perceive this as negative and that is not my intention. I originally thought this was a wonderful idea, I was excited at what it could mean to our local community as well as the potential impact it could have globally if the project was a success. That said, its business, and funds are being solicited. With that solicitation of funds comes a responsibility to offer substance, facts and a product; not merely perks."
gigisno wyatt The same thing happened with me, once I questioned their technology, and then I was bombarded with their "fan boys" opinions, I was blocked from Solar Roadways Facebook site, I guess I got too close to the truth, and they weren't to comfortable with that. Here is what they wrote to me via email. Solar Roadways wrote: "Ronny, we have patiently responded to your many attacks on us over the past few weeks. Although you say you are not bitter about our winning the $50,000 over your project for most popular votes in the GE Ecomagination Contest, it is apparent that no matter how patiently we have responded to you, your only motive for being on our page seems to be to try to discredit us. Now you have resorted to writing completely dishonest statements about our company. We have never banned anyone on this page, but we must let you know that you will be the first to be banned. We will be deleting your fraudulent posts. We wish you well in your endeavors." They were claiming they won first place in both ecomagination challenges. They did not. I was not part of the first challenge ("powering the grid") were they won most popular votes. I was part of the second challenge ("powering your home") The second challenge didn't offer $50,000.00 reward for popular votes. To top it off there was not a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in any of the challenges. Each challenge had (5) $100,000.00 winners, and a few other companies GE partnered with.
The marketing of this is so bad, it just shouts scam. I mean what is the IQ of the target audience? If you just finished high school you would still think that this advertisement is made for some idiots.
born too late to explore the earth, born too early to explore the universe, but born just in time to travel to the moon with nuclear powered pogo sticks.... awsome!
Hey anyone given the thought on how much it would sound driving on this road? Normal tarmac isn't soundless unless it's made very smooth. The white lines on the side of the road will warn you right away with a high sound. Driving on Gravel actually makes a lot of noise and now you have all of those hexagon tiles. They must make one hell of a loud noise when you drive over them at fast speed.
Zefar77 Actually the noise made by asphalt is percieved as less noisy if you use a very open (rough) structure and not the smooth kind as that will sing at a high pitch. The fun part is that allthough the high pitch technicall has less db it is percieved as louder because the rough asphalt will spread the noise in a broader range of tones and that is perceived by humans as less noisy.
Snowcat1970 Oh? Well when they put fresh tarmac outside my old house it was pretty smooth. Was lovely to drive a bike on and even roller skates. Which btw would be neigh impossible to use on these glass panels. Even with a car it was almost soundless.
i cant believe i fell for this... thats fifty bucks ill never get back... and to make it even worse, now i have a stupid solar roadways mug to always remind me of my own stupidity...
Fell for what? The company is moving ahead with their plans. The first customers will be able to purchase systems within 2 years. And the "debunking" video above is full of so much bull****, that you might say you have been tricked again. TF is going after solar roadways because he has a lot of donors convinced to give him money for these youtube videos and is trying to get publicity for more donors.
***** Chase Kolozsy The fact that the two of you were so easily assuaged by that meager half-attempt at a response is concerning to me. For your sake, I will take the time to take the rebuttal apart, one claim at a time. "False Claim: We picked a really stupid place to put solar panels" This one is pure nonsense. They just talk about how states don't have money to pay for maintenance of asphalt roads anymore. Their solution? Make the maintenance of roads even more expensive and unmanageable by replacing asphalt with expensive electronics. What a solution. Then they talk some nonsense about how everything in the world is high tech so roads should be as well. Should our bread also be high-tech and contain microprocessors as well? You don't turn things "high tech" for no reason just to make it "high tech." The problems they bring up with asphalt roads are actually aggravated when it comes to roads made of hexagonal bricks. "False Claim: Solar Roadways is going to cost $60 trillion dollars" Again, pure nonsense. No actual information about cost but some incoherent babble about return on investment. Which is, once again, pure nonsense, because the up-front cost is so prohibitively expensive, any return on investment would have to be unrealistically massive for the roads to pay for themselves. Just the cost of the glass alone costs 20 trillion dollars. It doesn't matter how you mass produce or how well you streamline the design. Even with substantial economies of scale, you just can't get around the fact that glass is expensive. So are labor and microprocessors. Costs for materials can't be scaled down in the same way that costs of inefficient design can be scaled down. Their claim that no one can estimate the cost of the panels is, once again, pure nonsense. I find it particularly interesting that they haven't released preliminary cost estimates. They would be useful to potential donors, but not a single word about it. "False Claim: Asphalt roads are cheap and maintainable" This one is equally ridiculous. The premise is that asphalt roads have problems, which no one denies. Then the argument goes off the rails and Solar Roadways suggests that the solution to the problems of asphalt roads, namely cost and maintenance, can be resolved by aggravating the problems. Whatever maintenance problems roads have now, they'll be infinitely worse once those roads are made of expensive electronics and glass. The rate at which they'll be replaced per unit surface area isn't expected to change. Therefore, maintenance costs will be higher as the unit cost per surface area of solar panels is more expensive when compared to asphalt. "False Claim: we can't afford to heat roads" This is going increasingly off the rails. The claim is we have a problem. Therefore, Solar Roadways. No. They haven't explained where they'll get the energy to heat the roads. As Thunderf00t kindly explained, the energy required to simply melt ice at 0 degrees Celsius is substantial, even with 100% efficiency. The heated panels will get nowhere near 100% efficiency. Saying that snowy roads are a problem doesn't get around the fact that melting the snow is a preposterous idea. Just because a seemingly unsolvable problem exists, doesn't mean that buying magic beans will resolve that problem. "False Claim: Glass is softer than asphalt" Hardness is not the only thing to consider when building things. There's a reason they build cars out of steel and not out of glass. There are other properties to materials, such as brittleness, that influence how durable that particular material will be. This answer was a bit more clever, in that some people might actually be persuaded by it. It doesn't survive under scrutiny, however. "False Claim: The shadow a single bird can take out an entire solar array - let alone a car!" Can't address this one. Don't have enough applicable knowledge. This rebuttal might be valid, for all I know. "False Claim: You can't see LEDs in direct sunlight" Also don't know enough about this one to comment on it. It isn't the part that makes solar roadways useless, so it's not much of a boon to the Solar Roadway people. I will say that LEDs are very often not visible in direct sunlight. There's a reason that traffic lights are shaded. I've seen a traffic light being hit by direct light from the sun when it's low in the sky. It's very difficult to tell when the light is green or red. "False Claim: We're attempting to use recycled colored glass to make new clear glass" Thunderf00t's claim about the colored class wasn't a serious attack against the concept of solar roadways. It was more a funny observation of the preposterously useless activity this couple was engaged in.
Not gonna lie, I was waiting for a Thunderfoot video of Solar Roadways before making up my mind on how I felt about it. My suspicious were confirmed, thank you Thunderfoot for being awesome. I wish I could afford to be a Patreon because you are a better teacher than any professor I ever had in college or high school.
Thank you for making this. My first reaction when I saw Solar FREAKING Roadways was "That's cool, but..." I've had so many friends spamming this on facebook over the past few weeks I just wanna give 'em all a proper smack across the face.
Doni Sewell Don't do that, they might un-friend him, or accuse him of being a shill for Big Oil...............The people that have really bought into this Solar Roadways nonsense have turned into proverbial fundamentalists, no amount of logic will be enough to overcome the heavy doses of Kool-Aid that they've consumed.
There is another problem not mentioned by Thunderf00t: PV cells produce a very low voltage, so they have to be connected in series (called a string) to give a voltage high enough that can actually be converted for the grid. The maximum current through a string is limited by the current of the weakest cell. This means that a drop of oil, a tree leaf on the road will knock out a full string. In residential PV system one usually has 1 or 2 strings, with a few kW produced by each string (I have 8.6kWp on my roof, organized as two strings). This is why when you put PV cells on your roof, you have to cut down trees that cast shadows on the cells. The shadow of a single branch, covering not even a percent of the PV area, can bring power from a few kW down to 0. It's quite obvious that PV cells in roads will always be shadowed in part, so they will not even produce anything.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. It may not be any good as a road surface (for all the reasons thunderfoot listed), but what about the sidewalks in desert cities like Vegas, or places like Australia, or the Middle east? Plenty of direct sunlight, no heavy trucks/cars, less surface area so not as expensive - though it would still cost a buttload... Eh.
it would work but there are too many tall casinos and hotels that are blocking the sun for most of the day. It would be best for the tops of the buildings to be coated with them.
You are just a pawn of this industry or that!! This is the voice of vested corporate interests. You are in the pocket of big asphalt. I didn't want to disappoint you. I only saw people agreeing with you and saying how great you are. We don't want you getting a bigger head than you already have. Keep making these and we will keep watching.
I was hoping this would come out. I was skeptical of them when I saw the roads were all perfectly flat. Roads in real life are not flat. At all. Even the straightest road is raised in the middle so water can run off it.
Might be feasible in a highly localized downtown setting, but even that's being overly optimistic. This is about as likely to happen as pneumatic train systems. Just fantasy. . . . ...but then again skyscrapers make big shadows that last hours. Man this really is a bad idea.
+DrHotelMario Forget for a moment the cost of tearing up the roadway just to replace it with hexagonal glass panels with circuitry and solar panels in them. Forget the cost of materials for the first install. When the lights need to be replaced, rather than closing only a couple of lanes, the entire road has to be closed, and for longer.
Haha Amazing video. I have seen the ad for solar roadways on facebook and I had a couple of questions which is why I opened your video. And I have to say it completely changed my view of them. You have gotten on to my favourite TH-camrs list. Keep making these videos.
Hardest part about being an engineer is telling my friends when an idea won't work. It really puts a dampening on our friendship. I saw this because a friend, who knows nothing about science, was telling me I had to see it, and to help spread the word. You should have seen his face when I started listing the reasons why it wouldn't work. /sigh
Joseph Daly Nuclear is only cheaper in the short run. And by short run, i mean our life times. But the waste will be around 10,000+ years, and the storage fees will eventually make it far, far more expensive. Wind, in a windy place, is the current winners. But there's not too many very windy places. Tech wise, we're already near the 80% efficiency mark, so i don't see this getting too much bigger. Hydro comes next, but like wind, there's only so many places we can stick a Hover Dam. Solar is now cheaper then gas and coal in many areas. However, unlike wind, we're only at 15% efficiency. There's also a bigger storage problem. Still, it is the most likely to do the full replacement of fossil fuels. And finally, fusion. Which has been 20 years away for 50 years. But has the potential of making all the other ones obsolete.
***** IS OF NO USE? To my observation hundreds of thousands each day use the roads in my near vicinity. I think most all people do the same EVERYDAY all over the world. Average commute distance for Americans is 16 miles. Most of them do it on asphalt. Be it walking, driving, biking, taking the bus or so forth. People get back and forth, no problem. It is not like the asphalt disintegrates the moment it is laid. Have you even tried to search for "Lifespan of Asphalt"? Because it doesn't look like it. Well kept asphalt stays for 15-20 years.
That is the most ignorant statement anyone can ever make. Every single thing you have and enjoy in life right now is a direct result of someone thinking the exact opposite. That is unless you are a caveman still hunting with sticks and sharpened rocks. "Innovation" is all about making anything better regardless of how good it is now.
I did believe the solar roadways concept was a great idea. But as you said, it's too good to be true. They'd be better off making solar panels with that money over the roads than anything at all. I definitely feel suckered in with the whole idea. But this video definitely changed my mindset.
If they really replaced the road with this you wouldn’t be able to make money off of them because anyone can go to their driveway and take one. That’s like saying “I can make tons of money by collecting air in a jar and selling it.”
Gurosama Bltch I guess it’s fair to say you can make some money because you would be doing the hard work for them, but I wouldn’t go as far to say you could make a ton of money. If any person can walk outside and grab something and sell it, then there’s nothing special about it and if it’s not special, then it’s not valuable. Another example would be if you sold apples from your backyard. Since you can go to any store and buy apples, you won’t make tons of money. If anyone was able to pull out a tile, then you wouldn’t get much money because you’re doing something any normal person can do. It’s not like you’re selling diamonds. You’re selling something everyone has access to. UNLESS you need special tools and equipment to properly remove a tile. But since your comment didn’t mention needing any of those, then I’m gonna assume that literally anyone can do it. Why pay someone something you can do for free in a minute. Now, if you pulled 100 tiles for example, then you could make a good chunk of money because it would make sense for that to have taken you a long time to do and time is money. It’s why in theory, a farmer would make more money selling apples by the truck load and you by comparison would not make as much by only selling a basket of apples. The problem with your argument was that you only mentioned selling one tile and did not mention the need for special tools to remove the tile, thereby saying that it’s both easy and anyone can do it. Therefore you would not make a lot of money in that scenario.
