EEVblog #681 - More Solar Roadways BULLSHIT!

Dave yet again debunks Solar (Freaking) Roadways. This time the prototype SolaRoad solar cycleway path installed in Amsterdam in Netherlands.
Dave shows how to go about doing ballpark engineering feasibility calculations for such a project, calculates the expected payback period, and SPOILER, shows why Solar Roadways will never be a viable technology. This time using real measured data from the Netherlands cycleway prototype, and real measured solar insolation data for the Netherlands

Links:

Newsletter:

Solaroads press release:

Road Construction Costs:

Road network lengths:

Average Household Energy Consumption:

Price Per Watt for solar panels:

PV System installation costs:

Solar Irradiance / Insolation data:

Electricity prices for households:

Sunpower P18 solar panel:

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[Thesignalpath]

Thanks Dave. There is a fundamental difference between a new technology being investigated, where optimizations and innovations are just beginning, and an established technology like solar panels and roads. We could, for example, imagine that instead of refrigerators we would all have a tube from the government which gives us a steady supply of liquid nitrogen; think of all the energy we would save by not having those fridges running! But of course, this is completely impractical. Pointing out that fact is not anti-innovation or anti-green energy, it is just scientific and economical facts.

[goodmaro]

I'VE GOT IT!  Drive on roofs!  Just modify the shape of vehicles to conform to the tilted surface.  Should be easy.

[GadgetAddict]

I didn't expect to see so many numpties in the comment section. The bottom line is, as Dave said, no matter how much R&D they do to get costs down and improve on this idea, the cost per watt is always going to be much worse than simply putting the panels on poles or roofs. Even if they get the panels for free and the road costs are identical to a regular road, it would still be better to simply put the panels on poles or roofs. I've seen car parks that use solar panels as the roof/shelter for vehicles. This makes a lot more sense than having the road itself as solar panels. 

[AuddityHipHop]

I have an even better idea!

SOLAR FREAKIN ROOFTOPS!
Oh wait..

[NoNameC]

The folks behind solar roadways are trying to invent trains before the invention of the engine. If you have solar panels good enough to work in roads, then why not first sell them as improved solar panels that can be used to replace what we are already using? Because, let's face it, the improved solar panels would be more important to focus on than the fact they can be used in roads - so why not focus on improved solar panels?

Oh, yeah, because this couple haven't got a clue.

[Lun]

This is the difference between science fanatics and actual scientists.
Scientists will calculate stuff, consider everything and give you a truthful conclusion even if it goes against their deepest beliefs.
Science fanatics will just say "Hey that's just like in the sci fy movie I saw! Why can't everything be like that? let's blindly support this idea and defend it with our lives"

[ArcadeGames]

I'm going to make solar clouds...after I find a way to mount solar panels to clouds. After that I will make solar skies and solar oceans!

[altrogeruvah]

In moments like these, I acknowledge how amazing the educational part of Youtube is, let alone, that educational videos exist on Youtube. Great video, Dave.

[tijssens]

You go DAVE! Keep teaching! Even though i am an electrical engineer you've stopped me from falling into many "traps for young players" So thanks!

Here, have 1 USD worth of strictly negative feedback

[connorfarley]

Anyone going to mention the fact that when it rains, traction will turn to shit and people will die? It's glass.

[AhmadAlghannam]

As i'm working in the PV solutions, i believe a big part of the industry relys on cheating the client and convince him about some fantasia ideas. especially with battery backup systems.

[giuliobuccini]

Just few things I was thinking about.

1. road costs

A traditional road needs high-costing maintenance works across 15 years. So I think that the value of 22 €/m2 should be multiplied by 3 as minimum.

More than this, I think that they plan to use "solar-roads" to create paths for bicycles and/or secondary roads where traffic is light. So road costs cannot be compared to the ones of an highway (with bridges, tunnels, truck traffic and so on )

2. Electricity costs

Here in Bayern (Germany) we pay around 0.28-0.30 € per Kw/h, not 0.20€.

[TheTundraTerror]

Let's not forget about winter months which means that the panels will get less light. It also means that the panels will continuously get covered in snow which only adds to the problem!

[RyuichiShinomori]

Ive seen Street lights and other pole systems run with angled solar panels and even windmills, I totally agree that these are a much better idea than using the ground.

[ChipGuy]

Solar paneled roads with fancy LED lighting will only be there as a show off area, maybe at an tech exhibition area. Just for show. No one with a working brain inside his/her skull would use panels inside the roadt if just putting panels along the road would pay off much much better, i.e. pay off at all. Now I want solar panels on my roof ;)

[tubical]

Besides that all, we got here a company which bought the parking areas for the park&ride system run by our train company (Deutsche Bahn) and they began to install big roofes tiles over the whole parking area and angled it 60degrees towards the sun.
I think this is a very good idea as the parking lots are for 60cars each lane and they got some 18 lanes. They got finally all their roof installed with solar panels. You just have two major benefits.
As the former parking lane was expensive (2.50 EUR/day per car) and in summer your car got very hot, as the sun heated it up as there was no sade at all. Now your car stay cool and out of the sun, and they add a huge amount of energy to the city.
If it´s raining you can get to your car without getting too wet, as most of the time you´re walking underneath the roof...

[tomahawkx]

6 months of actual data from this Netherlands project now! and yup it doesn't work. 
192Wh/m^2/day is about half the generous maximum you calculated.  SPOT ON MATE!

[Matticitt]

Just put the freakin' panels on the roof. You'll get 5x more energy at half the cost.

[SanosukeTanaka]

are people really whining about you using 70% as your assumption (100-10-10-10) instead of 72.9% (100*.9*.9*.9)

[jsnsk]

The answer is simple, to make it payback electricity has to be priced 1000x higher