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Comment by StapleHorse | Hacker News Reader

Why would you complicate something so "easy" like putting solar panels on the side of the roadway? It's going to be so much less efficient for so many reasons ( orientation, dirt, cars shade, scratches) and maybe dangerous for the cars.

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Absolutely. Why not put them on the sides or overhead. Granted overhead adds cost, but at least there is no abrasion, and virtually permanent shade. Are they piezo active somehow, why make them part of the roadbed for any reason?

Also wouldn't the surface be less safe for driving in inclement weather, what's tire grip look like under bad weather conditions with this surface?

Sounds like a boondoggle to me.

Exactly. Arizona State University recently covered a bunch of walkways and parking lots with solar panels to both shade the lots while soaking up that delicious Arizona sun, which seems both effective and obvious. Putting it on the ground is not the best idea, and not even the most obvious idea. It's just mind-boggling.

Because this is not a rational market decision, this is politics.

My best bet would be because EU will pay for whole thing. They will be able to probably get money for roads + for environmental friendly project.

Yeah, this would be a pretty idiotic project. Might as well use that money to install panels for free for every house that wants them...

Actually there are some aspects that are admittedly simpler when you lay them on the ground, like for instance cleaning them with vehicles. Vertical panels next to the roads would still be equally bad idea as there is a lot of chemicals and sand and air movement that would create you all kinds of problems, and plus you would have a lot more issues with vandals (or just people throwing half-empty bottles and other heavy garbage from cars), they'd obstruct the view, could be potential safety issue because of lights reflection in the night, etc.

That's true. However, keep in mind that a solar roadway tile has to be "hardened" and its surface has to provide traction when wet. Both of those reduce the amount of light which actually reaches the photovoltaic cell. In other words, a clean tile is probably about as efficient as a dusty solar panel.

>> something so "easy" like putting solar panels on the side of the roadway?

I'm not even sure that's the correct goal.In the end Global warming , is , well, Global. So they key to solving it is making clean energy the default choice for the china, india, etc.

Is buying more solar panels helpful - sure it does help reduce the costs of solar panel manufacturing/installation. But is it one of the best places to invest, if the EU/france want to help ? i'm not sure - because there may be over investment in that area - since it's already economically viable on a large scale.

I wonder though, maybe there are areas of under investment with lots of potential ?

Because there's always a risk folks would steal the Solar Panels (not unheard of in France). If it's below the road, maybe it makes it a little bit harder and more dangerous.

Anything between the solar cell and sunlight torpedoes efficiency. So never mind stealing them; they're useless under some layer of plastic or whatever. This whole project is pointless.

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