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‘World’s first off-road solar SUV’ just drove across Morocco powered only by the sun
(edition.cnn.com)
this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2023
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In other words, the solar only adds about 50-60km/day to the battery.
Another case of putting solar panels on specific things not being a great idea. Chuck the panels on a convenient surface pointing at the sun and connect them to the grid. Connect your load to the grid. Job done.
We can talk about solar windows/roads/cars/rivers/canopies when we've run out of space on houses and commercial roofs. They already have grid connections, structure, and are protected from damage.
It can be useful if you live out of the grid, like in the middle of Morocco dessert.
Even if you're off grid, it's still better to put the panels and most of the battery on a house.
You'll get much better yield because the panels can be pointed in exactly the right direction and won't be covered in road dust, plus there's far more space available.
Putting a smaller, lighter battery in the vehicle is going to reduce its energy consumption, as is using a shape designed for low drag rather than a shape set up for optimal solar.