Excellent points, especially about the airports. FWIW, the technology
may have improved since, but in the late 70's I worked at a place
(central Ohio) that had a very steep drive at a 90 degree angle right
off a busy 4 lane highway. They had an electric driveway heater which
never worked in the 2 winters I was there. It was a real bitch getting
up that drive after a snowfall, especially in the rear wheel drive
vehicles of the day.

Dan

Joseph Meehan wrote:
Frankly if it were cheap and easy to melt snow this way and if the
hardware had a long life (if often does not) then you would see it used a
lot more than it is. Even in high density commercial areas, you don't see a
lot of it being used. Heck if it were cheap, the airports would use it,
they can afford it more than most home owners.

The exceptions may be sloped drives where someone must be able to inter
or exit and they are not physically able to remove the snow using
conventionally and can afford both the original expense and operational
expense.