Article: Solar roads are more practical than they sound

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6. If the roads are . . .

Last edited Tue Jun 3, 2014, 08:01 AM - Edit history (1)

heated (thereby no icing or snow plowing) and there is enough left over energy for the power grid to make it worth it that would be good — on new roads I guess.

I did read the FAQ and on one question was about the direct current generated by the panels, they go into how most household appliances actually run on DC but have a small converter inside of them, as will their system — a much larger one of course — but the converter cause a loss of energy. They then go on to suggest that eventually everything could be switched over to direct current avoid the energy loss of conversion.

I don't know about that. Tesla solved the problem of Edison's direct current approach (very dangerous, shocks, electrocutions, et al) decades ago by coming up with alternating current. I don't think it would be a good idea to go back to DC.

I didn't get from the post that one of the reasons for the roads being targeted was to heat them in colder climates to prevent icing and snow build-up. The FAQ page explains that. That's worth looking into, but in warm climates there are millions of acres of unused land that just waiting for solar panels. I live in Nevada and we have so many sunny days that just beg for solar panels to harvest the wasted energy that just pours from the sun and goes into the ground unused. Wish they've branch out and come this way and they wouldn't have to re-invent the solar energy wheel around roads — just set those panels up in the acres of desert and get the energy flowing, and without those pesky cars taking up space that could be generating energy.