Solar roadways in Davis Square

[leiran]

I just watched this video about Solar Roadways, and immediately thought "Why isn't Somerville working on this?" Davis Square would be an amazing place for this kind of technology, though there may be legitimate reasons why it isn't appropriate. I'm curious to hear the perspectives people in this community about this type of project: the pitfalls, the unintended consequences, etc. On the surface, though, this seems absolutely amazing.

http://news.yahoo.com/solar-roadways-210149010.html

Comments

[ceo]

This proposal makes no sense. Of all the available flat surfaces to put solar panels on, roads strike me as the worst possible choice by a significant margin. Just to start with, a) worn-off tire rubber will make them more or less opaque in short order, and b) wet glass (or transparent plastic) is incredibly slippery no matter how you texture it.