EEVblog #632 - Solar Roadways Are BULLSHIT!

[jonovid]

this is no better then the space elevator or the portable black hole. that makes money disappear. it also keeps forums going

[TinamousSteve]

Have you tried switching it off and on again...

Didn't even wave at the camera 

I love the way it's bang on 18:00 he turns up, that's military training for you.

Gaaa stupid forum and it's max 2MB limit for photo attachment, even Twitter's not that horrible, then blocking me for trying to post again in 60 seconds when I remove an image to fit the requirements. I feel a Dave rant coming on...   

[EEVblog]

Have you tried switching it off and on again...

So not only do most of the panels not work physically, they have other lockup issues fix by a repower!

Gaaa stupid forum and it's max 2MB limit for photo attachment, even Twitter's not that horrible, then blocking me for trying to post again in 60 seconds when I remove an image to fit the requirements. I feel a Dave rant coming on...   

Both limitations exist for very good reasons.
Use Imgur

[jonovid]

its Drama  Dave u must make a Video about this  so man has brilliant idea  then at the end show a time lapse of this thing over time

[dansan]

In the tractor video, they cut some of the hexagonal tiles in half to create an overall rectangular area, but in the sidewalk installation they went to considerable trouble to work around the awkward shape.  Makes you go hmmm.

[rrinker]

 There's no solar output data from the tractor demo panels because IMO those are completely fake and they were only testing the glass, those panels used there don't generate any power and never were designed to. Just more of the scam playing out.
 Which just makes it worse - because you certainly COULD make panels in a roadway that generate power, no one is disputing that this could work. The issue is longevity and poor output per cost compared to ordinary existing panels mounted off the ground and tilted at the proper angle. That these idiots have spent all this money, and not just scammed from crowdfunding money but MY tax dollars and still can't even get something as simple as the LED pattern to actually work reliably makes them the worst kind of charlatans.

[EEVblog]

Another video.
I didn't want to create a new thread

[Barny]

Is it just me, or where the first "you are only a hater" comments written bevore they could have seen the video in full lengh?
I was coincidentally at the PC when the new video message was comeing in and watched the video view seconds later.
And this you are a hater - Solar Roadway fanboys had written comments already.

Are this fanboys patreons of Dave to see the video early or are they hater them selfe?

[R005T3r]

Solar roadways are still in circulation? Strange. I wonder why absolutely no authority checked these things... It's a scam after all...

[Neddie]

At least I found something useful on their website. Something for my kids to do!!
Unbelievable!!

[StuUK]

Another video.
I didn't want to create a new thread

Harsh but fair  ....

[Brumby]

Is it just me, or where the first "you are only a hater" comments written bevore they could have seen the video in full lengh?
I was coincidentally at the PC when the new video message was comeing in and watched the video view seconds later.

I get email notification of new Youtube videos two days or so after I've watched them here on the Forum.

Unless you get notification some other way, there's been a lot of time for watching before the email.

[Barny]

I get email notification of new Youtube videos two days or so after I've watched them here on the Forum.

Unless you get notification some other way, there's been a lot of time for watching before the email.

I wrote my own notification-program.
It looks every 60seconds for videos with high priority like EEVblog, Mathias Wandel,...
Low priority video uptdates get checked every 2 hours.

So yes, I think, I was watching the video short after it was available for me.

[EEVblog]

I get email notification of new Youtube videos two days or so after I've watched them here on the Forum.

There have been Youtube issues recently I'm lead to believe.

[EEVblog]

Solar roadways are still in circulation? Strange. I wonder why absolutely no authority checked these things... It's a scam after all...

Because the government , MDOT in this case, have a road technology initiative they have achieve. Projects like this look good on their books, no one checks for validity.

[EEVblog]

Is it just me, or where the first "you are only a hater" comments written bevore they could have seen the video in full lengh?

Yep, always happens.