@rosestar1324 Uh that's not how the economy works. That's not how any of this works. This comment is baffling. Our population is huge, there is never enough to go around. Ever. There is no way these panel couldn't be sold for money. The resources don't exist, for there to be enough for all billions of us. Until every human has one... they'll have homes to go to. Your optimism is out of control. There's 8 billion humans on this finite little planet, burning through food and resources. Until we live in a post-scarcity world, like Star Trek, your comment is not applicable to reality. I wish it was that simple, I truly do :(
So wait- Why put the solar panels on the roads? Why not somewhere else where they wouldn't be under so much stress? Like on every single roof, or anywhere else really?
You don't even need an understanding of science to get that solar roadways are a stupid idea, honestly. Combining roads and solar panels creates so many problems that are easily solved by just placing the solar panels somewhere else. There is just no reason to combine the two.
"talk about a hypodermic shot to the heart" (16:00) that sentence alone is cringeworthy to say the least they obviously don't know that hypodermic means "between the skin and muscle layers" so it's impossible for a hypodermic shot of anything to be even remotely close to the heart :P actually, it quite accurately details how far off their observations are from reality
+Sirius Black The whole Solar Roadways is 1980's, the old 80's make lots of waste and get nothing back from it, expected lining the pocket major oil companies.
I just want to say thank you. I have serious mental health problems and let's just say I've given up on life / people because it just seems like the facts don't matter anymore. When facts don't matter anymore, nothing does. I've watched this BUSTED playlist through and you have restored my faith in humanity. I'm not a smart person but I know when people ignore the truth/facts we all lose. Thank you again good sir. Can't wait for more content!
Even if you did manage to get materials that worked, heated road ways are crazy dangerous, think of all the animals that would be drawn to the heat during the winter, not to mention the homeless in low income areas.
shoorysmile1 A very good point! Wildlife migrates towards warmth during the colder months (particularly in areas of freezing temperatures and snowfall), so the roads would become a nightmare.
shoorysmile1 = sorta like the warm black top no animals hang out on now? any special reason there is such out the door nay saying? the light bulb received similar arguments when it was first presented. that idea never took off either, I've noticed.Any special reason you think asphalt runoff is great to keep applying? and I am sure you think no one should develope any technology from Quantum levitation either.
valhoundmom Yup sarcasm is always the best way to persuade people to change their thinking and open up their minds. Well done. Do you get what I did there? Am I saying asphalt is perfect? Heck no. I voted green just like every other God fearing 20 year old art student out there. Am I saying I am a scientific genious. No. Do I know what Quantum levitation means? NAY. I say nay, I do not. Nor do I particularly care to research into it after your sass monster throw down. I do however have some knowledge on animals and their behaviours and they are drawn to heat. Yes black top already does this. This is after all how we know hot roads are a problem. But this heated road idea suggests that the heating would be continuous through out the cold periods to reduce snow, frost, ice etc. That means roads will be hot for longer. That means animals will be drawn to them for longer. That means more fatality. If you want me to invest more into the idea then just let me know some suggestions on how to reduce this as a risk. We both seem to want the same thing. A healthier happier planet. No need for the angst.
shoorysmile1 What heat? there is no heat. They just need to melt the ice, not cook it. 5°C, 10° at the most would be enough. And what would those animals and homeless people want on the roads if there is wind and no shelter?
The world needs more people who ask 'HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK?', instead of just posting a video full of negative road blocks before we've even started. I salute the people with ideas for moving our society forward.
You have to identify the problems before you overcome them. An engineer will tell you what's not working properly before telling you what's working right, because that's not what matters if you want to improve a system.
I work for an energy company but i don't think you have to to know how badly our power grid need updated. We don't need solar roadways we need basic infrastructure upgrades and overhauls. If you want to blow billions on the energy grid then spend it on infrastructure, upgrading old equipment and new nuke plants. The energy grid is a critical piece of infrastructure that we have neglected to a dangerous point.
Solar powered roofs are a good idea because each individual building would pay for their own solar panels. Which they would do because the solar panels' energy go directly to them. This solar road would have to be paid for by the government. Not good.
Benjamin Grosz No it is not a bad idea because government would pay for it but because it doesn't work. I think goverment should pay for installing solar panels on buildings and houses.
I wonder how this project is doing these days. Over 2 years later and... hold on... looking it up... Oh look, according to their Facebook page, they're doing an installation in Sandpoint Idaho. It was set to start in early Summer. And it is now... mid-to-late Summer. I wonder why it's not in the news. Hmm... I know! Let's look up Sandpoint, Idaho: Nothing. But after some more digging, I see that Conway, Missouri is the magical location. I couldn't really find why things didn't work out in Sandpoint. They're planning to start with the sidewalks and see where it goes from there. I mean, it was only reported on "Newsmax" so, who knows. Hmm... I know! Let's look up Conway, Missouri: Okay... a lot more on this one. They hope to have the road in by the end of the year. But all of the stories are like the ones I found for Sandpoint. Either optimistic and explains what Solar Roadways are... or nothing else. It's just that this are so recent that there's nothing yet to report. Seriously, I still want to know why Sandpoint was a flop.
Well this is just confusing, Bonner County Bee reports they're still planning to put in Solar Roadways late August Early September. Which is it... Conway, Missouri or Sandpoint, Idaho? Route 66 or I70? Whatever, it could be both for all I care, because no real information is being said. Let's wait until next year to read about how the release has been delayed again.
thanks for your time, was about to do some searching as i remembered seeing this project 2 or 3 years ago, you saved me a while to find out it's still a scam :DDDDDD
I may have the reason why Sandpoint parking lot not been worked on. It's too close to a public sidewalk. For this to work ( and I have been asking how to make this work ) you have to dig down one meter ( three feet )for working space for the wiring.
It's LIVE! SOLAR FREAKIN' ROADWAYS! (7 out of 30 panels light up at night. 0 out of 30 panels have LEDs visible in the day, 0 out of 30 panels generate power, 0 out of 30 panels have functional heating elements, there is no 'corridor' for wires or runoff water, no load sensors, etc... But 17% of them DO function as an ultra-low-resolution-nighttime light show! And you can even walk or bike on them!)
Philo Judaeus of Alexandria I know! I saw the video! Very impressive work. I'm sure it'd get 6th place at a school science fair. Can we all get a round of applause for their hard work?
solar rooftops are way more practical then solar roadways, you don't drive on your roof, you don't cover your roof with cars during the day, and the roof doesn't need traction, in fact the less traction on a roof the better so snow doesn't stack up. solar freaking rooftops, now give me 1.7 million dollars.
I was actually angered by all my FB friends sharing this ridiculous campaign. And yet, the fools below continue to defend it... man, why can't I come up with an idea this stupid and make a $million... how stupid am I then? -_-
I have the exact frustration. They hear a presentation by a freaking nuclear physicist of all people(!) and they still want to burn their money on this white elephant. They don't even care if it will make the energy problem and economic crisis work, because "hey, it's an interactive, touch-screen, smart-road!"
the81kid, true story. Honestly, what is wrong with people that they would look at that cheezy marketing video and think it is legit? Where are people's bullshit meters? Why would an "incredible" invention even need such a massive outpouring of douchebaggery to sell it? Too much flashy TV BS in their lives I'm guessing and being conditioned to react positively to that kind of phony do-gooder crap.
We have a serious problem: we have professionals (geologists, economists, risk analysts, journalists, lawyers, engineers and more) warning us that we are coming to a huge energy and financial crisis in a few years. Heck, even the IEA is now saying that fracking production will probably peak before 2020. And nobody cares. Nobody cares that the financial crisis, the cheating and mistakes, of 2008 is being repeated again x2 now. Nobody cares that we most likely will be almost zero cars on the road in 10 years. Nobody cares that we are burning the planet. They just love the sound of the words "start-up", "touchscreen", "innovative" and "renewable energy". It's depressing, very depressing. We're going over a cliff, and people's normalcy bias and total denial is pushing the acceleration pedal down even harder.
the81kid you are right to worry but the "cliff" analogy is not what I am thinking considering we have enough people that do care and I don't see it as a losing battle but swings. I am still inspired by people who battle ignorance.
Well, yeah, but tablets are also not supposed to be driven on, or smashed against rocks, or dropped, nor used as melee weapons or shields, either. Seriously, I've gotten tablets and smartphones in the shop that people literally smashed and then lied about. Not like I'm going to bill them differently... broken screen's a broken screen, but still entertaining to see the stories people tell... "I dropped it gently." SURE you did, I found sand and gravel under the glass and stuck to the screen... "Uhhh... uhhh... it must've gotten underneath when it got dropped. (Through the adhesive gasket and all that other lovely stuff... yep.) They DO make shatter proof tablets and phones. They weigh a lot more, are usually a lot slower and older more reliable tech, and are encased in rubber and colored in military or construction colors because those are the markets which require such near bullet proof tech.
The closest material I could think of right now which would fit the bill is some kind of laminated glass or more likely some form of polycarbonate which is extremely tough. For practical purposes polycarb is more or less "shatter proof" and largely scratch / puncture resistant and doesn't yellow in sunlight. Of course all bets are off if you're driving a truck over it, since you'll probably crush an aluminum or plastic casing even if the screen flexes enough to remain intact. Polycarb is flexible, though, so there's a tradeoff between protecting the LCD and being struck or pushed hard enough to crunch and break the LCD surface. ----------- 5 minutes of google and vendor fu later ------------- You've got me curious. But looking for them in this area means getting one on "equipment lease" from Verizon (i.e. monthly 26.00 payment in addition to your phone plan.) No new "unabused" phones for retail anywhere with any of my vendors, nor from the prepaid vendors, where you would end up owning the phone and bringing it in for repair. Reading the fine print they say exactly as I suspect that the phone will not survive all impacts and is not ruggedized (aka "shock proof" or even "shock resistant") it is not one of the old generation Battle Droid editions, apparently. It isn't even guaranteed scratch proof either. Without a sample, and the nearest verizon shop some 100 miles out of my way, I'm going to go ahead and guess its some form or polycarb or plexiglass with a scratch resistant film. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back in the day when we used lots of phones in dangerous places, we used to use Casio GZone Rock and Brigade phones. In fact, they were nearly unbreakable, even accounting for some overzealous angry guy throwing his phone at the wall when he got bad news (you'll develop bad habits once you discover how physically tough these things are.) The Casios I've used also doubled as decent underwater cameras. In fact, the only flaw was bricking at the update screen for the first year (they seem to have solved the issue about the same time the Ravine came out.) I would have called Casio the SureFire brand of the cell phone world.
Paul Constantin Found an article talking about how it works and they did few things to make it shatterproof. You're right though,the thick plastic layer is polycarbonate but they put another layer of some plastic on top which from what i understand is just a glorified screen protector,they did make the top layer user replaceable so they are expecting it to get scratched up. The display is reinforced by putting it in an aluminum chassis and the display is OLED so it's not as sensitive to bending as LCD.Even the digitizer is supposed to toughened up. There's a video of it being dropped from 300m (900ft) and it was working fine after it but the layers of plastic peeled off a bit on the corner it landed. Here's the article www.wired.com/2015/11/the-droid-turbo-2-is-almost-unbreakable-heres-how-motorola-did-it/
10 ปีที่แล้ว +15
4:38 Freeway made out of tiles? We have it in Czech republic. From Prague to Brno. Get your bumpers ready, because it IS a bumpy ride.
Honestly, if you were taken by the SOLAR FREAKIN' ROADWAYS video/indiegogo, watch as much of this as you can. I certainly was, although I did immediately think of several inherent issues with the concept. This guy lays it all out and really it's just an horrendous idea. Seems like this video made the rounds the other day but here you go again. via Joe Bolin
***** I dont see how the traction concerns or the heating concerns are nitpicking. Not to mention the Solar freakin roadways video does not provide proof of the traction being good Also where is your proof that the LED's will work? He at least provided something while you are just saying "No that experiment is wrong" Also also when in the video does he even complain about lighting all of the roadways? I do agree about the molten salt method though.
***** Why is it a great idea? I mean, even if you happen to think solar is a great way to generate electricity, why would you insist on putting it on roads? That's bound to create all sorts of problems and additional costs that aren't needed. Personally I think this idea is incredibly poor, for the simple reason that the southern part of the US has far more sun than the north and it would make far more sense to cover some desert in the south of the US in solar panels than roads all over the map.
