SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Several sites are running a story on the solar roadway installation in the Netherlands, including phys.org and IFLScience.
However over at EEV Blog is a thorough critical review by Dave Jones which runs through the numbers and finds it doesn't add up as a practical proposal. There's references to Dave's original review of an earlier proposal, for some background on the calculations.
From the associated forum posting:
Dave shows how to go about doing ballpark engineering feasibility calculations for such a project, calculates the expected payback period, and SPOILER, shows why Solar Roadways will never be a viable technology. This time using real measured data from the Netherlands cycleway prototype, and real measured solar insolation data for the Netherlands
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 11 2014, @07:32PM
Okay folks, due dilligence. I am not a physicist, or even particularly good at math however i would urge any/all of you to head on over to them thar youtubes and hunt out Thunderf00t's vlogs about solar roadways. He talks about the proposals clearly and understandably enough that even i was able follow what he was saying and to trace his citations and do the math myself (actually with the help of a good friend).
Granted he is talking about the system proposed for the US and the daylight figures will be different but i think the most important point he makes is how well this surface compares to asphalt with regards to friction.
Asphalt provides a durable, porous, and highly frictive surface which allows water to drain away and provide enough grip to keep your vehicle on the surface as opposed to spinning wildly off into a ditch.
Given the comparative 'softness' of glass as compared to asphalt, any surface roughening applied to the glass in order to increse its frictive properties, will be quickly smoothed out by the continued wear of passing tyres, making light transmition through the glass less efficient, increasing the possibility of loss of friction between surface and tyre, not to mention what it might be like to drive on a glass surface when its wet.