EV’s are the future of mobility and are in constant update. Photovoltaics for electric vehicles are under study.
A study from the Canadian startup Capsolar claims that no further special work or modification is necessary to adapt solar panels to any kind of low-speed electric car. With solar cells from US company SunPower that are 24% efficient, the panels have an efficiency of 21.3%.
“The CAPSolar’s SM–550 solar module is capable of maximizing the capture of solar energy in a dynamic setting by reducing the impact of shading on its performance while being as robust and lightweight as possible when fitted on our structure which can fit any type of low-speed electric vehicle.”
Photovoltaics for electric vehicles: the module
The module has a size of 2,100 mm x 1,320 mm x 25 mm and weighs in at 30 kg. Its fill factor is 76%, its open-circuit voltage is 108.0 V, its short-circuit current is 6.4 A, and its power conversion efficiency is 21.3%. It can be operated with a maximum temperature of 45 ºC while driving and 55 ºC when the vehicle is parked.
The panel offers a 70% increase in daily vitality output compared to competitor products with the same energy rating. The company tested the module in Montreal, Quebec, on a consumer’s car and claims it achieved a 17% average range extension per day, with a peak of 26% on sunnier days, showcasing its potential in enhancing the performance of photovoltaics for electric vehicles.
“We will then be able to feed this data to the charge controller we are designing and use artificial intelligence to optimize the operating parameters of the MPP–tracking algorithm,” concluded Benhamza, CapSolar‘s CEO.
Universal Kraft is involved in all aspects of solar energy systems. Discover here all the possibilities.