Good video I see many reserch was done to prove the point. I hope some people after watching this,stop be so enthusiastic about the new "solar road" idea.
The video is over the top. There are a few valid criticisms in the video, but most of it was expecting you to take the authors on faith. For example proper traction testing for wet conditions has been performed and as they are installed in the initial areas they will undergo more testing to find problems. Solar Roadways has been working on this for a long time, and plans to start small to slowly work up to larger projects.
It was a ridiculous idea. How about we just use electric cars and drive on the same stuff we've always used? Put the solar panels on buildings not underneath a road lol.
+FinnishArmy Unfortunately that still has plenty of its own problems, the least of which being the fact that flat solar panels work about half as well as angled panels. There's just no good reason to put solar panels on any flat surface.
+FinnishArmy Or, you could put a roof over the sidewalks, and put put solar panels on the roof. That would keep foot traffic off the solar panels, allowing the sidewalks to made out of cheaper, conventional materials. And, a roof would provide the added benefit of protecting the pedestrians from the elements and minimizing light pollution. I really can't think of a situation were walking/driving on solar panels makes more sense than putting the panels on the roof. The side benefits alone of having a covered sidewalk, parking lot, or roadway would clearly favor solar panels on roofs.
I die laughing everytime I think about the heating aspects of these panels. My first thought is always "Not the Wi-Fi! Why would you melt the internet into the road?!" lol Now that's Stone Age thinking for the 21st century.
Thank you thunderfoot for using your channel to educate people. These videos where you destroy moronic ideas with logic common sense and fact, are some of the best on youtube, if not the best.
The problem is: Why roads?. Why not just making the solar panels and put them somewhere?. The whole thing is pointless. Edit: At around 22:00 TF mentions the issue. This is what happens when one writes a comment before ending the video...
Personally I believe it would be aloooot more cost efficient, alot simpler, and alot better to simply have. Solar paneled roofs. No need to have friction measures, no need for underground circuits, no need for destruction to rebuild, rooftops are REALLY HOT, so thats a perfect example of how much sunlight they attract. What do you guys think of this? We fund every roof top to be made with an outer layer of solar panels.
Well, solar panels have quite alot of flaws, but that would be much better than solar roadways. If all rooftops were built and planned for solar panels, the costs of installing them would probably drop quite alot. But hey, why make something easy that works when you can make complicated and useless.
Love these debunking videos. After hearing about this idea it took me roughly 10 seconds to see all the faults and that the only useful ideas are car-parks roofed in solar panels and roadside panels. In the UK we already use solar powered signs. They are used mainly on speed warning signs which show your speed as you approach them, in an effort to reduce speeding. This allows these signs to be set up just about anywhere without need of cable laying, only an integral battery for low light/nighttime. When the daylight is too bright for the sign to be seen it just charges the battery. Only vehicles at or over the speed limit have their speed displayed, so there is plenty of charge generated on an average day to show throughout the night as the sign displays for a few seconds for each vehicle.
i'm pretty sure these people will slowly realize that its unrealistic and won't work, but they won't care, they will just continue pretending to work and taking peoples money.
I suspect they are already there. This sounds a lot like Paul Moller's Sky Car, one of the longest running investment scams in history. Compare the two; the glowing promises are similar, but the science of solar roads is at least as dodgy as the BS Moller is pedaling.
geonerd haha.. I remember the Sky Car thing. I work in the roadway industry as a civil engineer and my boss told me a story of how he went to a lunch with these sky car people, and he asked them how the PUC (Public Utility Commission, who have to sign off on ALL public R.O.W. crossings) thought about their proposals and they didn't even know what the PUC was.. I imagine this half baked idea is similar, zero knowledge about the actually industry they think they are smarter than.
This dispute is flawed, 9:10 there is no burying so no digging up unless is was to replace the old asphalt. 2:05 quasi porous spacing to let water to drain (traction this guy said was missing) 6:52 Cost of the glass - did he forget about recycled glass? what about paying for itself from the energy it makes? Please research Copper based solar cells vs silicon based. no more budget for telephone poles digging & wiring because it's now integrated into the road -no downed poles due to vehicle accidents & hurricanes. I believe big Sun powered glass blowing centers could help lower the manufacturing costs. Led lights wont last & instead should have phosphorus charged by light & low level infra-red radiation which can keep the road defrosted. 11:49 there are super bright bluish white led on cars, we don't need them that bright but they can be dulled and added to the road. Road Signs could follow your car in front on the road as your driving letting you know your turn is coming rather than missing the sign, turning around etc. 15:20 Cars don't fill parking lots all hrs of the day/holidays weekends -that's up to business. These road pieces will probably be used to make houses too. 18:22 Energy stored can be redirected to the bricks, you're not paying any electric bill. Ice/snow does not form on a surface with 1 degree Celsius no matter the length or volume using big numbers & math as you try to put it to fool people -Why are we to worry about 20 inches of snow to be melted if it can't accumulate on the road in the first place? 20:53 The meaning/idea behind Tempered glass is to increase strength -it doesn't have the same weakness as normal glass.
you said: "snow does not form on a surface with 1 degree Celsius" well, you are right, snow doesn't FORM on the surface. Problem is, snow DOES fall on the surface, no matter what temp' it is. snow will fall on these roads, and the roads will need to heat up and melt that snow. and power will need to be transmitted to these places in order to heat the roads. and the power requirements will not "pay for them selves".
Eyal Lev You beat me to it! Ice may not form from water on the road surface, but snow/hail is already frozen when it falls!! And, can you imagine if for some reason the heating malfunctioned or lost power? The whole road would turn into an ice slick because the melted ice would freeze again, except not as nice snow crystals! Trust me, I know, because where I live it can rain and then freeze on the ground if the conditions are right. One time it was so bad that gravel driveways were iced smooth!
1. So what, you just take them at their word that this has enough traction? You don't need any kind of testing? Why do you think all they drove on it was a very slow-moving, tiny tractor? If this works so well, why couldn't they use, I dunno, a car? 2. Recycled glass costs exactly the same amount as new glass. If you don't understand this, it's because you have no understanding whatsoever of basic economic principles. Of course, the fact that you went on to say that this "pays for itself" is even better evidence that you don't know what an economy is or how it works. It would take HUNDREDS OF YEARS for this to "pay for itself," and that's assuming that at no point do we need to replace ANY of the panels. It's far more likely that these would cost more to maintain and replace than they could possibly generate in revenue even in the sunniest conditions. 3. You mean those super bright headlights that are so visibly irritating that they're banned in some states? Yeah, no thanks. 4. Why would you ever use "road pieces" to make a house? If you want solar cells on your house, why wouldn't you just PUT SOLAR CELLS ON YOUR HOUSE? You know, instead of big, heavy, non-transparent, grit-covered road tiles? 6. Tempered glass doesn't have the same BRITTLENESS as normal glass, but it DOES have the same HARDNESS as normal glass. I.E. it's just as prone to scratching, it's just far more resistant to impact.
I find it hilarious that they (un?)intentionally represented their viewer as an easily impressed idiot.
Their ideal fantasy audience: "Huh? What's a solar panel?"
Fenn Glordd ＷＯＡＨ
nice username
Right on , I think they know what they're doing is wrong,
This guy is an idiot
Also people are going to steal these solar panels and electronics. Literally mine the road.
I’d buy a Road tile from a crackhead.
@Cray Fishe you would also need solar freakin laser cannons just in case
Conner Calhoun I might consider it.
@Cray Fishe I swear this could have been a kinda good idea if there was enough money in it if he just left the elevator out and didn't name it fucking Hyper tunnel. The train of thought was holey like Swiss cheese
People already steal copper wire as is. Imagine getting an east $500 by popping one of these panels off? They would be disappearing like crazy.
You know what'd be better?
PUTTING THOSE PANELS ON THE TOPS OF BUILDINGS LIKE WE ALREADY DO.
Ikr
Have you considered making a Kickstarter for this idea?
J Hughes
Oh yeah!
Rooftop solar panels project -- cover your wasted space with smart, self-orienting, super efficient solar panels!
If we covered every rooftop in the US with just one solar panel each, we'd be making... well idk how much power that would be, but at least it'll be much more than what we'd make if we say, turned our roads into solar panels... haha, that's ridiculous, who'd ever do that?
You really wanna try doing that? Hell, I'd help you at "labor and parts" cost, just to see the real life results.
Your primary problem to figure out will be storage, since you're pulling DC and then converting to AC on the spot. Which means you're having to store in batteries. You can use lithium ion or its various related tech, which is expensive, or you go lead acid, which can also be a maintenance issue if your control units ever fail and overcharge/boil the battery too hard. Here, you'll be balancing storage reliability, and energy density with storage COST. Right now, your likeliest candidates are a few very old technologies which are remarkably potent, and a few more modern tech which are almost as potent, but far more toxic, and then you've got the very modern tech of laptop batteries and electric car batteries which are the most costly. It doesn't sound like much, until you realize what kinds of maintenance and materials expenditure you're talking about. As always with a DC to AC conversion, you also have to deal with inverter loss and the fact that this is not a steady power source.
Your secondary problem to solve will be surface area, which is what these guys were hoping to solve by embedding the panels into roadways (which take up quite a bit of horizontal area.) Tall buildings in big cities will not do nearly as well as suburban sprawl because you've got significantly more people drawing more power in a smaller area, and urban areas are all about packing as many people into as little surface area as possible. This is why you see solar panels on houses, but they're mostly a trivial "emergency power backup" at best on sky scrapers or any other tall building.
I love photovoltaics and some of the interesting new spins on the technology, but it requires massive farms and in areas where hail occurs, it requires a much more robust panel.
Paul Constantin
I wasn't going to start anything, but anyways...
Putting solar panels on roofs DEFINITELY wins on the surface area department in urban areas. Look at a single block, it has 4 streets and a bunch of buildings. Would you get more energy out of putting panels on those skinny streets or covering the whole block with solar panels?
As for suburban areas, even roadside panels are better than turning roads into panels (I mean just think about the maintenance!).
IMO power transfer is more important than storage. All forms of chemical accumulators would run out of lifespan and eventually require replacement.
Instead of storing a huge surplus of power at day, we could somehow export the power to the areas that are currently in night time (I know, freaking cross-country power transmission we're talking about here). Currently, the only candidate is HVDC electric lines which are known for their efficiency in cross-sea power transmission.
The US only covers a +- 3 hour timezone though, which means to constantly get solar power, you'd have to pump power from China. Political cooperation aside, beaming power this far will be the single most amazing engineering marvel to ever be created. No cables will ever be able to do that, as the maintenance will be massive and any little earthquake across the 4-5 tectonic plate boundaries will render it useless.
We might just end up putting the panels in the North and South poles, where the sun shines half a year and are both closer to NA.
This is why I don't write down the ideas I have when I'm stoned.
when you're high or being executed?
@@rileymack1489 both can make sense
@@Juan-ng7rs omg what dedication
Our billionaires get high too. They'll have them as driveways.
I’ve got loads of them, I even tried to design a magnetic floating car using magnets repelling each other (in my intoxicated mind of course).
Then I put it on paper the next day. Went straight to the waste paper basket in 30 seconds! 😂
I'm pleasantly surprised to see someone who not only understands hard, real-world limitations standing in the way of lofty kooky ideas but is actually willing to go to the trouble of making a video debunking them, explaining the unaddressed problems to everybody else. You sir have my deepest respect...
Unfortunately so many of the commenters here and on the original reveal there are just too many scientifically illiterate kooks out there.
"solar freaking roadways"
"what are they?"
THERE A SCAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
"whoa"
*they're
Spelling ... it really does matter.
in this context, I think there is fine. :D
^no it's not?????
There, a scam!!
Punctuation is just as important as spelling and grammar.
And 2 years later, we have a small patch in the sidewalk where most of the units are already broken. Great progress.
wait, do you live somewhere that actually has solar roadways... or sidewalks?
the inventors made a small demo exhibit for the public.
A patch of a few hexagons that malfunctioned and *caught fire* within days.
Thunderf00t did a video on that too.
Make that '5 years later' - no change. I'm sure their retirement has been much improved with the $4M plus.
@@philojudaeusofalexandria9556 Really shows how America is right now. Scams are the best way to make money, since mostly everyone is dumb enough to fall for it.
