Solar Roadways' New Freaking Office (and parking lot)

[LabSpokane]

Took a brief detour through Sandpoint, Idaho today to check out Solar Roadways' new digs.  I was really hoping to see their test systems somewhere.  This is what I found.  I also did a drive around of Sandpoint to find perhaps the test parking lot installation.  If it's there, it sure isn't obvious to me.  And there is nothing on the roof or in the back of the new office location. 

[EEVblog]

They have just released new data!
http://www.solarroadways.com/Data

It's not even their panels, just regular panels researching the output of flat vs tilt 

[LabSpokane]

They have just released new data!
http://www.solarroadways.com/Data

It's not even their panels, just regular panels researching the output of flat vs tilt 

I heard. I was hoping to see them.

[edy]

I just noticed they have a Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Roadways

Some fun facts from the page:

In 2009, Solar Roadways received a $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the Department of Transportation (DOT) for Phase I to determine the feasibility of the proposed project.

In 2011, Solar Roadways received $750,000 SBIR grant from the DOT for Phase II to develop and build a solar parking lot.

In April 2014, Solar Roadways started a crowdfunding drive at Indiegogo to raise money so they can get the product into production. In May, it was extended by another 30 days. The campaign raised 2.2 million dollars, exceeding its target of 1 million dollars.

In November 2015, the USDOT awarded Solar Roadways a Phase IIB SBIR contract to further their research. The 2-year $750,000 award includes additional civil engineering tests including freeze/thaw cycling, moisture conditioning, shear testing, and advanced loading.

$100,000 + $750,000 + $2,200,000 + $750,000 = $3,800,000 ?? 

 

Oh yes.... And this: http://www.solarroadways.com/images/solarroadtrip/solar%20roadways%20coloring%20book.pdf

[edy]

It makes sense they took over a Glass facility, since they will need the tooling:

https://www.google.ca/maps/@48.2730722,-116.5583466,3a,25.9y,175.56h,91.48t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sV3iBCwDQgPIiBC6cFO33Sg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

[EEVblog]

In November 2015, the USDOT awarded Solar Roadways a Phase IIB SBIR contract to further their research. The 2-year $750,000 award includes additional civil engineering tests including freeze/thaw cycling, moisture conditioning, shear testing, and advanced loading.

Everything but actually install and ship a product 

[LabSpokane]

And it just gets worse... They are on version three of Solar Roadways and appear to be planning to CNC mill (!!!) the panels.  I want to ask for a tour, but I know I will never, ever, be able to keep a straight face for the duration. 

Worst of all, the RGB LEDs seem to be able to display any color *except* standard yellow and white road markings. If one was selling a roadway, that would be what I would prominently display over any other pattern. 



http://solarroadways.com/Home/SR3

The Krea glass CNC machine:  http://www.denver.sm/new/glass/krea_glass.php

[EEVblog]

http://solarroadways.com/Home/SR3

They just admitted they don't have the money required:

New equipment has been purchased that will help us take on more of the manufacturing in house. We still need funding to purchase more equipment to complete panels 100% in house, but we’ve come a long way (thanks to the many wonderful Indiegogo donors).

[Corporate666]

It's so depressing that shit like this (and that other one with ultrasound power transmission) get money thrown at them while real, honest-to-goodness brilliant engineering or brilliant ideas struggle to see the light of day.

The mind boggles that people throw money at stuff like this, and I really wonder why scammers haven't turned their full attention to it.  Imagine how much money a group of nigerian scammers could pull in with bullshit IGG projects.

[LabSpokane]

http://solarroadways.com/Home/SR3

They just admitted they don't have the money required:

New equipment has been purchased that will help us take on more of the manufacturing in house. We still need funding to purchase more equipment to complete panels 100% in house, but we’ve come a long way (thanks to the many wonderful Indiegogo donors).

I was going to prattle on about that next.  That is the mistake of many startups: insourcing all of the manufacturing and blowing all your money on equipment.  Sometimes it can make sense, but in this case it is absolutely ridiculous.  There is PLENTY of CNC capacity in the local market.  That glass machine is a $500K boat anchor.  It is totally pointless.  I could have outsourced those hexagons in fifteen minutes for a song.  The surface etching is largely frivolous and could have been done as well using a rubber mask and sandblaster - how most glass etching is done.

[EEVblog]

Check out their team:


Seems the only engineers person they can get is a former buddy.
A "science director" who wants to save the world.
And a graphic artist, arguably the most important hire, because when you really need a graphic artists to keep selling the BS when you don't have a practical product.

