France Paves Highway With Solar Panels

[SteveG1988]

I think using the median of some roads for solar panels are a good idea. Only issue would be making sure it won't damage cars that run off the interstate. I could see the PA turnpike doing this on the hills around the tunnels to power the tunnel hvac and lighting.

[triplemultiplex]

Interesting idea, but I'd start by plastering south facing roofs with these bad boys.  Fill all of those up and then maybe try it out on some south-facing hills on the road.  Also use them in parking lots where there's lots of sun and most stalls are vacant most of the time.

The individual tiles need to be super cheap to produce, both in terms of money and energy so they will be easy to replace and economical to use.

I see this as very useful in the right place.  No one is proposing this for an area that gets regular snow so I dismiss that problem out of hand.  This is for Mediterranean, tropical and desert climates.  It is a worthy large scale experiment.

[jakeroot]

Does the government have as much legal authority to install solar panels on the roof of a home, as they would installing solar panels in the road? I think the advantage of placing them in the road is that they don't have to pay licencing fees to homeowners for hijacking their roofs.

[Pete from Boston]

I think using the median of some roads for solar panels are a good idea. Only issue would be making sure it won't damage cars that run off the interstate. I could see the PA turnpike doing this on the hills around the tunnels to power the tunnel hvac and lighting.

The Mass Pike is putting them up all over.

[SteveG1988]

I think using the median of some roads for solar panels are a good idea. Only issue would be making sure it won't damage cars that run off the interstate. I could see the PA turnpike doing this on the hills around the tunnels to power the tunnel hvac and lighting.

The Mass Pike is putting them up all over.

Honestly, i would like to see all manned toll booths turn into green buildings. If you want to keep them around, why not? you got a large roof area for the panels, you convert it into geothermal heat, with well water for washing, and a septic system.

[kkt]

Does the government have as much legal authority to install solar panels on the roof of a home, as they would installing solar panels in the road? I think the advantage of placing them in the road is that they don't have to pay licencing fees to homeowners for hijacking their roofs.

The government could use eminent domain, but just using tax credits would be cheaper and cause less resentment.

[jakeroot]

Does the government have as much legal authority to install solar panels on the roof of a home, as they would installing solar panels in the road? I think the advantage of placing them in the road is that they don't have to pay licencing fees to homeowners for hijacking their roofs.

The government could use eminent domain, but just using tax credits would be cheaper and cause less resentment.

Has someone demonstrated the cost difference between roadway placement and roof placement, when taking into account the tax credits? Certainly that makes roof placement less enticing.

[Pete from Boston]

I think using the median of some roads for solar panels are a good idea. Only issue would be making sure it won't damage cars that run off the interstate. I could see the PA turnpike doing this on the hills around the tunnels to power the tunnel hvac and lighting.

The Mass Pike is putting them up all over.

Honestly, i would like to see all manned toll booths turn into green buildings. If you want to keep them around, why not? you got a large roof area for the panels, you convert it into geothermal heat, with well water for washing, and a septic system.

Well, they are not keeping manned toll booths, but they are putting ground-mounted panels in places like the space inside loop ramps, and roadside clearings in rest areas. 

I am still mildy curious what it's going to look like when a wayward truck plows into them, though not enough to actually wish for that to happen, of course.