@@spiritbx1337 hyperloop shows that whole world is like this
what about motorcyclees.....wet glass....oh hell no
@Shaving Pvt. Ryan Yeah that's what he said
Eugh. Just got an image of me falling off my bicycle and right into the gate as a kid. Those forehead stitches were not fun. I can't imagine any motorcycle, let alone a motorist, wanting to drive on these glass things.
Or bicycles. 🙈
"Let's use solar power to melt snow during the winter!" Yeah, the Sun already tried that.
And...?
This made me chuckle.
GearZNet And it wouldn't work. If there was enough energy in play to heat up the snow to melt it, the sun would do it directly. You wouldn't be able to generate enough electricity from solar power to heat the roads enough to melt snow.
mythousandfaces I assume most of the energy would be stored in batteries. And during the winter season they could funnel some of that into heat, preventing the buildup of large amounts of snow. If anything decreasing the need of snow plowers and the like.
mythousandfaces What if you were to concentrate that energy into sections and melt the snow a chunk at a time? Once one section is melted move to another and so on down the line. Seems (to me at least) the reason the sun doesn't melt the snow effectively has more to do with its indirect angle and the reflective properties of snow than "not enough energy". Add on top of that you would then be using two types of heat transfer - thermal conduction from the road panels and thermal radiation from the sun - it might just work. (disclaimer - I don't know shit about the technology or science behind any of this)
I'm so glad you made this.
Banana. Im very original.
thanks for showing this
Thunderf00t copied my video that I was just about to think of making on this exact topic. This is essentially what I was going to come up with therefore you can credit the video to me. you're welcome
tjpld
BULLSHIT ALARM!
20M? That's it? These people are in no way doing actual fusion. You can't do that in your home. The magnets required would need to be enormous to sustain fusion, and these are some rag-tag chumps.
Diana Peña Read the article. You can do fusion in a small lab with a Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor it isn't hard. Net-Energy is hard. Also 200K is not to get a commerical reactor. They're getting more fusion yield from their input than all of the expensive government programs for a fraction of the budget. They have been developing this approach which isn't new for over a decade. There are more appraoches to fusion than just the "Let's get some big fucking magnets and contain some plasma" approaches.
The funny thing is that these are going to fail, and people are going to blame oil companies unjustly for shutting it down never realizing how absurd an idea this truly was to begin with.
Agreed, but it will be funny to see them blamed for something that, for once, actually isn't their fault.
DeviantDespot
Others will probably blame Obama, or The Republicans.
Yah, sure, oil companies have earned our distrust (as have politicians), but using them as general purpose villains to explain every thing that doesn't go the way we want can create a dysfunctional separation from reality.
Zeph Smith oh main i love these joking comment chains always make my day :D
Kinda
This failed because of the rona and Putin =)
Another thing they forgot to consider: Roads are not flat, they are often curved to some degree, especially in places like San Francisco. How will these flat panels account for that?
MAGIC AND WISHFUL THINKING! This from a man who want to drop solar panels into the hills of Afghanistan to fight terrorism.
cause SOLAR FRIGGIN ROADWAYS.
You know what we need? We need satellites or drones with super high powered lasers which can project the lines on the road from far above.
Or, we just put a big solar panel into orbit and run cables to the earth from it!
Comrade Kitten put in infront of the sun
Drones to light specific areas? That's basically casting giant spotlights on the roads. That might not be nessecary though, as one technology doesn't get better in a vacuum.
🤣🤣
@@albertjackinson They need to be properly focused.
Nice idea, but as you've pointed out there are so many reasons why it won't work. I think modular solar pv roof panels would be a better option to invest in.
Yeah, there are so many places we should cover in solar panels before we even think about the roads. Starting by putting them on roofs and in deserts seems like a better idea. And solar is expensive enough for the power you get without blocking off the light by putting a dirty road on top of them.
ybra sadly, this won't happen so long as corporations control the US government. Oil and coal won't allow green energies to grow as they should. They stifle the competition.
The God Emperor Yeah, but neither will solar freakin roadways, as it simply wont work. And a thing like this might even hurt the cause, as they will become an example of a failed environmental program.
ybra I think it could work, just not for every road in the nation, more for parking lots and drive ways, possibly for side walks (actually, walk ways might be the best place for it, far less wear and tear cause we humans aren't quite as heavy as a car :P).
I dont know if you have it in other places, but in Israel we have on the roofs of a lot of houses black barrels, pretty cheap. Cold water in, sun in, hot water out. Something as simple as that, if incorporated in a large scale water system of sorts (even cleaned sewers water), could probably be heated to boiling point and create some energy for small desert towns and the sorts. Maybe not. Anyways, this wouldn't cost that much to make, could be made by personal investment of one town or so, it's black barrels, "tunnels" and a generator for fucks sakes.
Maybe I'm 100% percent wrong, but it does seem more feasible to me.
I use this video on a regular basis to listen to while falling asleep, not because it's boring, but because listening to Thunderf00t dismantling pseudoscience and other bullshit ideas from Indiegogo, gives me the peace of mind I need to sleep in this crazy world of stupid and insane people.
Keep it up and I hope when someone reads this comment Thunderf00t will have hit the 1 Million subs milestone.
Hey dude, I don't know when he reached 1mil subs but right now he's over 1mil subs. Jest letting you know.
The best way to debunk this. How do you keep it clean? If its dirty, it doesnt really work.
Becuz' teh glaws is so slippry taht teh dirt just slips righ off, durrhrhhrhrh
+Job Koppenol
And so do the cars XD
+Wolf Edmunds 'xuctly
Also it would basicaly be impossible for motorbikes to drive on in wet conditions
The ideia itself is so fucking dumb.
The supposed "green" credentials of this idea are obviously horse shite too. If you use all the recycled glass to build roads, you need to use a lot more primary glass to make bottles etc. And that needs a lot more energy than recycling does, so even IF they could transport the energy from their worn down, dirty, oil-covered glass roads, they'd just find the energy bill for glass production increasing, along with all the energy needed to actually make their glass roads. Since their tiles won't produce enough energy to make more tiles, it's just a colossal waste of time, money, energy and resources.
having big solar shades over carparks would be far more efficient, with the added benefit of cars not being left in the sun.
the reason why those people at that Solar Roadway project did not think of this is beyond me
Marverick Mercer There is nothing for them to market. That's why they didn't think of it. The materials to build the shade structures and the panels to put on top already exist. They needed something they could promote and trick people into donating money for.
***** Their reasons are stupid and wrong.
"Would be incredibly expensive" is not an excuse when the product you're trying to market is even more incredibly expensive.
They would be SO much more expensive though- both material-wise, and I could see money wise too. Plus these have the added benefit of being a lot more than just a driving surface....
They have these on military bases. They seem to work great.
Solar freakin submarines! Just think about it, that's all I'm saying.
Cat Man Do bloody brilliant! Start a go fund me I pledge all the pennies in Canada.
According to my subnautica playthough this is actually useful...
How about deep sea submarines...
What about nuclear submarines. Very original, right?
Well, if you read Jules Verne's 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea, the protagonist use sodium/mercury batteries (with the sodium extracted from the seawater) to power his submarine. Although I'm not sure if it works flawlessly in real life. I'm not an engineer
We simply start a mining operation on the sun, bring back small pieces of the sun to Earth and install these pieces under all the cars to improve the output of our newly installed Solar Freakin Roadways. Now I'm just a simple country god fearn creationist who loves apple pie and social justice and I thought of this all on my lonesome so whats you big city chemists doing? just a moanin and a fussin. ;).
>haha creationists are so dumb xd
Lmao
That’s a brilliant idea, I can’t top it,but maybe equal it, how about a gas line from all the solar gas giants direct to earth. Since they are so huge we would have gas for a billion years (calculated on the back of an envelope). 😂
✌️From a working class normie from Scotland 🏴 😂
Thunderf00t is really being generous in this! He said that the couple who are heading this just don't know that this isn't possible... I think they're just fucking con artists who ran an indygogo scam.
+Tom Riddle I agree, partially. They very well might think that this horse shit can work and it's an unintentional scam. If it's intentional though, I wonder if they could be sued for fraud. There's no science behind this shit, but it seems like you can get away with anything when it comes to crowdfunding. That seems like something that the law needs to address.
+TheGreatYukon If they really believe it, it would not be fraud. I however find it hard to imagine someone dumb enough to believe the idea but smart enough to run the effort to raise money.
I think it is a scam, I did mateirals engineering and it is easy to get industry or government funding for anything.
If this was legit they wouldn't need an indiegogo campaign.
***** "If this was legit they wouldn't need an indiegogo campaign" Pretty much the best "in a nutshell" response I've heard to this thing. Why didn't I think of that
+Tom Riddle Agreed, I refuse to believe they actually put any money into any prototypes whatsoever. They just slapped some stuff together that might look like solar panels. That's it.
Ah Thunderf00t. Destroying people's dreams with science and a smile. Love it!
imagine if we just put them on the moon!!!! just replace the moon with one big solar panel, and run a cable to earth. we could generate TONS of energy from it!!!
We could make the Martians pay for it too.
You made me snort out energy drink.
@ JOseph Payne Jokes aside, ever play that old Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed game from SSI (gold box sci fi rather than D&D game) for DOS? If you do, try to remember the Mariposa stations around Mercury which, in the game universe were solar collectors which focused the energy and sent it out via microwave to receptors further out in space and planetside? The concept isn't that far out, and work has been done on that in the past. Once the tech is fully commercially viable, who needs the cable?
Paul Constantin one needs the cable
In all seriousness, really the only/best way to transmit power between Earth and Moon would be something like a laser/Maser etc.. And that has some relatively large losses and challenges.
It could be done, but at that point you might as well just create a bunch of solar satellites orbiting close to the sun, and have them 'beam' the energy back. Probably doesn't cost much more lol.
I am setting up a kickstarter for the pogostick to moon thing... it will work!
+Conex Xenon link, please
VIIflegias That was a joke... But imagine people would actually donate monate to it, something that will never ever work and is only a cheap ripoff
@@predatortheme the phrase "donate monate" still keeps me up at night.
@@arseniitrifonov9015 No stop why did you infect me with this plague
Anyone else rewatching the classics?
Yes omg 😂😂
I liked these thunderfoot videos then the ones about Elon or Trump
You'd also have a lot of vandalism problems.
Also, the snow plows will easily break off the traction parts of the road as well as making pulling tiles out much faster!
If I need a science project for the fair, I can rip it out of the road
the panels have heating elements, they won't need snow plows
***** In pictures
+Shea Lupkes Damn those are strong heaters, especially because glass doesn't do well at conducting heat
GJameso I'm not working on the project, look at their website if you want the science
My favorite thing about ashfault is that it's not slippy like wet glaws.
please learn to spell. It's asphalt and glass.
sumu115 the joke
your head
The part I don't like about ash fault is that if you fall on it IT FUCKING HURTS!!!
@@Zadamanim I don't get it
@@july7498 He's making fun of the way Thunderfoot pronounces asphalt and glass.
Having read all these comments, I find myself asking the only logical question one could ask having done so...How many TH-cam accounts does the guy asking for money to put solar panels in the fucking roads have?
There is literally no way any human being who can use a keyboard and make some kind of language with it could be even close to dumb enough to defend this idiotic idea unless they were financially invested in it.
+Ash Scott How much are you getting paid from the oil industry?
Ash Scott Your ignorance is glaring, but I'll play along with this juvenile rant of yours. Maybe you should open your mind.
phil j
I'm going to have to give you a warning for that. I said NO cheesy conspiritard soundbites. Here's how this works...You tell us why solar roadways are a good idea. Then, I tell you why you are wrong. If your next reply is like that one: IE contains zero information and zero contribution to the discussion, then you'll be talking to yourself. Of course, Poe's law is also in play here, so I may need you to prove you are an actual supporter of this retarded "technology" and not a Poe. For now, it doesn't matter. The hippy weirdos who can't see what a bad idea this is, will learn as much from seing a Poe getting dismantled as a genuine fruitcake.
Ash Scott You don't get to tell me what to say. As in any civilized conversation we'd have to agree to disagree. I don't have to comment on solar roadways because I didn't create the idea, but you obviously have an opinion of it and so I commented. I said you're ignorant because you say solar roadways is "retarded technology," which is offensive to a lot of people. That doesn't help your argument thus making it juvenile.
phil j
So, you are offering nothing at all to back up your insinuation that a person pointing out the flaws in this idiotic, backwards, inefficient, ineffective solution to a problem that doesn't exist, is working for the oil industry? I was hoping you would at least TRY, even though you started from an indefensible position. Oh, well. Oh, and my use of the word "retarded" has nothing whatsoever to do with humans who have genetic mental handicaps. Just because people can and do apply that word to those people, doesn't mean that's what the word actually means.
