I have worked in three alternative energy companies as a mechanical engineer, in two fuel cell companies and one solar panel manufacturing company. All three companies no longer exist. I helped build the first two fuel cell cars and the company built the first fuel cell bus. So I say this just to show you that I am all for alternative energy solutions to our problem. I do not say this to show that I am an authority, but to show that I have been yelling and screaming about global warming for many years.
I have been yelling about this from the time others where disbelieving global warming even existed, to the present time where it is popular to just say that man-kind has no effect on the planet and it is the planet itself that goes through its own natural cycles and the planet will heal itself.
To me this is the worst lie that has ever been known to man-kind because it affects all of man-kind, and many of our leaders are purposely ignoring and some purposely circumventing this major problem that affects us all.
So now you can understand where I come from when I say there are a few problems with the purposed system of solar roadways.
We have to get away from combustion fossil fuels there is no question about that. And we have to move away from manufacturing of our energy needs to a method that that does not contribute to the CO(2) in our atmosphere. There are many solutions to this problem, and no one solution will be the way, it has to be a combination of many solutions.
We have a history of fossil fuel usage that goes back to the mid 1800's before the American civil war. Kerosene was the major product at that time and gasoline was considered the secondary product in the refining process. Once the internal combustion engine was developed and started to be produced more, the oil companies found better ways to refine the petroleum and produce more gasoline.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_petroleum
At the time of the development of the internal combustion engine automobile, electric and steam cars were still possible alternatives to the gasoline/ diesel engines. Politics, business practices, had as much to do with the development of the gas engines as the technology and engineering for the products.
Solar panels are a good solution, but the problem is that it does not work in the dark. so there has to be a way to store the energy that is manufactured during the strong sunlight hours. Conventional batteries will not store the solar panel energy in an efficient way currently. Large capacitors are also not currently available to store the electricity. So another solution would be to convert the electricity to another form of energy.
Many have suggested that an electrolysis method should be employed that will break down the water into hydrogen and oxygen and the hydrogen should be used for its energy in the form of combustion engines or fuel cells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolysis_of_water
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fcv_PEM.shtml
I can see the solar panels on road ways where there is slow traffic speeds to have these installed, but on a major highway or where the speed of the traffic that rides on it, is of any speed where the gaps in the roadway will cause a very rough ride in the vehicle that rides on it, the solar roadways will not work.
Many of you are aware that railroad tracks are welded together in Europe to have a smoother ride. And those of you who are in the U.S., when you travel on an interstate highway that has the reinforced prestressed concrete slabs, you notice that when you drive over the gaps, as infrequently as they are, you feel the bumps in the roadway. The proposed gaps for the solar roadway, would have gaps of a higher frequency than the prestressed concrete slab roadways.
Another problem in the U.S. is that when doing repair work the traffic comes to a crawl, and a roadway with these panels will require a higher maintenance. I think placing these panels on the side of the road, or on side walks or on other flat surfaces like roof tops would be more cost effective overall then putting them on the road.
I know the cost of the individual panels is coming down, mostly because of the Chinese's purchase of most of the major solar panel manufacturing companies throughout the world. There are also solar panels that are flexible now too. However, how cheap are the panels now?