Solar Freakin' Roadways

[srichards]

Has anyone seen this project on Indiegogo? There are few things that I think might actually change the world as we know it for the better. This is one of them.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/solar-roadways

I'd block pave my drive with the stuff in an instant! There are so many nefarious purposes that I could use it for to annoy the neighbours with tacky xmas lights for a start

 

[crofter]

Good idea but people would nick them.

 

[wontolla]

I can just see it the day after installation, big gaps in the roadways and EBay full of solar panels!

 

[srichards]

They have security built in and they're also heavy. When laid properly they are also gapless so it would take a lot of effort to try and remove any of them.

I'd hope they would make sure anyone trying to take them would be electrocuted. Thieving scum shouldn't be allowed to stop progress!

 

[wontolla]

They have security built in and they're also heavy. When laid properly they are also gapless so it would take a lot of effort to try and remove any of them.

I'd hope they would make sure anyone trying to take them would be electrocuted. Thieving scum shouldn't be allowed to stop progress!

A 2.5 ton stone trough went from just round the corner from us. There's a security camera (on a huge pole) at the end of the street.
Aprox 10 tons of York paving went not long ago from the main street in our village, right under the aforementioned camera.
If they want it, they will take it!

 

[srichards]

A 2.5 ton stone trough went from just round the corner from us. There's a security camera (on a huge pole) at the end of the street.
Aprox 10 tons of York paving went not long ago from the main street in our village, right under the aforementioned camera.
If they want it, they will take it!

They report back when a slab isn't responding so you could know immediately any of them start going walkabout. Then they carry on ratting out who is pinching them and their location.

These panels must be valuable. What's to keep people from stealing them for home use?
Each panel has its own microprocessor, which communicates wirelessly with the surrounding panels. They monitor each other for malfunctions or problems. Even if someone were able to pull a panel out of the road and load it on a truck, the stolen panel would continue communicating with all of the other panels in the road. The road would know exactly where it was and how fast it was moving, making the criminal a sitting duck for law enforcement.

People will surely try however, and we'll probably be treated to several "World's Dumbest Criminal" episodes before the thieves finally decide it's not worth it!