Application of solar energy technology in the automotive industry

Is there any similarity between solar technology and the automotive industry? The answer is yes, and there is more than one way. Today, the automotive industry indirectly uses solar power to generate electricity. It also uses solar energy directly to drive cars or recharge batteries.

Rooftop photovoltaic system

In the past two years, the automotive industry in Europe has discovered that the roof of their factory buildings is suitable for installing solar panels. The large, flat roof of the automotive plant is destined to be the ideal location for installing solar panels. In addition, the FiT policy introduced in many countries has huge appeal for investing in rooftop PV systems, which is why automakers always play the role of installing solar cells. At the same time, the installation of these solar modules is a clear sign of automotive companies advocating green initiatives. This can also explain why automakers are always happy to talk about their use of solar energy.

For example, in June when General Motors signed a climate protection treaty, it was proud to emphasize that its European unit installed 10 MW of solar power facilities at its plant in Zaragoza, Spain. Another solar project is being installed on the roof of the Opel plant in Rüsselsheim, Germany. Another Opel plant in Germany is also planned to install. Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant in Wales, UK is the first automotive plant in Europe to use an integrated grid-connected photovoltaic system.

(GM installs solar cells on the roof of the plant in Zaragoza, Spain, and the yellow point on the left is construction workers)

Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, has installed 45,500 m2 of 3.3MW solar power systems on the roofs of its factories in Wolfsburg and Emden, Germany. Volkswagen's Seat is currently installing rooftop solar modules with a total area of ​​320,000 square meters at its Martorell plant in Spain. This project was implemented by GA-Solar, a subsidiary of Gestamp.

(Volkswagen 2.4 MW system on Wolfsburg roof, using uni-solar thin-film battery)

Lamborghini, the Italian top sports car manufacturer owned by Volkswagen, also built a new solar power plant in February this year. According to Lamborghini, this is the largest photovoltaic power plant in Emilia Romagna, Italy, covering 17,000 square meters. Lamborghini's grid-connected power stations have reduced the plant's greenhouse gas emissions by about 20%. The project was completed by Gestamp Solar and Sinergia Sistemi SpA.

(Lamborghini installed 1.4MW solar system on the roof of the factory, you can see a Gallardo in the lower right corner)

The German car manufacturer Audi also installed solar panels with an area of ​​11,600 square meters on the roof of the factory at the end of 2009. The project was funded and operated by Green City Energy.

Integrated vehicle application

The previous example shows the prevalence of rooftop solar modules in automotive factories. But what about the application of solar energy in automobiles? Of course, there are also studies in this area. Universities and research institutes are constantly striving to improve the efficiency of solar energy use and the integration of various components. There is the American Solar Challenge solar car race in the United States, and similar competitions are held in Europe and Australia.

(Sunswift from UNSW)

In fact, photovoltaic solutions in the automotive industry have been used very early, and there will be new breakthroughs in the near future. As early as 1989, German auto parts supplier Webasto installed a solar roof on the Audi 80 Coupe. The electricity generated by the solar cells is used for ventilation in the vehicle when parking. Especially in summer, this ventilation system can significantly reduce the temperature inside the car, save air-conditioning power, and make people more comfortable when entering a car that has been exposed to prolonged exposure. However, this system does not charge the car battery.

Reinhard Wecker, CEO of Asola GmbH in Erfurt, Germany, explained the reason. “A solar roof can produce 35 to 50 watts of power. Due to the small capacity of lead-acid batteries for vehicles, the solar roof is an hour. It can be filled within, or even overcharged, so solar power will be considered for ventilation in the vehicle when parked.” But now, the energy generated by the solar roof can be used to directly inject the vehicle's power plant. Wecker said: “As more and more hybrid vehicles hit the road, this brings new opportunities for the use of solar energy. The energy emitted by solar roofs can be used to charge the batteries of hybrid vehicles.” He knew what he was talking about. His company designed an arched solar roof for the Fisker Karma car, a newly designed plug-in hybrid sports car from Fisker Automotive.

Similar to other hybrid cars, Fisker Karma has a spare petrol generator, but it is used only to charge the battery and does not have direct access to the power system. The amount of electricity generated by a solar-powered roof during a week of continuous sunny days can provide 6.4 to 8 kilometers of car form, which may not be as much as imagined. The car can also be used to charge a solar panel in a garage or on the roof. This concept is also used by Toyota. Toyota's German subsidiary cooperated with solar company SolarWorld and recently launched a solar garage for the Prius.

Other car manufacturers may also adopt similar strategies. According to media reports, Fiat, an Italian car manufacturer, has teamed up with SolarPrint, an Irish company, to integrate solar systems into the new car roof in the future to drive in-vehicle equipment. Asolar's CEO, Wecker also confirmed that he is working with another European leading automaker.