[LabSpokane]

I am always fascinated by "engineers" who have secret alma maters.  It is particularly interesting that one claims to be a former "chair of the department," which is an academic position reserved for holders of doctoral degrees.  Yet, oddly, I see no alphabet soup after anyone's name. 

=================

It is telling about these "engineers" experience and education that they feel they need to recreate an insolation map, rather than use the data the US Government provides for free, which encompasses decades worth of data. 

http://www.nrel.gov/gis/solar.html

[EEVblog]

And the EE is only part time now it seems:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-wendt-453aa952

[EEVblog]

I am always fascinated by "engineers" who have secret alma maters.  It is particularly interesting that one claims to be a former "chair of the department," which is an academic position reserved for holders of doctoral degrees.  Yet, oddly, I see no alphabet soup after anyone's name. 

Brewshaw has a mastes in EE from the University of Dayton. Not that that adds any validity what so ever to the practicality of the concept. Ubeam had a team full of the best PhD ultrasonic researchers in the world, and that didn't make it the least bit practical.

[LabSpokane]

I am always fascinated by "engineers" who have secret alma maters.  It is particularly interesting that one claims to be a former "chair of the department," which is an academic position reserved for holders of doctoral degrees.  Yet, oddly, I see no alphabet soup after anyone's name. 

Brewshaw has a mastes in EE from the University of Dayton. Not that that adds any validity what so ever to the practicality of the concept. Ubeam had a team full of the best PhD ultrasonic researchers in the world, and that didn't make it the least bit practical.

ITT explains a lot. They are the uBeam/Solar Roadways of higher education.

That building move is relatively a new thing as SR was operating out of the owners' home for quite a while. If the EE is leaving in the middle of a new release, it means the money has already evaporated and they are on death watch.

[gnavigator1007]

http://solarroadways.com/Home/SR3

They just admitted they don't have the money required:

New equipment has been purchased that will help us take on more of the manufacturing in house. We still need funding to purchase more equipment to complete panels 100% in house, but we’ve come a long way (thanks to the many wonderful Indiegogo donors).

Guess they shouldn't have spent so much on their new windows and fence 

[edy]

You wonder how funding decisions get made and what kind of accountability and milestones are set to approve further support for any R&D project. Obviously, the DOT funded by taxpayer money, has none. Same goes for crowd funding backers.

One has to wonder if this was somehow influenced by a local state of Idaho economic development bureau and surplus funds in a large Idaho DOT budget to support a local business and hope to develop local manufacturing (hence why they couldn't simply outsource). I would be interested in seeing what other projects DOT is funding and what relationship exists between state and national levels.


Here: https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/apportionments/funding-state


I interesting article, hints at political motivation? Implementing at casino or reservation or downtown walkways or parking lot?

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Department-of-Transportation-Official-Discusses-Solar-Roadways

[suicidaleggroll]

I am always fascinated by "engineers" who have secret alma maters.  It is particularly interesting that one claims to be a former "chair of the department," which is an academic position reserved for holders of doctoral degrees.  Yet, oddly, I see no alphabet soup after anyone's name. 

Brewshaw has a mastes in EE from the University of Dayton. Not that that adds any validity what so ever to the practicality of the concept. Ubeam had a team full of the best PhD ultrasonic researchers in the world, and that didn't make it the least bit practical.

No wonder they didn't say the name.  ITT is a for-profit "institute" that spends its time and money duping people into thinking it'll get them a better job, charging them OUTRAGEOUS tuition, and teaching them next to nothing.  It's not a real university, hours can't be transferred anywhere else, and is pretty much scoffed at by the entire technical and education industries.  The few people I've known who went there said it was the worst decision of their lives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITT_Technical_Institute

[Kalidor]

The dutch already did it, it's working for bike lanes but it's also an economical disaster.
http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/01/looking-at-the-dutch-solar-bike-path-after-one-year/

[TheAmmoniacal]

The dutch already did it, it's working for bike lanes but it's also an economical disaster.
http://www.triplepundit.com/2016/01/looking-at-the-dutch-solar-bike-path-after-one-year/

This is the solar road?  So much dust and dirt on the panels I couldn't tell!

[edy]

I would have built a sheltered path with solar panels above, at an angle to get improved efficiency. Not only would it keep riders dry when it rains, but would be easier to maintain and cheaper... a lot cheaper.

Apparently, the Solar bike path cost so much, for the amount of power it produced (1 home) you could buy the power needs of 173 homes.