Are this fanboys patreons of Dave to see the video early or are they hater them selfe?

They just subscribe on youtube and get the email alert instantly

[hans]

*52.397kWh @ 16:32

Did they really laminate assembled PCB's and then be amazed they are almost all broken?
Like.. you're putting the whole stack through a freaking roller press. Didn't they use a pressure mold or something to distribute the pressure?

Their "step backwards" in engineering results suggest to me they maybe had some HR crisis and lost knowledge/IP as the result of that.

[Barny]

Laminating of PCB's isn't the same like laminating a sheet of paper.
Think of it as "fill everything with potting compound."

But there is a little trap:
Some of the compound gets really hot.
Like damage the IC / LED's hot.

Some of them shrink & sheer of the components

Some of them dissolve the copper and other components.
(I found that out after building my own LED-bulb with screw-socket 15 years ago. Using silicone that contains vinegar was no good decision)


Another Problem is trapped air.
If you don't use a vacuum chamber during the laminating, you'll get air bubbles like shown in the video.
Normally they don't get that big. Even when you don't use a vacuum chamber. I don't knew how they manage to get this big air bubbles.

[drussell]

52.397kWh @ 16:32

Oh my...  Just over 52 kWh for 4 panels in 6 months...

Let's check the economics compared to traditional generation.  The electricity rate here in Calgary on my last bill (in Canadian dollars) was $0.0330430 per kWh.  So those four panels generated a whopping $1.73 worth of electricity in six months.

That doesn't seem to be terribly competitive...  Those panels cost HOW MUCH?!!   

[bob808]

They are trying to milk the cow as much as possible. By "damaging" the panels they get some more funding to continue their project. Blinky leds, some powerpoint slides and they have another 6 months.
Now there's something that I don't understand. Clearly the best scenario would be to install them on rooftops, but doesn't that open a can of worms? Wouldn't each building owner have to agree on having public panels (that add to the local infrastructure) on their building's rooftop? Looking at it from that perspective it kind of make more sense to use the large space that is available as public roads vs the one that you have to get loads of paperwork for, and may never be able to do on certain buildings. The roof space is more limited than the roads around the city as well.
It's just a thought and I'd love some input.

[Magnets]

Now there's something that I don't understand. Clearly the best scenario would be to install them on rooftops, but doesn't that open a can of worms? Wouldn't each building owner have to agree on having public panels (that add to the local infrastructure) on their building's rooftop?

Councils can just subsidise private installations - which many governments actually do by guaranteeing feed-in tariff rates.

Installation firms in the UK only pay 5% VAT instead of the regular 20% like almost every other business.

You can create solar farms too, there's plenty of empty land. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_power_station

It's infinitely more practical

[bob808]

I guess I don't want to believe that there are people so incompetent deciding on funding this kind of crap. Aren't there some kind of laws that require the projected to be ok-ed by a neutral EE or something like that?
That's a crapload of money down the drain, and it was predictable. Does anyone have any other shameless idea I could turn into $ ?

[ludzinc]

52.397kWh @ 16:32

Oh my...  Just over 52 kWh for 4 panels in 6 months...

Let's check the economics compared to traditional generation.  The electricity rate here in Calgary on my last bill (in Canadian dollars) was $0.0330430 per kWh.  So those four panels generated a whopping $1.73 worth of electricity in six months.

That doesn't seem to be terribly competitive...  Those panels cost HOW MUCH?!! 

Less than $0.04 per kWh?

How do I move to Canada??

Here in overpriced, under reliable South Australia (the Blackout State) were paying $0.30 per kWh.

That's the price of subsidised green power for you....

[EEVblog]

That doesn't seem to be terribly competitive...  Those panels cost HOW MUCH?!! 

$2000 depending upon who you ask 

[mxmarek]

Maybe they failed because of secret-magical ingredient's radiation killing electronics. The secret ingredient could be miniature nuclear reactor that magically boosts power generation