DOT Awards Research Contract to Solar Roadways

I agree with Bart Hibbs and Phil Brooks comments on the previous article on this topic. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2008/03/pv-you-can-drive-on-promising-technology-in-solar-roads-51755

It seems silly to put solar panels where they will get grimy and where vehicles will be shading the solar cells from the sunlight, ruining the efficiency. I'm astonished that the government would spend money on this.

I have to disagree with Carolyn. Yes, cars will be on it, yes the efficiency might be low, but the US is infatuated with its cars and paving the planet. A new technology that makes it safer to drive and creates power instead of our current one use road ways not only makes good sense but is the next step in making electric vehicles a reality. This technology would make it possible to have charging stations in areas which have little or no access to the grid or where it would be prohibitively expensive to do so. We need to think outside the box and look at the big picture. Funding projects like this is the governments job. Putting money into project that the privet sector will not, for the betterment of our society. Look at computers when they first hit the market. This technology is much like that. A good start. In 20 years this new technology could be the standard. I'm all for roads that are safer to drive on and make power doing what all roads do now. Waste space.