A resident of the Pacific Northwest, I've been subjected to all manner of media promoting this thoroughly unrealistic project. That *anyone* who has lived in this area, infamous for its' extreme weather patterns (sudden, significant snowfall, ice storms, high winds blowing this area's abundant, towering evergreen trees onto roadways, not infrequent river-flooding rainfall, autumnal leaf falls blanketing any exposed surfaces, etc), accepts this concept as viable tends to reinforce my belief that my neighbors are idiots. Further, I've heard no consideration of how these roads would fare secondary to mild to moderate earthquake activity peculiar to specific regions of the PNW.
Finally; have these so-called innovators reckoned how such roadways would function following the eruption of an active volcano? When Mt St Helens erupted in May of 1980, the ground glass that is volcanic ash covered *everything*, accumulating anywhere from 3-4inches to better than a few feet, dependent upon location. The sunlight obliterating results notwithstanding, the fine, sharp-edged ash would certainly damage electronics beneath their glass panelled surface.
Something rubs me the wrong way about that "Whoa!" guy. It's almost like they're overtly mocking everyone who got suckered into giving them money.
How about thorium powered road ways?
The radiation will keep the surface warm, so no snow or ice.
People will not want to get too much radiation, so they will stop using their cars as much, which will be good for the environment AND remove congestion.
Maybe you can even make a 2nd generation version where we just use nuclear waste. No longer any problem with finding a place for spent reactor fuel and such.
I think I maybe on to something here. Send money now.
They wont stop using cars. They will buy lead coated BMWs which use a shitton of fuel because if the added weight
@@Phagastick i like this future!
What about thorium powered interstellar spaceships
They use thorium to power the huge electrical power required to use the alcubierre warp drive
This would be more plausible as a sidewalk.
Benjamin Filbert Solar Freakin' Sidewalks? lol
Benjamin Filbert I doubt it would be a good walking surface, either. However, those bright minds in Europe have installed a solar bike path in The Netherlands. I'm curious how they fared over their first Winter?
www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/10/363023227/solar-bike-path-opens-this-week-in-the-netherlands
Richard Alexander You wouldn't have to use this surface for a sidewalk. You could use one better designed for bipedal and bicycle traction
Benjamin Filbert Genius idea! Put the panels on the rooftops! Oh wait....
PonzooonTheGreat Yes, cause we always walk on the rooftops....
When you have solar panels on the sidewalks _as well as_ on the rooftops, you increase the rate at which you can produce solar energy. Furthermore, lighted panels on the sidewalk would make for greater illumination of say, crosswalk areas, displaying the meter time, so one can easily see from the buildings if they need to feed the meter, storefronts can rent the area in front of them to put their signs on the sidewalk (increasing revenue potential for the cities), highlighting where someone is standing at night, (which could provide an effective deterrent for crime), and many other uses, including for emergencies and festive events. The possibilities really are limitless.
We could even forgo the solar source for energy. There is a company in Japan that had proposed sidewalks that produce energy simply from people walking on them, much the same way there are wristwatches that are wound by the vibrations in your wrist.
You forgot to mention that criminals will rip the wiring out of the road ways for the copper.
Lol. They already steal the steel and aluminum alloy beams in road structures.
responsible people in a responsible society wouldn't do things like this. We need a change in human consciousness as well.
@James- And you forgot about the criminals that already go around to road constructions sites and steal their equipment. Fact is, there will always be thieves, no matter the industry.
You mean like they do with the current electrical grid? Holy crap...you're right! Why bother even having an electrical grid at all?
Plasmon19 Not going to stop someone acting out of desperation...
the biggest reason we use asphalt on most roadway surfaces is because of it's flexibility. It can flex slightly under heavy loads, expand and contract with the changes in weather. Glass surface road would HAVE to be able to expand and contract sometimes a foot or more per mile between day heat and night cool. these panels are, well, look to be about a foot... Give it a few days, none of those pretty 'interlocking' panels will be where you put them.
Highways use concrete, but have expansion gaps at regular intervals. Those expansion gaps are designed to keep the segments of roadway in line as well. Those sections are quite large indeed, and a shift of a few inches isn't going to be the end of the world. When you have small road panels, they can be shifted and pushed around quite a bit more. This means that maintenance costs will be through the roof, as every mile will require re-aligning on a regular basis.
I've seen some pretty rad road damage from extremely hot days in places that aren't used to it, the road can literally wrinkle. This is another reason these roads are simply not an option, not to mention price.
So far they have installed gaps between every glass part of the panel for the prototypes. There are three layers in the panels, the bottom layer is interlocking and provides support.
Kevin Casper yup, and that is suicidal for differential loading on a road surface. When a car rolls over that crack, there will be much higher loads because the gap provides no support for the vehicle.
Look at your typical expansion joint on a bridge. They are usually pretty well armor plated for just this reason. Now you would have that mechanical shortcoming on every tile on the entire road surface!
And, just thinking about this now, many many roads will get erosion underneath the roadbed causing whatever underlay material to get moved about or even washed away (note how sinkholes happen in many older roadways in neighborhoods where the upkeep on said roads may not be very regular). Even the difference of an inch between tiles would spell disaster here. Ever driven a car over an old cobblestone or brick road? It would likely be something like that.
ReddmanDGZ Bullshit! Your entire line of thinking about this is sheer bullshit.
Only fools say 'It can't be done.'
Ever hear of 'research and development'? You might want to look into that.
We come up with new and better ideas every fucking day. Figure it out. Sheesh!
Dan Lewis And for every working new and better idea there are a thousand ideas that don't work and have to be discarded. Get over it, this will not work in a country that hasn't the money to even maintain the existing infrastructure.
Our science teacher showed us this in her class... and I actually fell for it at first.
Thank you for getting that stupid idea out of my head.
show her this video
+HQDefault What science class was it, and how long ago lived the dinosaurs according to him/her?
Huid Hoofd It was earth and physical science. We didn't cover shit like dinosaurs.
Also, this was a year ago. I can't be expected to remember all those years.
I bet if I put enough bottle rockets on my pogo stick I could get to the moon eventually, right?
When I first saw the obnoxious (albeit effective) ad about solar roadways, I can't deny that I was skeptically a little hyped about the idea. But really, it's the same as someone presenting "future-y" ideas from a cheesy sci-fi book and saying "lets do this". It might seem cool, but there's probably a few simple reason behind why we haven't done it, the foremost being that it's likely impossible given current technology.
It's not pessimistic, it's simple reality. Thank you for making this video. Subscroob'd.
I saw the video, and critiqued it, glass is a brittle material, friction will polish the glass to dangerously smooth. And solar panels wont work if it got dirt and cars on top of it. I also proposed to put road solar roofs instead, but people reacted against me in defense of this silly idea.
Basically, at first glance of the solar freaking roadways video, my views matched a fraction of the facts TF mentioned in this video. This is an excellent well rounded video. Great job TF.
I think it's hilarious that all Brusaw did was find a much more inefficient way to do everything we're already doing today.
IAN 4000 Not to mention more costly as well.
IAN 4000 Uhm, you seem to forget the dimension of space in all this. Just because we could do it elsewhere doesn't mean we can't also do it here.
The whole idea behind this concept is more efficient use of space. Inside most cities it appears like this is commercially viable given land prices.
Blah b So you're going to literally bankrupt every world economy just so you can put a delicate photovoltaic cell under a place where cars and multi-ton trucks roll over every day? Do you even UNDERSTAND how much you'd save on materials if you just PUT THEM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD???
Blah b Efficient use of space that won't even work?
Dolan Duk That's true because where Blah b is suggesting (city streets) is shaded a majority of the time, by buildings, so "efficient use of space" to provide solar energy conversion to electricity doesn't make any sense in that instance. I guess Blah b doesn't realize solar panels require sunlight to create electricity?
Also about the tractor thing, loads of farmers around my area in the UK either completely forget or can't be bothered to lift their equipment so ends up scraping the road. Imagine how much damage that could possibly do to a glass tile.
My husband and I live in Sandpoint. We called Public Works. They have yet to see a working prototype. All projects are proposed, there is no approval for anything, everyone is awaiting an actual product. When questioned, the Brusaws were evasive at best. Since their crowdfunding, they have acquired a building, conference room furniture, etc.; still no product. After searching the internet, I located this pdf from a student allegedly working on the civil engineering testing; Mr. Brusaw asserts he has never met this individual, I am in the process of contacting some media outlets and the state and federal agencies involved to determine if the pdf is in fact true or not. I can however tell you that the Brusaw's took enough exception to pointed questions that they removed them from their social media sites, along with anyone elses pointed questions or concerns. Now they are setting up for crowdfunding round two with no accountability for funds received in round one. At present I think there are real reasons for concern that these folks are swag merchants, not real visionaries with a viable and tangible product to roll out to market. www.pitt.edu/~ngd13/Writing%20Assignment%203.pdf
Great post! I personally think Solar Roadways should be indicted for fraud, I have researched their claims thoroughly, and they don't add up by any means, and have been debunked many times by other engineers.
ronc1357 Thank you. Interestingly enough, after being publically blocked for asking pointed questions, Mr. Brusaw has seen fit to contact me personally. He only responded to the pdf, which of course he asserts is merely a creative writing assignment by a student he does not know. As I pointed out to Mr. Brusaw, he has no credibility with me at present, thus until the appropriate state and federal agencies can investigate the veracity of his assertions, I am not interested in further dialogue, especially since any dialogue should be public. Regardless of whether the pdf is true or not true, it does not erase your observation, Ron, that once held to the scrutiny of science, his claims and assertions are invalid and grandiose. My husband specifically asked him for photos of the actual demonstration of the unit melting snow and ice; their present photos are photoshopped and none of their simulated photos indicate they are simulations; a direct violation of green truth in advertising laws, thus my first letter will more than likely go to the FTC. For a four year old unit that is a strip next to their home to be presented as a parking lot, with no data for power generation, photos of how it works, etc., available seems odd, particularly in light of the Norwegian project which already has a working solar bike path complete with data available after only five years of work. If anyone wants to help and can get someone in the media interested or is willing to write letters, I would be thankful for the back-up. I have contacted a few tech writers but have not heard back from anyone yet. I am hoping that Thunderf00t will see this and take an interest as well. So I, like you, want to either see a tangible product or some sort of accountability for the funds they have secured to date. The present Indiegogo extension campaign is offering new "perks" as we speak, and it appears that the new building is more swag processing and mailing center than actual manufacturing or "work" space...but then...hey..."they wear many hats at Solar Roadways." ;)
This was my original open letter to them which they removed and to date have still not answered.
"I have been following your idea for quite some time. Initially I was rather enthused, after recent observations and a timely call to the Sandpoint Public Works Department; I am concerned.
Per the Public Works department, everyone is eagerly awaiting an actual tangible product from Solar Roadways so that grant funds can be secured and proposed projects can be solidified. At present everything is merely proposed and hinges on a tangible functional product and the successful presentation of that product.
It concerns me that your resounding success appears at present to be fundraising and “perks” when product development and production of that product should be paramount. While a conference room is nice, I am more interested in where your research, development, and production is taking place.
I worked with a company that created innovative technology and rolled it out successfully; their initial focus was on engineering and development staff; and the tools and materials to create their working prototypes. Once designed prototypes were installed there were months of on-site work to “work out the bugs” and inevitable unforeseen issues that surface when taking an intangible idea and making it a tangible product.
I think most folks are interested in this product because of the potential good it could bring should it prove successful. I for one can buy a coffee cup or a tee shirt if I want one. I would rather know that when I recommend a business, or I invest in a business that there is transparency of the actual product and its readiness for market.
As a business person I would like some of the hard facts that any investor has a right to ask:
1. What steps are you currently engaged in to have a working product available to present to the municipalities and federal entities related to the fundraising you have done to date?
2. What date do you anticipate having this working prototype ready for presentation to said entities and based upon what material facts?
3. If the aforementioned projects and or funding grants are not approved what are the proposed contingency options?
4. How much of your donated funds are allocated to the following:
a. Research and development
b. Research and development staff
c. Production of prototypes
d. Proposed projects
e. Marketing/perks
f. Support staff and services
g. Equipment, tools, and building acquisitions.
