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Solar Roof Option
- Thread starter theganjaguru
- Start date
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- Model 3
100% of the "range" of my 1/4 million EV miles has been generated by the panels on the roof of my house. So calling this process "useless" may be overstating things a bit. My roof-mounted PV system doesn't extend my range. It fully charges my car every day.
Do you have a source for this realization? I can certainly show you that the roof of my house is never in the shade, is never parked in a garage, and is always oriented toward the sun all day, every day without fail. And most of that time, my car is parked in the shade of my garage or the trees in the parking lot at work.
The process isn't useless. The size is useless. You most likely have 750 cells [not modules] on your roof. (though you probably convert to AC and then back to DC, which allows easier change in voltage at the cost of efficiency.)
Thank you kindly.
Two things come to mind, if I may be so bold:
1. You don't need to cash to purchase a solar system (or car or home or...)
2. The only thing more expensive than buying a solar system is... not buying a solar system.
So far, my PV system has saved me well over $20,000 in gasoline. PLUS my entire electricity bill for the house. Total cost of system with zero subsidy: $15,000.
Cheers,
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
You conveniently left out the rest of my quote:
If you work from home and the car is plugged into your panels all day, that's great. Most people do not fit that description.
Yes, the same source you have, functioning eyeballs which are able to see most parking lots. Please don't try to pretend that the majority of parking lots are not open spaces.
And I can show you that the roof of my house is shaded most of the time so solar panels make no sense on my house. However I'm not pretending that my anecdotal experience is universal. I'm also not saying everyone needs to have a solar panel on their car, I'm saying it's a useful option for many if they wanted it, more useful than other similarly priced options that do nothing functional.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Great idea, why don't you get right on that? In the mean time, before you cover the world with solar panels, I'll take one on the roof of my car, thank you kindly.
Right, because the other part of your post was correct. A small panel could help offset vampire drain. I was merely refuting the part that was incorrect.
Excellent. Then we can stop bickering about all this, because we basically agree.
I already have a PV panel built into one of my EVs. And it is a waste of resources. If that money and effort had instead gone into one more incremental improvement in aerodynamics, the benefits would have been greater. We only have so much money to spend on every car design and build. My approach is to always go after the most cost-effective improvements first.
This is happening on a huge scale where I live.
Can't put my finger on a good picture immediately, but honestly - thing of double-benefit beauty. Oh, here. I don't have to show you mine... thousands of them across the country now.
solar-covered parking - Google Search
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Big Pine, California High School:
Google Maps
Sierra College, Rocklin, CA:
Google Maps
Rocklin, California Tesla Service Center:
Google Maps: Report Inappropriate Image
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
And what is the cost benefit of options such as leather interiors, alcantara headliners, oversized rims, carbon fiber trim accents, multi color paints, etc.? The problem seems to be that you ignore the fact that people add options all the time to vehicles that have no concrete benefit at all, and that companies put time, resources, and money into developing them. Again, if people want those options I'm fine with it, but don't pretend the option of a solar panel, which actually does produce something, is more ridiculous than all those options which produce nothing.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Those are all great, I hope we have many more. Currently they are a drop in the bucket, and will be for many many years.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Renewable investments last year added more capacity than fossil fuel investments. The tide is turning quickly.
Clean energy defies fossil fuel price crash to attract record $329bn global investment in 2015 - Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Also:
Peabody Coal Co. (the largest private coal company in the world) just declared bankruptcy.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
When you can show me data that even 50% of all parking lots are covered with solar panels I'll consider that a vehicle mounted solar panel might not be worth it. Right now 100% of the lots I see on a daily basis are not covered with solar panels.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Considering that there are about 800 million parking spaces in the US at 25 m2 per space, that's about 20 million km2 of surface area. When you consider that it would only take about 5,000 km2 of solar panels to supply all the electricity needs of the US, asking for 10 million km2 to be covered in solar panels would be overkill. About 0.025% coverage would give us all we need.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Still missing my point. Parking lots without plugs don't provide any charge for the car and don't counter the vampire drain. So 0.025% coverage does basically nothing to address the actual subject at hand, which is countering vampire drain and adding some range when not plugged in. Additionally it proves that significant parking lot coverage is unlikely if all needs will be met by 0.025% coverage. It also points out the shortcomings of the few examples of solar covered parking lots: Unless all those spaces have outlets, which I'm betting they don't, the cars aren't getting any benefit from them other than some reduced cooling loads in hot climates, which is probably countered by the loss of solar heating in colder climates. I get good solar gain in my car when parked in the sun on a cooler day, and orient my car when parking to take advantage of that when needed.
To summarize reflecting your data:
Solar parking coverage is not likely to be significant, ever.
Parking spaces of any type without plugs provide no counter to vampire drain and no range extension.
Onboard panels can provide both.
Few other options provide any tangible returns for their expense.
I like the look of a well designed solar panel, I'd like to see it on the hood, roof, and trunk lid, though I don't expect it to happen.
To summarize reflecting your data:
Solar parking coverage is not likely to be significant, ever.
Parking spaces of any type without plugs provide no counter to vampire drain and no range extension.
Onboard panels can provide both.
Few other options provide any tangible returns for their expense.
I like the look of a well designed solar panel, I'd like to see it on the hood, roof, and trunk lid, though I don't expect it to happen.
I think you will be shocked by what exponential growth can do. Currently Solar represents about 1% of electric generation, and is growing at a rate of 40% per year (call it a doubling time of 2 years). How long until that 1% reaches 100%? Fourteen years.
Yes, yes, other things need to happen (like storage), and we are unlikely to want 100% PV in our energy mix. But the point is that solar growth isn't the limiting factor.
Thank you kindly.
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