I'm going to take a page out of the Fashion Bros book and crush your dreams. The Solar Roadway the Internet is freaking out about and that has racked up $1.38 million on Indiegogo is actually a shitty idea. In case you don't believe me, listen to an expert, electrical engineer David Forbes.
Forbes wrote Jalopnik a detailed explanation of why the Solar Roadway sucks so hard. He's down with solar power, but thinks Solar Roadways is going about it the wrong way. The plan is ridiculously costly and ignores the fact that the only electronic more expensive per square foot than solar cells is LED signage, both of which are called for in the plan. Forbes also points out that the electronic signage could be hacked easily and prove dangerous to drivers. Finally, there's the issue of durability. All of this technology would take a beating from being driven over day after day.
The takeaway: don't waste your money. There are bound to be good ideas for collecting solar power in unexpected places. This just isn't one of them.
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[via Jalopnik]