5. At a time when you have no actual awarded contracts or secured funding sources other than publicly solicited funds; why was your priority to buy a building? Was it cheaper to purchase a property than it was to lease commercial space for production? With Sandpoint’s current economic climate I would imagine there would have been numerous options which would have afforded you to prioritize towards production with what little liquidity you raised. A project of this magnitude will need much more than the two million raised to date if there was an actual product available now.
Now some may perceive this as negative and that is not my intention. I originally thought this was a wonderful idea, I was excited at what it could mean to our local community as well as the potential impact it could have globally if the project was a success. That said, its business, and funds are being solicited. With that solicitation of funds comes a responsibility to offer substance, facts and a product; not merely perks."
gigisno wyatt The same thing happened with me, once I questioned their technology, and then I was bombarded with their "fan boys" opinions, I was blocked from Solar Roadways Facebook site, I guess I got too close to the truth, and they weren't to comfortable with that.
Here is what they wrote to me via email.
Solar Roadways wrote: "Ronny, we have patiently responded to your many attacks on us over the past few weeks. Although you say you are not bitter about our winning the $50,000 over your project for most popular votes in the GE Ecomagination Contest, it is apparent that no matter how patiently we have responded to you, your only motive for being on our page seems to be to try to discredit us. Now you have resorted to writing completely dishonest statements about our company. We have never banned anyone on this page, but we must let you know that you will be the first to be banned. We will be deleting your fraudulent posts. We wish you well in your endeavors."
They were claiming they won first place in both ecomagination challenges. They did not. I was not part of the first challenge ("powering the grid") were they won most popular votes. I was part of the second challenge ("powering your home") The second challenge didn't offer $50,000.00 reward for popular votes. To top it off there was not a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in any of the challenges. Each challenge had (5) $100,000.00 winners, and a few other companies GE partnered with.
gigisno wyatt Please post up the results of the pdf when you get the conformation.
This is a classic! lmao!
I come back every few years!
@@Steve-nv8db never gets old
The marketing of this is so bad, it just shouts scam. I mean what is the IQ of the target audience? If you just finished high school you would still think that this advertisement is made for some idiots.
born too late to explore the earth, born too early to explore the universe, but born just in time to travel to the moon with nuclear powered pogo sticks.... awsome!
Thats called an orion drive.
Hey anyone given the thought on how much it would sound driving on this road?
Normal tarmac isn't soundless unless it's made very smooth. The white lines on the side of the road will warn you right away with a high sound. Driving on Gravel actually makes a lot of noise and now you have all of those hexagon tiles.
They must make one hell of a loud noise when you drive over them at fast speed.
All those *rough, bumpy* hexagonal tiles. (see 3:12 )
Zefar77 Actually the noise made by asphalt is percieved as less noisy if you use a very open (rough) structure and not the smooth kind as that will sing at a high pitch. The fun part is that allthough the high pitch technicall has less db it is percieved as louder because the rough asphalt will spread the noise in a broader range of tones and that is perceived by humans as less noisy.
Snowcat1970 Oh? Well when they put fresh tarmac outside my old house it was pretty smooth. Was lovely to drive a bike on and even roller skates. Which btw would be neigh impossible to use on these glass panels.
Even with a car it was almost soundless.
Zefar77 It depends on speed. for lower speeds inside a city limits it is indeed virtually silent, but for higher speeds (like a highway) it matters.
Zefar77 No true. The texture is much smaller than you guys believe. Bikes and roller skates are just fine.
i cant believe i fell for this... thats fifty bucks ill never get back... and to make it even worse, now i have a stupid solar roadways mug to always remind me of my own stupidity...
Fell for what? The company is moving ahead with their plans. The first customers will be able to purchase systems within 2 years. And the "debunking" video above is full of so much bull****, that you might say you have been tricked again. TF is going after solar roadways because he has a lot of donors convinced to give him money for these youtube videos and is trying to get publicity for more donors.
Kevin Casper either youre insanely stupid and delusional, or youre a troll. honestly i cant tell...
solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml
***** We're both doing the same thing. Keep it up :')www.solarroadways.com/clearingthefreakinair.shtml
*****
Chase Kolozsy
The fact that the two of you were so easily assuaged by that meager half-attempt at a response is concerning to me.
For your sake, I will take the time to take the rebuttal apart, one claim at a time.
"False Claim: We picked a really stupid place to put solar panels"
This one is pure nonsense. They just talk about how states don't have money to pay for maintenance of asphalt roads anymore.
Their solution? Make the maintenance of roads even more expensive and unmanageable by replacing asphalt with expensive electronics.
What a solution.
Then they talk some nonsense about how everything in the world is high tech so roads should be as well.
Should our bread also be high-tech and contain microprocessors as well?
You don't turn things "high tech" for no reason just to make it "high tech."
The problems they bring up with asphalt roads are actually aggravated when it comes to roads made of hexagonal bricks.
"False Claim: Solar Roadways is going to cost $60 trillion dollars"
Again, pure nonsense. No actual information about cost but some incoherent babble about return on investment.
Which is, once again, pure nonsense, because the up-front cost is so prohibitively expensive, any return on investment would have to be unrealistically massive for the roads to pay for themselves.
Just the cost of the glass alone costs 20 trillion dollars. It doesn't matter how you mass produce or how well you streamline the design.
Even with substantial economies of scale, you just can't get around the fact that glass is expensive.
So are labor and microprocessors.
Costs for materials can't be scaled down in the same way that costs of inefficient design can be scaled down.
Their claim that no one can estimate the cost of the panels is, once again, pure nonsense.
I find it particularly interesting that they haven't released preliminary cost estimates.
They would be useful to potential donors, but not a single word about it.
"False Claim: Asphalt roads are cheap and maintainable"
This one is equally ridiculous.
The premise is that asphalt roads have problems, which no one denies.
Then the argument goes off the rails and Solar Roadways suggests that the solution to the problems of asphalt roads, namely cost and maintenance, can be resolved by aggravating the problems.
Whatever maintenance problems roads have now, they'll be infinitely worse once those roads are made of expensive electronics and glass.
The rate at which they'll be replaced per unit surface area isn't expected to change.
Therefore, maintenance costs will be higher as the unit cost per surface area of solar panels is more expensive when compared to asphalt.
"False Claim: we can't afford to heat roads"
This is going increasingly off the rails.
The claim is we have a problem.
Therefore, Solar Roadways.
No. They haven't explained where they'll get the energy to heat the roads.
As Thunderf00t kindly explained, the energy required to simply melt ice at 0 degrees Celsius is substantial, even with 100% efficiency.
The heated panels will get nowhere near 100% efficiency.
Saying that snowy roads are a problem doesn't get around the fact that melting the snow is a preposterous idea.
Just because a seemingly unsolvable problem exists, doesn't mean that buying magic beans will resolve that problem.
"False Claim: Glass is softer than asphalt"
Hardness is not the only thing to consider when building things.
There's a reason they build cars out of steel and not out of glass.
There are other properties to materials, such as brittleness, that influence how durable that particular material will be.
This answer was a bit more clever, in that some people might actually be persuaded by it.
It doesn't survive under scrutiny, however.
"False Claim: The shadow a single bird can take out an entire solar array - let alone a car!"
Can't address this one. Don't have enough applicable knowledge.
This rebuttal might be valid, for all I know.
"False Claim: You can't see LEDs in direct sunlight"
Also don't know enough about this one to comment on it.
It isn't the part that makes solar roadways useless, so it's not much of a boon to the Solar Roadway people.
I will say that LEDs are very often not visible in direct sunlight.
There's a reason that traffic lights are shaded.
I've seen a traffic light being hit by direct light from the sun when it's low in the sky.
It's very difficult to tell when the light is green or red.
"False Claim: We're attempting to use recycled colored glass to make new clear glass"
Thunderf00t's claim about the colored class wasn't a serious attack against the concept of solar roadways.
It was more a funny observation of the preposterously useless activity this couple was engaged in.
Not gonna lie, I was waiting for a Thunderfoot video of Solar Roadways before making up my mind on how I felt about it. My suspicious were confirmed, thank you Thunderfoot for being awesome. I wish I could afford to be a Patreon because you are a better teacher than any professor I ever had in college or high school.
You know this video made me appreciate the engineering behind regular roadways.
Thank you for making this. My first reaction when I saw Solar FREAKING Roadways was "That's cool, but..."
I've had so many friends spamming this on facebook over the past few weeks I just wanna give 'em all a proper smack across the face.
Make sure you post this video as a response.
Doni Sewell
Don't do that, they might un-friend him, or accuse him of being a shill for Big Oil...............The people that have really bought into this Solar Roadways nonsense have turned into proverbial fundamentalists, no amount of logic will be enough to overcome the heavy doses of Kool-Aid that they've consumed.
Mark Radom You're probably right.
There is another problem not mentioned by Thunderf00t: PV cells produce a very low voltage, so they have to be connected in series (called a string) to give a voltage high enough that can actually be converted for the grid. The maximum current through a string is limited by the current of the weakest cell. This means that a drop of oil, a tree leaf on the road will knock out a full string. In residential PV system one usually has 1 or 2 strings, with a few kW produced by each string (I have 8.6kWp on my roof, organized as two strings). This is why when you put PV cells on your roof, you have to cut down trees that cast shadows on the cells. The shadow of a single branch, covering not even a percent of the PV area, can bring power from a few kW down to 0. It's quite obvious that PV cells in roads will always be shadowed in part, so they will not even produce anything.
I could really only see this stuff working in a place like Los Vegas on the sidewalks.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. It may not be any good as a road surface (for all the reasons thunderfoot listed), but what about the sidewalks in desert cities like Vegas, or places like Australia, or the Middle east? Plenty of direct sunlight, no heavy trucks/cars, less surface area so not as expensive - though it would still cost a buttload... Eh.
it would work but there are too many tall casinos and hotels that are blocking the sun for most of the day. It would be best for the tops of the buildings to be coated with them.
or, and hear me out... they could just build normal solar plants in the massive deserts right next door.
Anthony Miracle It would be better if built in arizona/utah area because of the Hoover dam producing tons of power.
The roadways in the desert southwest get so hot, I wouldn't be surprised if it causes problems with the electronics.
You are just a pawn of this industry or that!! This is the voice of vested corporate interests. You are in the pocket of big asphalt.
I didn't want to disappoint you. I only saw people agreeing with you and saying how great you are. We don't want you getting a bigger head than you already have.
Keep making these and we will keep watching.
The Illuminati has him
Can we get a Kickstarter going for transorbital pogosticks?
I was hoping this would come out. I was skeptical of them when I saw the roads were all perfectly flat. Roads in real life are not flat. At all. Even the straightest road is raised in the middle so water can run off it.
Might be feasible in a highly localized downtown setting, but even that's being overly optimistic. This is about as likely to happen as pneumatic train systems. Just fantasy.
.
.
.
...but then again skyscrapers make big shadows that last hours. Man this really is a bad idea.
+DrHotelMario
Forget for a moment the cost of tearing up the roadway just to replace it with hexagonal glass panels with circuitry and solar panels in them. Forget the cost of materials for the first install.
When the lights need to be replaced, rather than closing only a couple of lanes, the entire road has to be closed, and for longer.
You'd be better off putting those solar panels on the sides of the skyscrapers.
I mean in parking lots and low density districts it could be feasible to lower energy costs but that's about it
Haha Amazing video. I have seen the ad for solar roadways on facebook and I had a couple of questions which is why I opened your video. And I have to say it completely changed my view of them. You have gotten on to my favourite TH-camrs list. Keep making these videos.
Hardest part about being an engineer is telling my friends when an idea won't work. It really puts a dampening on our friendship. I saw this because a friend, who knows nothing about science, was telling me I had to see it, and to help spread the word. You should have seen his face when I started listing the reasons why it wouldn't work. /sigh
If it isn't broken, don't fix it.
AJ Chubber How is it broken?
Cars drive on asphalt with no problem at all.
IF it isn't broken DON'T break it.
Joseph Daly Nuclear is only cheaper in the short run. And by short run, i mean our life times. But the waste will be around 10,000+ years, and the storage fees will eventually make it far, far more expensive.
Wind, in a windy place, is the current winners. But there's not too many very windy places. Tech wise, we're already near the 80% efficiency mark, so i don't see this getting too much bigger.
Hydro comes next, but like wind, there's only so many places we can stick a Hover Dam.
Solar is now cheaper then gas and coal in many areas. However, unlike wind, we're only at 15% efficiency. There's also a bigger storage problem. Still, it is the most likely to do the full replacement of fossil fuels.
And finally, fusion. Which has been 20 years away for 50 years. But has the potential of making all the other ones obsolete.
