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I had once thought that using solar technology to power cars would be quite impossible, at least in the near future. If you look at solar panels that you can purchase at a local hardware store for use in the home, you are going to see around 40 per cent efficiencies. With those numbers, I figured that solar technology was a long way off for autos. I guess I was wrong. Maybe those “green engineers” out there have something here; something that may supplant the internal combustion engine and other sources of power one day.
How Solar Power Works In An Auto
There is no doubt that solar power may be by far one of the cleanest sources of energy. The trouble is, we haven’t exactly figured out how to utilize its full potential. But that hasn’t stopped some in the automotive industry. Like standard solar panels, the miniature solar panels found on a select few autos utilize photovoltaic technology (PVT). These PVT cells come in various forms and various prices depending on how efficiently a cell can acquire energy from the sun and then convert it into usable energy. An auto utilizing this technology typically has a few hundred of these PVT cells positioned all over the body (usually the roof or hood for maximum absorption). When sunlight or solar energy strikes these panels, they jump into action by absorbing the sunlight and converting it into electric energy. Just like hybrids and electric autos, the energy created is then sent to a battery (or batteries) that is used to power an electric engine, which in turn powers the car. There are indeed prototypes of these autos out (some are even used to race). For example, the Venturi Eclectic made its debut at the Paris auto show. This auto is not only solar powered, but also wind powered. There is even word that the popular Toyota Prius hybrid may come equipped with a few solar panels to make a green car even greener. Finally, in regard to the solar car race, it is an event that is held in Australia on a 3000km long course. Obviously, Australia does not lack sunny days, which is why the race is held there. However, engineers have a few kinks to work out in concern to solar energy and autos.
The Downside
Of course, there is a downside to using solar technology on autos, at least right now. As I discussed above, we haven’t exactly figured out how to use the full potential of the sun’s energy (technologically speaking). With that said, driving an auto that uses just solar energy to power itself isn’t very practical with our current technology. It’s hard to store solar energy for future use, especially on a small car (it maybe easier for a house), so driving a solar powered car is restricted to sunny days; no nights or cloudy days. For example, it is believed that with our current technology, an auto with solar panels on the roof could sit outside on a sunny day for ten hours and only have collected enough energy to propel an auto ten miles. Second, to date the autos that are in development using solar technology do not go very fast due to the fact that getting up to speed requires a lot of energy. Some of these autos can only reach top speeds of 60mph (not very practical for highway driving). Finally, solar panels, especially the small lightweight ones, are very expensive (almost $400 USD per panel). There aren’t very many individuals that can afford this earth saving technology yet.
The Future
It would appear as if we are on to something with solar powered cars. It is an ingenious idea, which in the near future may prove to be the “ace in the hole” that the automotive industry is looking for.
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