Solar Panels

Do the math on how much power you get out of the solar panel versus how much power is in the battery. It's pitifully insignificant. (We've discussed this here before somewhere...I'll see if I can find it.)

i have recently added solar panels to my home, $12,000 for 18 panels, a 3Kw system (sharp electric panels).

i typically get 17 Kw-hr's of juice every day. that is about 2/3 of my typical monthly electric bill which equates to about $65 a month of savings. for my area that ends up as a 9 year payback after considering the typical 5% increase per year in electric bills. (which i expect to rise significantly in this same 9 years).

now, what is this in gasoline? i don't know, but i know it's not one for one, dollar for dollar.

$65 of electric is not $65 in gasoline.

i suspect electric is more expensive, so possibly $60 electric equals $45 gasoline. (total guess). i know from using a natural gas pottery kiln that natural gas is about 5 times cheaper then electric for the same, similar size kilns. (actually my gas kilns are bigger then the electric).

now, if that $45 per month charges my car, i could be driving every month for "free".

~ but the panels are some 20 feet by 14 feet in size. not practical to have on top of a car.

however, a plug in hybrid to extend the battery power every night could be useful with solar at home.

see ya

OK, there are more options with this thread, wired panels, different types of solar capture and of course how much light is generated in your are. please check out my solar projects at www.mjpwebsales.com Most the info is for the home but these suppliers can custom fit to any size and shape of panels.

Walter, as I said in September (above): "It's pitifully insignificant." The Solatec and GreenCar Congress websites to which you refer both state that the solar cell array shown puts out 30 watts, which equates to 0.04 horsepower (one horsepower = 747 watts).

I'm sorry, but a good wash and wax job would have more effect on the vehicle's speed or range than adding 1/25th of a horsepower to a car.

Maybe I am missing something but 30watts of solar power seems insignificant for a hybrid. I look at it this way: If the car is parked in the sun for 5 hours, that is 5 x 30 = 150 watt-hours that can be stored in the hybrid battery. If you are really easy driving, you might use 10 horse power or about 7470 watts. The 150 watt-hours from the solar panel would be used up in about 1 minute. That doesn't seem like it is going to give a 10% improvement unless you are driving for a very short time.

Not only would it not work, it seems pretty expensive, too. A 5 watt system can be obtained for less than $100, so 6 * $100 = $2200?

eholm, that's what Steve (fourth message in this thread) did. But even with a house-roof's worth of solar cells, it's still marginal.

Regarding solar use on automobiles, taking an integrated approach, perhaps a few additional things are worth consideration! 1) Nanotechnology is substantially increasing our capture and conversion capabilities-perhaps 50-60% in the next five years. 2) Battery technology is seeing the same kinds of advances. 3) Solar panels (I use this term lightly) are likely to be built into Macron or Lexan or some other similiar high strength PVC., allowing every panel on the automobile to capture photons convert them to electrons and perhaps even store them. 4) New materials and construction techniques coupled with increased market demand and competition are likely to significantly reduce the costs of such systems. 5) Other technologies such as wind resistance, thermionics and other renewables might also be explored to assist solar in battery recharge.

"i have recently added solar panels to my home, $12,000 for 18 panels, a 3Kw system (sharp electric panels)."

how did you get started with buying solar panels and determining what you needed and where to get them from. I live in Oklahoma and am wanting to buy solar panels but dont have a clue where to start? can any help

This would only add charge to the 12v starter battery, not the NM-hydrides.

nice