***** IS OF NO USE?
To my observation hundreds of thousands each day use the roads in my near vicinity. I think most all people do the same EVERYDAY all over the world.
Average commute distance for Americans is 16 miles. Most of them do it on asphalt. Be it walking, driving, biking, taking the bus or so forth. People get back and forth, no problem. It is not like the asphalt disintegrates the moment it is laid.
Have you even tried to search for "Lifespan of Asphalt"? Because it doesn't look like it. Well kept asphalt stays for 15-20 years.
That is the most ignorant statement anyone can ever make. Every single thing you have and enjoy in life right now is a direct result of someone thinking the exact opposite. That is unless you are a caveman still hunting with sticks and sharpened rocks. "Innovation" is all about making anything better regardless of how good it is now.
I did believe the solar roadways concept was a great idea. But as you said, it's too good to be true. They'd be better off making solar panels with that money over the roads than anything at all. I definitely feel suckered in with the whole idea. But this video definitely changed my mindset.
The cool thing is that you can just pull out a tile and sell the parts for a lot of money.
If they really replaced the road with this you wouldn’t be able to make money off of them because anyone can go to their driveway and take one. That’s like saying “I can make tons of money by collecting air in a jar and selling it.”
rosestar1324 not really, you can take the parts inside the tiles, repurpose them and sell
Gurosama Bltch I guess it’s fair to say you can make some money because you would be doing the hard work for them, but I wouldn’t go as far to say you could make a ton of money. If any person can walk outside and grab something and sell it, then there’s nothing special about it and if it’s not special, then it’s not valuable. Another example would be if you sold apples from your backyard. Since you can go to any store and buy apples, you won’t make tons of money. If anyone was able to pull out a tile, then you wouldn’t get much money because you’re doing something any normal person can do. It’s not like you’re selling diamonds. You’re selling something everyone has access to. UNLESS you need special tools and equipment to properly remove a tile. But since your comment didn’t mention needing any of those, then I’m gonna assume that literally anyone can do it. Why pay someone something you can do for free in a minute. Now, if you pulled 100 tiles for example, then you could make a good chunk of money because it would make sense for that to have taken you a long time to do and time is money. It’s why in theory, a farmer would make more money selling apples by the truck load and you by comparison would not make as much by only selling a basket of apples.
The problem with your argument was that you only mentioned selling one tile and did not mention the need for special tools to remove the tile, thereby saying that it’s both easy and anyone can do it. Therefore you would not make a lot of money in that scenario.
@rosestar1324 Uh that's not how the economy works. That's not how any of this works. This comment is baffling. Our population is huge, there is never enough to go around. Ever. There is no way these panel couldn't be sold for money. The resources don't exist, for there to be enough for all billions of us. Until every human has one... they'll have homes to go to.
Your optimism is out of control. There's 8 billion humans on this finite little planet, burning through food and resources.
Until we live in a post-scarcity world, like Star Trek, your comment is not applicable to reality. I wish it was that simple, I truly do :(
So wait- Why put the solar panels on the roads? Why not somewhere else where they wouldn't be under so much stress?
Like on every single roof, or anywhere else really?
Because their campaign wouldn't go viral if they didn't promise shiny Tron like roads.
You don't even need an understanding of science to get that solar roadways are a stupid idea, honestly. Combining roads and solar panels creates so many problems that are easily solved by just placing the solar panels somewhere else. There is just no reason to combine the two.
But dude solar freakin' roadways, tron in real life, sign me up!
"talk about a hypodermic shot to the heart" (16:00)
that sentence alone is cringeworthy to say the least
they obviously don't know that hypodermic means "between the skin and muscle layers" so it's impossible for a hypodermic shot of anything to be even remotely close to the heart :P
actually, it quite accurately details how far off their observations are from reality
+Sirius Black The whole Solar Roadways is 1980's, the old 80's make lots of waste and get nothing back from it, expected lining the pocket major oil companies.
Every clip he showed of that demo was cringeworthy.
Hypodermic just means “beneath the skin” or “below the skin”
Fuck patreon anti-free-speech shill
That’s peanuts compared to everything else here.
I just want to say thank you. I have serious mental health problems and let's just say I've given up on life / people because it just seems like the facts don't matter anymore. When facts don't matter anymore, nothing does. I've watched this BUSTED playlist through and you have restored my faith in humanity. I'm not a smart person but I know when people ignore the truth/facts we all lose. Thank you again good sir. Can't wait for more content!
Even if you did manage to get materials that worked, heated road ways are crazy dangerous, think of all the animals that would be drawn to the heat during the winter, not to mention the homeless in low income areas.
shoorysmile1 A very good point! Wildlife migrates towards warmth during the colder months (particularly in areas of freezing temperatures and snowfall), so the roads would become a nightmare.
shoorysmile1 +1 on you friend
shoorysmile1 = sorta like the warm black top no animals hang out on now? any special reason there is such out the door nay saying? the light bulb received similar arguments when it was first presented. that idea never took off either, I've noticed.Any special reason you think asphalt runoff is great to keep applying? and I am sure you think no one should develope any technology from Quantum levitation either.
valhoundmom Yup sarcasm is always the best way to persuade people to change their thinking and open up their minds. Well done.
Do you get what I did there?
Am I saying asphalt is perfect? Heck no. I voted green just like every other God fearing 20 year old art student out there. Am I saying I am a scientific genious. No. Do I know what Quantum levitation means? NAY. I say nay, I do not. Nor do I particularly care to research into it after your sass monster throw down.
I do however have some knowledge on animals and their behaviours and they are drawn to heat. Yes black top already does this. This is after all how we know hot roads are a problem. But this heated road idea suggests that the heating would be continuous through out the cold periods to reduce snow, frost, ice etc. That means roads will be hot for longer. That means animals will be drawn to them for longer. That means more fatality.
If you want me to invest more into the idea then just let me know some suggestions on how to reduce this as a risk. We both seem to want the same thing. A healthier happier planet. No need for the angst.
shoorysmile1 What heat? there is no heat. They just need to melt the ice, not cook it. 5°C, 10° at the most would be enough. And what would those animals and homeless people want on the roads if there is wind and no shelter?
Okay, before watching the video, I'm going to guess that solar panels are not strong enough to handle traffic.
The world needs more people who ask 'HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK?', instead of just posting a video full of negative road blocks before we've even started. I salute the people with ideas for moving our society forward.
"HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK?'
We put the solar panels somewhere where vehicles wont drive over them.
He did say how we can make it work.... Put them in better places.
It's idiotic. Simple as that.
You have to identify the problems before you overcome them. An engineer will tell you what's not working properly before telling you what's working right, because that's not what matters if you want to improve a system.
i would hate to ball on a court made out of that stuff, it would get scuffed and the injuries would be horrific
I work for an energy company but i don't think you have to to know how badly our power grid need updated. We don't need solar roadways we need basic infrastructure upgrades and overhauls. If you want to blow billions on the energy grid then spend it on infrastructure, upgrading old equipment and new nuke plants. The energy grid is a critical piece of infrastructure that we have neglected to a dangerous point.
That solar panel roof idea sounds pretty neat. But these roadways are merely good enough to feature in a SciFi movie.
Solar powered roofs are a good idea because each individual building would pay for their own solar panels. Which they would do because the solar panels' energy go directly to them. This solar road would have to be paid for by the government. Not good.
Benjamin Grosz Too bad that pretty much nobody has got the money for solar panels.
fireluigi12 in the future they will probably be cheaper if we find another source of rare earth metals.
fireluigi12 or if we can find alternatives to rare earth metals.
Benjamin Grosz
No it is not a bad idea because government would pay for it but because it doesn't work. I think goverment should pay for installing solar panels on buildings and houses.
Aww noooo, I hate it when facts get in the way of my personal feelings!
I wonder how this project is doing these days. Over 2 years later and... hold on... looking it up...
Oh look, according to their Facebook page, they're doing an installation in Sandpoint Idaho. It was set to start in early Summer. And it is now... mid-to-late Summer. I wonder why it's not in the news. Hmm... I know! Let's look up Sandpoint, Idaho:
Nothing. But after some more digging, I see that Conway, Missouri is the magical location. I couldn't really find why things didn't work out in Sandpoint. They're planning to start with the sidewalks and see where it goes from there. I mean, it was only reported on "Newsmax" so, who knows. Hmm... I know! Let's look up Conway, Missouri:
Okay... a lot more on this one. They hope to have the road in by the end of the year. But all of the stories are like the ones I found for Sandpoint. Either optimistic and explains what Solar Roadways are... or nothing else. It's just that this are so recent that there's nothing yet to report. Seriously, I still want to know why Sandpoint was a flop.
Well this is just confusing, Bonner County Bee reports they're still planning to put in Solar Roadways late August Early September. Which is it... Conway, Missouri or Sandpoint, Idaho? Route 66 or I70? Whatever, it could be both for all I care, because no real information is being said. Let's wait until next year to read about how the release has been delayed again.
thanks for your time, was about to do some searching as i remembered seeing this project 2 or 3 years ago, you saved me a while to find out it's still a scam :DDDDDD
I may have the reason why Sandpoint parking lot not been worked on. It's too close to a public sidewalk. For this to work ( and I have been asking how to make this work ) you have to dig down one meter ( three feet )for working space for the wiring.
It's LIVE! SOLAR FREAKIN' ROADWAYS! (7 out of 30 panels light up at night. 0 out of 30 panels have LEDs visible in the day, 0 out of 30 panels generate power, 0 out of 30 panels have functional heating elements, there is no 'corridor' for wires or runoff water, no load sensors, etc... But 17% of them DO function as an ultra-low-resolution-nighttime light show! And you can even walk or bike on them!)
Philo Judaeus of Alexandria I know! I saw the video! Very impressive work. I'm sure it'd get 6th place at a school science fair.
Can we all get a round of applause for their hard work?
solar rooftops are way more practical then solar roadways, you don't drive on your roof, you don't cover your roof with cars during the day, and the roof doesn't need traction, in fact the less traction on a roof the better so snow doesn't stack up.
solar freaking rooftops, now give me 1.7 million dollars.
We should put clear glass on the roads with koi ponds below them.
😂 I can tell you are one of the tree huggers 😂
I was actually angered by all my FB friends sharing this ridiculous campaign. And yet, the fools below continue to defend it... man, why can't I come up with an idea this stupid and make a $million... how stupid am I then? -_-
I have the exact frustration. They hear a presentation by a freaking nuclear physicist of all people(!) and they still want to burn their money on this white elephant.
They don't even care if it will make the energy problem and economic crisis work, because "hey, it's an interactive, touch-screen, smart-road!"
the81kid, true story. Honestly, what is wrong with people that they would look at that cheezy marketing video and think it is legit? Where are people's bullshit meters? Why would an "incredible" invention even need such a massive outpouring of douchebaggery to sell it? Too much flashy TV BS in their lives I'm guessing and being conditioned to react positively to that kind of phony do-gooder crap.
We have a serious problem: we have professionals (geologists, economists, risk analysts, journalists, lawyers, engineers and more) warning us that we are coming to a huge energy and financial crisis in a few years. Heck, even the IEA is now saying that fracking production will probably peak before 2020.
And nobody cares. Nobody cares that the financial crisis, the cheating and mistakes, of 2008 is being repeated again x2 now. Nobody cares that we most likely will be almost zero cars on the road in 10 years. Nobody cares that we are burning the planet.
They just love the sound of the words "start-up", "touchscreen", "innovative" and "renewable energy". It's depressing, very depressing. We're going over a cliff, and people's normalcy bias and total denial is pushing the acceleration pedal down even harder.
the81kid
you are right to worry but the "cliff" analogy is not what I am thinking considering we have enough people that do care and I don't see it as a losing battle but swings. I am still inspired by people who battle ignorance.
if a clear material with this propertys would exist, then our smartphones would have that 😂
+MrGollum1996 Gorilla glass. Unless you're talking Apple devices, but that shit is designed to break easily.
Well, yeah, but tablets are also not supposed to be driven on, or smashed against rocks, or dropped, nor used as melee weapons or shields, either.
Seriously, I've gotten tablets and smartphones in the shop that people literally smashed and then lied about. Not like I'm going to bill them differently... broken screen's a broken screen, but still entertaining to see the stories people tell... "I dropped it gently." SURE you did, I found sand and gravel under the glass and stuck to the screen... "Uhhh... uhhh... it must've gotten underneath when it got dropped. (Through the adhesive gasket and all that other lovely stuff... yep.)
