Solar cells on electric vehicles worthwhile?
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We had a 2012 Nissan Leaf with a small solar cell . From what I read , it was connected to the 12 VDC lead acir battery . Not to the propulsion battery .
I doubt it would be practical to install a large enough solar cell to make any significant difference for the propulsion battery ?
I doubt it would be practical to install a large enough solar cell to make any significant difference for the propulsion battery ?
Maybe as decoration it might be useful. Given the panels might generate 50 to 100 Watts on a good summer day, and in the winter next to nothing, compare to your EV battery capacity rating.
The Prius Prime gets a panel in Japan, adds 1-3 miles a day in full sun. Sadly in the us the flexible 12lb panel is illegal on the roof because the car must be recrash tested for both the non solar and solar versions
There is a guy on Insight central that has over 300 wats form fit into his Insight, he does a little better than the Prime but it's still just a novelty
There is a guy on Insight central that has over 300 wats form fit into his Insight, he does a little better than the Prime but it's still just a novelty
I've been waiting for them to get incorporated into the roof, trunk and maybe hood. I figure it's a matter of cost (cost to build and cost to repair/replace). Imagine the cost of a normal car hood vs one with integrated solar cells.
Seems more like a gimmick than anything else--too little surface area to do much.
That said, they used to even smaller ones to top off batteries on car lots, to overcome the small current of "sleeping" cars. Might have some value, even if it is little.
That said, they used to even smaller ones to top off batteries on car lots, to overcome the small current of "sleeping" cars. Might have some value, even if it is little.
The Fisker Karma had them blended into the roofline, giving many folks the impression it was a solar car. Not. Fisker went bankrupt.
A little quick math.
The Tesla model 3 is about 300 watt hours per mile in normal use.
The noon sun, when directly overhead, such as in the tropics, equals 1000W energy, much of which is heat energy.
High end conformal solar arrays can now reach 20% eff.
SO, each square meter of properly positioned solar panel, with the sun hitting it 90 degrees, can produce 200W (only at noon) .
A Tesla model 3 has about 2 sq meters of area on roof, hood and trunk. A well optimized setup could achieve a few extra miles range per day.
That said, if you park your solar Tesla in long term parking at the airport for a week, instead of coming back to a battery that is a touch lower than when you left, you may have 20 additional miles range.
The Tesla model 3 is about 300 watt hours per mile in normal use.
The noon sun, when directly overhead, such as in the tropics, equals 1000W energy, much of which is heat energy.
High end conformal solar arrays can now reach 20% eff.
SO, each square meter of properly positioned solar panel, with the sun hitting it 90 degrees, can produce 200W (only at noon) .
A Tesla model 3 has about 2 sq meters of area on roof, hood and trunk. A well optimized setup could achieve a few extra miles range per day.
That said, if you park your solar Tesla in long term parking at the airport for a week, instead of coming back to a battery that is a touch lower than when you left, you may have 20 additional miles range.
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The energy density per square foot is simply not there. But it would make a lot more people feel good about themselves and saving the planet.
Which is pretty much the theme of the solar and wind energy movement. Whether it works or not, the cost, other environmental damage, all irrelevant because people simply feel they are doing something positive, even if the opposite is happening.
Which is pretty much the theme of the solar and wind energy movement. Whether it works or not, the cost, other environmental damage, all irrelevant because people simply feel they are doing something positive, even if the opposite is happening.
Yeah, like in Cujet's calculations, it really isn't worth it, plus, I usually try to park in the shade if I have the choice. At least in the summer, I would guess that it would take more energy to cool the car down from being in the sun than the energy it gathered from the solar panels. I do agree that long term parking is really the only potential substantive use for a panel.
Our Leaf does have that little panel in the roof to top off the 12V battery. I think it's there just so owners can say there's a solar panel when people ask.
Our Leaf does have that little panel in the roof to top off the 12V battery. I think it's there just so owners can say there's a solar panel when people ask.
The Mazda 929 had it back in the early 90s. I seem to remember reading if the car battery was dead you could leave it outside for a couple days and it would recharge enough to start the car.
Yes, and no on the 929: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-09-24-9103120605-story.html
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Yes, and no on the 929: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-09-24-9103120605-story.html
That's still pretty clever! I bet if the EPA added in an A/C efficiency, or tested with the requirement to cool the interior to some temperature after baking in the sun, that would be on many more cars. I've always felt that solar fans are one of the better uses for solar power. A small fan doesn't need too much power to operate, and there's a direct correlation for needing fan cooling when the sun is brightest.
Yes, and no on the 929: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-09-24-9103120605-story.html
That's still pretty clever! I bet if the EPA added in an A/C efficiency, or tested with the requirement to cool the interior to some temperature after baking in the sun, that would be on many more cars. I've always felt that solar fans are one of the better uses for solar power. A small fan doesn't need too much power to operate, and there's a direct correlation for needing fan cooling when the sun is brightest.
no to mention that sitting on the top of a hot car collecting heat through the windshield will yield a very hot operating environment for the panels, when they are more efficient when cool. IIRC maybe toyota was experimenting with the idea a few years ago with the idea that 4 hours in the sun would be enough to run the A/C for 3 minutes or so to begin pre-cooling the car once you mashed the key fob on approach.
We really have very little idea of just how much energy we consume in our average day.
I used to power the basement off a small solar panel and windmill. I also outfitted a recumbant exercise bike with a generator to do something productive with all that energy used. You'd be surprised the amount of sustained effort it took just to run the TV. 120 Watts over 30 minutes was not a small workout. Held for an hour, and I was cooked for the rest of the day. A 1500BTU A/C would be beyond human ability to power in real time.
-m
We really have very little idea of just how much energy we consume in our average day.
I used to power the basement off a small solar panel and windmill. I also outfitted a recumbant exercise bike with a generator to do something productive with all that energy used. You'd be surprised the amount of sustained effort it took just to run the TV. 120 Watts over 30 minutes was not a small workout. Held for an hour, and I was cooked for the rest of the day. A 1500BTU A/C would be beyond human ability to power in real time.
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