Failure on Normandy Road in France can help us get to a better solution

The short version:

•  According to Le Mond, France’s Normandy Road, a 2,800 square meter solar road is not getting the results hoped for.
•  Two years after its launch the road has fallen into such a state that it isn’t worth repairing. 
•  In that time, the road produced about 50% of the energy projected. 

Here’s the thing, in an emerging market, there are going to be failures. Big ones. We’ve learned a lot about constructing solar panels that can be walked and driven on since then, and the industry marches on. Thank goodness inventors don’t stop after the first try.