They DO make shatter proof tablets and phones. They weigh a lot more, are usually a lot slower and older more reliable tech, and are encased in rubber and colored in military or construction colors because those are the markets which require such near bullet proof tech.
Droid turbo 2 is supposed to have a shatterproof screen,they just use some kind of plastic instead of glass i think.
The closest material I could think of right now which would fit the bill is some kind of laminated glass or more likely some form of polycarbonate which is extremely tough.
For practical purposes polycarb is more or less "shatter proof" and largely scratch / puncture resistant and doesn't yellow in sunlight. Of course all bets are off if you're driving a truck over it, since you'll probably crush an aluminum or plastic casing even if the screen flexes enough to remain intact.
Polycarb is flexible, though, so there's a tradeoff between protecting the LCD and being struck or pushed hard enough to crunch and break the LCD surface.
----------- 5 minutes of google and vendor fu later -------------
You've got me curious. But looking for them in this area means getting one on "equipment lease" from Verizon (i.e. monthly 26.00 payment in addition to your phone plan.) No new "unabused" phones for retail anywhere with any of my vendors, nor from the prepaid vendors, where you would end up owning the phone and bringing it in for repair. Reading the fine print they say exactly as I suspect that the phone will not survive all impacts and is not ruggedized (aka "shock proof" or even "shock resistant") it is not one of the old generation Battle Droid editions, apparently. It isn't even guaranteed scratch proof either. Without a sample, and the nearest verizon shop some 100 miles out of my way, I'm going to go ahead and guess its some form or polycarb or plexiglass with a scratch resistant film.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back in the day when we used lots of phones in dangerous places, we used to use Casio GZone Rock and Brigade phones. In fact, they were nearly unbreakable, even accounting for some overzealous angry guy throwing his phone at the wall when he got bad news (you'll develop bad habits once you discover how physically tough these things are.) The Casios I've used also doubled as decent underwater cameras. In fact, the only flaw was bricking at the update screen for the first year (they seem to have solved the issue about the same time the Ravine came out.) I would have called Casio the SureFire brand of the cell phone world.
Paul Constantin Found an article talking about how it works and they did few things to make it shatterproof.
You're right though,the thick plastic layer is polycarbonate but they put another layer of some plastic on top which from what i understand is just a glorified screen protector,they did make the top layer user replaceable so they are expecting it to get scratched up.
The display is reinforced by putting it in an aluminum chassis and the display is OLED so it's not as sensitive to bending as LCD.Even the digitizer is supposed to toughened up.
There's a video of it being dropped from 300m (900ft) and it was working fine after it but the layers of plastic peeled off a bit on the corner it landed.
Here's the article www.wired.com/2015/11/the-droid-turbo-2-is-almost-unbreakable-heres-how-motorola-did-it/
4:38 Freeway made out of tiles? We have it in Czech republic. From Prague to Brno. Get your bumpers ready, because it IS a bumpy ride.
I'll bet it's not even made out of glass.
its made of beton blocks ;)
Thx this sounded so absurd to me from the beginning, can't understand how anyone could take this seriously.
Honestly, if you were taken by the SOLAR FREAKIN' ROADWAYS video/indiegogo, watch as much of this as you can.
I certainly was, although I did immediately think of several inherent issues with the concept.
This guy lays it all out and really it's just an horrendous idea.
Seems like this video made the rounds the other day but here you go again.
via Joe Bolin
I'm confused, were you taken by it or was it horrendous? I don't think I understand the context of the comment.
Joe Moore Pretty sure he's saying the solar roadways are horrendous. But idk if I agree with that (just wanted to clarify your question).
*****
I dont see how the traction concerns or the heating concerns are nitpicking. Not to mention the Solar freakin roadways video does not provide proof of the traction being good
Also where is your proof that the LED's will work? He at least provided something while you are just saying "No that experiment is wrong"
Also also when in the video does he even complain about lighting all of the roadways?
I do agree about the molten salt method though.
***** Why is it a great idea? I mean, even if you happen to think solar is a great way to generate electricity, why would you insist on putting it on roads? That's bound to create all sorts of problems and additional costs that aren't needed. Personally I think this idea is incredibly poor, for the simple reason that the southern part of the US has far more sun than the north and it would make far more sense to cover some desert in the south of the US in solar panels than roads all over the map.
If you think he's nitpicking then you quite clearly haven't watched the whole video. And/or you think science is a lie.
This is amazing, I'm not even a scientist but it's mostly common sense. I guess we all succeeded by not coming up with this idea ourselves.
Good video I see many reserch was done to prove the point. I hope some people after watching this,stop be so enthusiastic about the new "solar road" idea.
The video is over the top. There are a few valid criticisms in the video, but most of it was expecting you to take the authors on faith. For example proper traction testing for wet conditions has been performed and as they are installed in the initial areas they will undergo more testing to find problems. Solar Roadways has been working on this for a long time, and plans to start small to slowly work up to larger projects.
It was a ridiculous idea. How about we just use electric cars and drive on the same stuff we've always used? Put the solar panels on buildings not underneath a road lol.
Had to come back after the recent Hyperloop video - good old times :D
You could just replace the sidewalks with them instead. That would be a lot safer.
+FinnishArmy Unfortunately that still has plenty of its own problems, the least of which being the fact that flat solar panels work about half as well as angled panels. There's just no good reason to put solar panels on any flat surface.
+FinnishArmy Or, you could put a roof over the sidewalks, and put put solar panels on the roof. That would keep foot traffic off the solar panels, allowing the sidewalks to made out of cheaper, conventional materials. And, a roof would provide the added benefit of protecting the pedestrians from the elements and minimizing light pollution. I really can't think of a situation were walking/driving on solar panels makes more sense than putting the panels on the roof. The side benefits alone of having a covered sidewalk, parking lot, or roadway would clearly favor solar panels on roofs.
not a good idea because sidewalks are usually shaded with trees.
+bkkgardener
I'm a strict vegan and a militant feminist.
I'm a vegan who sleeps with animals
I cant w8 for the drunken peasants with thunderfoot
Will this happen?
yes. they said it on the last episode
watch the last drunken peasants podcast
Garga Yeah they confirmed Tf00ts confirmation. I've never once heard of any idea that they don't particularly like each other, care to explain?
I die laughing everytime I think about the heating aspects of these panels. My first thought is always "Not the Wi-Fi! Why would you melt the internet into the road?!" lol Now that's Stone Age thinking for the 21st century.
Thank you thunderfoot for using your channel to educate people.
These videos where you destroy moronic ideas with logic common sense and fact, are some of the best on youtube, if not the best.
When the trailer flashed to the picture of an airport I instantly thought of them trying to land a commercial airliner on these things... LOL
Why do I need solar fricking roadways, if I can just take the Hyperloop?
The problem is: Why roads?. Why not just making the solar panels and put them somewhere?.
The whole thing is pointless.
Edit: At around 22:00 TF mentions the issue. This is what happens when one writes a comment before ending the video...
Personally I believe it would be aloooot more cost efficient, alot simpler, and alot better to simply have. Solar paneled roofs. No need to have friction measures, no need for underground circuits, no need for destruction to rebuild, rooftops are REALLY HOT, so thats a perfect example of how much sunlight they attract. What do you guys think of this? We fund every roof top to be made with an outer layer of solar panels.
Well, solar panels have quite alot of flaws, but that would be much better than solar roadways. If all rooftops were built and planned for solar panels, the costs of installing them would probably drop quite alot. But hey, why make something easy that works when you can make complicated and useless.
This has been a classic since the day it was uploaded.
Love these debunking videos. After hearing about this idea it took me roughly 10 seconds to see all the faults and that the only useful ideas are car-parks roofed in solar panels and roadside panels. In the UK we already use solar powered signs. They are used mainly on speed warning signs which show your speed as you approach them, in an effort to reduce speeding. This allows these signs to be set up just about anywhere without need of cable laying, only an integral battery for low light/nighttime. When the daylight is too bright for the sign to be seen it just charges the battery. Only vehicles at or over the speed limit have their speed displayed, so there is plenty of charge generated on an average day to show throughout the night as the sign displays for a few seconds for each vehicle.
A million dollars raised? Scamming is more alive and well than ever.
i'm pretty sure these people will slowly realize that its unrealistic and won't work, but they won't care, they will just continue pretending to work and taking peoples money.
They should have realized it right after the bong hits wore off like I usually do...
I suspect they are already there. This sounds a lot like Paul Moller's Sky Car, one of the longest running investment scams in history. Compare the two; the glowing promises are similar, but the science of solar roads is at least as dodgy as the BS Moller is pedaling.
geonerd
haha.. I remember the Sky Car thing. I work in the roadway industry as a civil engineer and my boss told me a story of how he went to a lunch with these sky car people, and he asked them how the PUC (Public Utility Commission, who have to sign off on ALL public R.O.W. crossings) thought about their proposals and they didn't even know what the PUC was.. I imagine this half baked idea is similar, zero knowledge about the actually industry they think they are smarter than.
I like the Pogo-Stick idear :D
These older busted videos are so comfy.
This dispute is flawed, 9:10 there is no burying so no digging up unless is was to replace the old asphalt. 2:05 quasi porous spacing to let water to drain (traction this guy said was missing) 6:52 Cost of the glass - did he forget about recycled glass? what about paying for itself from the energy it makes? Please research Copper based solar cells vs silicon based. no more budget for telephone poles digging & wiring because it's now integrated into the road -no downed poles due to vehicle accidents & hurricanes. I believe big Sun powered glass blowing centers could help lower the manufacturing costs. Led lights wont last & instead should have phosphorus charged by light & low level infra-red radiation which can keep the road defrosted. 11:49 there are super bright bluish white led on cars, we don't need them that bright but they can be dulled and added to the road. Road Signs could follow your car in front on the road as your driving letting you know your turn is coming rather than missing the sign, turning around etc. 15:20 Cars don't fill parking lots all hrs of the day/holidays weekends -that's up to business. These road pieces will probably be used to make houses too. 18:22 Energy stored can be redirected to the bricks, you're not paying any electric bill. Ice/snow does not form on a surface with 1 degree Celsius no matter the length or volume using big numbers & math as you try to put it to fool people -Why are we to worry about 20 inches of snow to be melted if it can't accumulate on the road in the first place? 20:53 The meaning/idea behind Tempered glass is to increase strength -it doesn't have the same weakness as normal glass.
you said: "snow does not form on a surface with 1 degree Celsius" well, you are right, snow doesn't FORM on the surface. Problem is, snow DOES fall on the surface, no matter what temp' it is.
snow will fall on these roads, and the roads will need to heat up and melt that snow. and power will need to be transmitted to these places in order to heat the roads. and the power requirements will not "pay for them selves".
Eyal Lev You beat me to it! Ice may not form from water on the road surface, but snow/hail is already frozen when it falls!! And, can you imagine if for some reason the heating malfunctioned or lost power? The whole road would turn into an ice slick because the melted ice would freeze again, except not as nice snow crystals! Trust me, I know, because where I live it can rain and then freeze on the ground if the conditions are right. One time it was so bad that gravel driveways were iced smooth!
Owww, shit.... my nose. I think I just broke it smashing my face into my palm.
Pedro DuhHusky HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA. Yeah okay, no.
1. So what, you just take them at their word that this has enough traction? You don't need any kind of testing? Why do you think all they drove on it was a very slow-moving, tiny tractor? If this works so well, why couldn't they use, I dunno, a car?
2. Recycled glass costs exactly the same amount as new glass. If you don't understand this, it's because you have no understanding whatsoever of basic economic principles. Of course, the fact that you went on to say that this "pays for itself" is even better evidence that you don't know what an economy is or how it works. It would take HUNDREDS OF YEARS for this to "pay for itself," and that's assuming that at no point do we need to replace ANY of the panels. It's far more likely that these would cost more to maintain and replace than they could possibly generate in revenue even in the sunniest conditions.
3. You mean those super bright headlights that are so visibly irritating that they're banned in some states? Yeah, no thanks.
4. Why would you ever use "road pieces" to make a house? If you want solar cells on your house, why wouldn't you just PUT SOLAR CELLS ON YOUR HOUSE? You know, instead of big, heavy, non-transparent, grit-covered road tiles?
6. Tempered glass doesn't have the same BRITTLENESS as normal glass, but it DOES have the same HARDNESS as normal glass. I.E. it's just as prone to scratching, it's just far more resistant to impact.
the beginning of the solar roadway saga
I'm heartbroken, but grateful. Keep up the thoughtful videos, they're incredible :)