[Olog-hai]

Uh, traction issues? Dust adhesion? Weather damage, never mind earthquake damage (which is mentioned later in the article)?

Not really original, though. Exploration of capture of solar/heat energy that blacktop usually radiates away has been pondered in the past.

[Jonty30]

I think that it would be far more feasible to transfer the energy from the asphalt heat to something useful.

If solar panels will be used, it’d be far better to have them along the highway, rather than have them be the highway.

[RoosterRedux]

Would like to see a good old-fashioned cost/benefit analysis on this idea before wasting any time reading about it.

[Tupelo]

While I agree with your answer, I must admire their thinking.
My guess is most of the obstacles could be over come except:

Can you just imagine using solar to supply electricity in Ohio where it is cloudy at least 360 days a year.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Aside from everything else, I wonder how efficient solar panels are covered in road grime and leaking automotive fluids?

[Jeff Chandler]

The idea is as simple as it is ingenious.

Damn translators. The original German text said, "The idea is as stupid as it is ridiculous."

[teeman8r]

wind turbines on cars... so that when they go fast, more energy is created and we will never have to buy gasoline again.... yea green team yea

sarcasm tag not included.

[Jeff Chandler]

This will go about as well as their previous project, where they attempted to create a road surface out of rice crispy treats. It was supposed to simultaneously reduce the use of petroleum for asphalt and address the problem of hunger in the world. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but then the birds . . .

[sonofagun]

Cost/benefit:

Cost - horrendous when considering maintenance

Benefit - "In 2009 they received their first government grants to construct the prototypes."

Benefit - "The Brusaws' work was impressive enough that this spring, they are launching a pilot project, for which the state awarded them $750,000."

The last sentence in the article - "It sounds almost too good to be true."

Anybody want to finish that sentence?

[alloysteel]

Unh, the solar panels are the road surface?

Aren’t such panels just a little FRAGILE for such an application?

Make more sense to lay down mirrored surfaces, and let the tortoises crossing the road admire themselves. The energy such narcissism would give the turtles is surely greater than all the electrical energy that is likely to be generated by the solar panel roadways.

The first pressure greater than about 2 psi would almost certainly crack the panel and leave it useless.

[Paleo Conservative]

The idea is as simple as it is ingenious. Wherever roads are laid, solar panels could go instead. They would generate electricity, which would in turn be fed into the grid. Thus, oil is conserved twice: Electric cars could be charged with the energy produced by the panels, and the panels would replace the use of asphalt, the production of which requires petroleum.

Asphalt is more of a petroleum by product. It's what' left over after everything else has been distilled out.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Bring back streetcars!

[mowowie]

Another example of why leftist should NEVER be in charge of anything.

[SnuffaBolshevik]

Can one do burn-outs on them?

How would they stand up to roadkill?

Would street walkers get shocked?

[jmcenanly]

I see a drop in power output in the morning and in the evening, during rush hour. If there were to be an accident, there would be similar problems

[COBOL2Java]

[Hot Tabasco]

The current roads today can’t even stand up to the constant traffic of overweight haulers.........

[joseph20]

We can hardly keep up with maintaining our existing paved roads. As others have pointed out, imagine the maintenance issues involved with your car driving on a road that is an electrical solar panel...Think filling pot-holes is a budget issue? Imagine fixing solar-road pot holes.

[Caipirabob]

LOL...all maintained by unions...Pffft!