Comments on: Solar Highways Turn Public Liabilities into Assets

By: Gary Tulie

Gary Tulie — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:50:00 +0000

I understand that they have been doing this in some areas of Germany for some time. On roads running north south, bi-facial panels are sometimes used mounted vertically and collecting light on the east facing side in the morning, and the west facing side in the evening.

Some arrays have been designed to provide a secondary service – acting as a barrier to the transmission of unwanted noise from the highway – cutting noise levels at nearby residences. The same noise reduction advantage could perhaps be applied alongside railway lines and at the periphery of airports.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 23:47:00 +0000

I recently ran into a study which evaluated the need to clean solar panels. The panels in the test array were located in the Tucson area and were not cleaned for two years.

At the end of the two years they measured panel output, cleaned them, and remeasured.

Cleaning off the accumulated dirt caused about a 1% increase in performance.

In other words, panels don’t need to be cleaned in some locations. Some places just not much accumulates, in others they will be cleaned by rain.

http://www.isaac.supsi.ch/isaac/pubblicazioni/Fotovoltaico/Final%20Report/rapporto%20finale%20-%20progetto%20eu%205fp%20-%20mean%20time%20before%20failure%20(mtbf)%202003.pdf

By: Ebon Abramson

Ebon Abramson — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 06:18:00 +0000

I think this is a great idea, considering how much farm land is used for solar farms; I don’t feel that that is exactly the best way, but a start none the less. There are plenty of unused areas that can be utilized for solar production, as in this case. I also think is great because many municipalities do not have lighted highways, which is very dangerous, and this might entice them install them also. My only worry is glare for the sun being directed at the traffic, but I believe these guys have already taken that into consideration, or will in the future.