SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
posted by
cmn32480
on Wednesday December 28 2016, @07:32AM
from the checking-the-cost-benefit-numbers dept.
from the checking-the-cost-benefit-numbers dept.
France has opened what it claims to be the world's first solar panel road in a Normandy village.
A 1km (0.6-mile) route in the small village of Tourouvre-au-Perche covered with 2,800 sq m of electricity-generating panels, was inaugurated on Thursday by the ecology minister, Ségolène Royal.
It cost €5m (£4.2m) to construct and will be used by about 2,000 motorists a day during a two-year test period to establish if it can generate enough energy to power street lighting in the village of 3,400 residents.
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
World's First Solar Panel Road Opens in Normandy Village
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 28 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
It's raisins that make Post Raisin Bran so raisiny ...
(Score: 4, Informative) by bradley13 on Wednesday December 28 2016, @10:16AM
Anyone in France, and able to follow the money? Someone is making a profit, there is pork in play, surely there is no other explanation.
The article carefully avoids giving any useful cost/benefit data, for obvious reasons. We know that the road cost EUR 5 million to build, but we have little idea how much power it generates. Street lighting for a village of 3400 residents can't be much (small villages in France don't usually have much in the way of street lights), and they are uncertain that it will manage even that.
Solar cells on a road: must be very tough, are installed at the wrong angle, will get dirty. The angle and the dirt combine: solar cells installed at an angle to catch the sun are (with the help of rain) largely self-cleaning. Worse: the dirt that accumulates on a road surface includes opaque tars and oils, which will not wash off easily.
You could install the same quantity of solar cells next to the road - for example, on top of that concrete wall next to the road - properly angled, no toughening, at a fraction of the cost and achieving higher efficiency. What's so magical about a suboptimal, expensive installation? I'm not seeing the attraction.
Of course, greens are all for projects like this, because (a) they can't do basic math and (b) they love spending other people's money.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 4, Informative) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday December 28 2016, @01:04PM
So lets do a little math. 2800m2 of panels. Assuming ideal conditions all around such as 100% PV coverage of all 2800m2, direct sun light, and no physical wear from vehicles. Given the average of 1kW·m2 we can say the system receives 2.8MW of solar energy. Though, panels are 15-20% efficient at best. Lets go with the best case scenario, 20%, to get 560kW electrical output which is 560kWh generating capacity. France's average cost per kWh is €0.1691 or $0.18 USD. Assuming a rough average of 1700 hours2 of sunlight for the region, that gives us 1700h*560kWh which is 952000kWh. So it is making
€160,888/yr. So assuming 100% ideal conditions, they can expect a full return in a little over 31 years (€5M/€160,888).
That's ideal. In reality I'm sure it will never even come close to generating half that amount of power. And the system most likely wont make 10% of the €5M before wear, snow, ice, and water kill it. But we'll probably never hear about it.
All-in-all it's only good for once and for all proving its a dumb idea. Panels should go up high where they don't eat shit 24/7.
1:https://www.french-property.com/guides/france/utilities/electricity/tariff/ [french-property.com]
2: https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/France/annual-days-of-sunshine.php [currentresults.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 28 2016, @09:26PM
Another article I read on this said they expect a 10 year lifespan before replacement. Which is typical for roads.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 28 2016, @01:06PM
and cuz (c) greens are hitler and (d) you are jesus...
If only you had left your crazy end riff out your comment would have been pretty decent.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bradley13 on Wednesday December 28 2016, @02:54PM
The end riff is the point. Why did this project get built? Who was in favor of it?
Solar roads get there uncritical press in the green media, and are supported by the green political parties, despite being obviously stupid. There are only two possible explanations: either these people cannot do math, or they don't care since it's not their money. Those possibilities are not mutually exclusive.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 28 2016, @04:17PM
There could be conspiracy theory explanation, that is big coal pushing those insanities to make solar power a laughingstock before solar panels get so cheap and light that they get printed/glued onto all new roof materials.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 28 2016, @01:12PM
The French people are never looking for the money! (hint: "Cherchez la femme")