Solar panels, the type sold to power accessories on boats, in recreational vehicles and are plugged into power outlets on conventional cars to maintain battery levels.
Will they help keep a hybrid’s battery at full charge and are they safe to use on a hybrid vehicle???


Edit: OK I just read the thread on the $2000 accessory, just a silly thought I had.

Not really. Those panels may help a 12 VDC battery but our traction batteries are in the 200-270 VDC range. Also, the safety interlocks are in when the cars are parked.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

According to this article, the '09 Prius may have a solar panel on the roof (along with AC plug) to keep the HSD charged. We use solar panels to heat our pool, and they work great.

Yes it is certainly doable, but only if you have a big battery (5 kWh and upwards). A solar Prius would manage about 18 miles per day solar-EV miles on average with roof/hood cells.

Solar electricity would be more expensive than grid, though.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ecotech/ecot.htm

I had a set of NiCad yard lights that I was going to throw out but didn't for the solar panels.

Me being the pack rat I am removed the solar panels, fastened them into an array and wired them as two parallel banks hooked in series which provides 12v with enough current to do stuff like charge a battery or run a small motor.

I haven't figured exactly what I'm gonna do with them though.

I also heat my pool via solar panel. But you guessed it- they are home-made too using 400 feet of black garden hose !

-Steve

Efficient drivers do it better.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT

Hope you did not put those NiCd batteries in the trash Steve - they are the bad ones. Save in a baggy until Atlanta has a household hazardous waste pickup.

DAS

Doesn't Target have a drop box for NiCD and NiMH batteries over there? All the ones in TX do, usually atop the counter island where they sell the digital cameras and such. That's where I dropped off my ancient yellow plastic AA and D cell NiCD's that you used to charge with the funky charger that charged almost every common type of battery available including 9-volt!

How did you figure the 18 miles per day? What is your assumed watt hours per mile, and how many watts of solar panels?

I would estimate the Prius at about 500 watt hours/mile, so...
18 miles would be 9 Kw/Hours. Which would require a 1 Kw panel getting 9 hours of sun per day.

I would also estimate that you could mount maybe 150-200 watts of solar panels on the Prius Roof and Hood (assuming the high eff. polyCrystal panels, not the thin film ones).

I have two Uni-Solar 31 watt thin film laminated solar panels mounted to the roof of my Ford Escape Hybrid, and in Michigan I am currently getting about 1.5 Kw/Hours per week. Which assuming my hybrid uses 750 watt hours/mile, I could get 2 miles/week.

See http://www.greenhybrid.com/share/fil...olarHybrid.jpg for a picture of the mounted panels.

I currently use the solar panels to charge an Aux 12V AGM battery that has a 1.5Kw inverter attached to it.

2006 Ford Escape Hybrid 4x4
2" BDS Suspension Lift, 31x10.5" Parnelli Jones Dirt Grip Tires
Hidden Hitch 2" Trailer Hitch w/wiring
75" Lightning Tear Graphic, "Hybrid" High Mount Stop Lamp Decal
Neoprene Seat Covers, Husky Cargo Bed Liner
Ford Remote Keypad, Rear Window Wind Deflector
(2) 31 Watt UniSolar Laminate Solar Panels, 35 Amp Xantrex Solar Charger
55 Amp Hour AGM Battery, 1.5kw Inverter, Custom CAN Network Wireless Gateway

Are those the Everyready NiCDs? I still have some that work but are obsolete and destined for recycling soon. NiMH rechargeable batteries are so much better...

Yup, those are the ones. I couldn't remember the company name but checked tonight since I kept the charger because of its funkiness. Everready Bantam Battery Charger.