In the automotive industry’s bid for a greener future, the vehicle manufacturers have just received unexpected help – groundbreaking solar panels for cars developed by German engineers, the production of which will begin this year.
As it happens, OPES Solar Mobility has created a new generation of flexible, specialized solar panels for vehicles called ‘O.Motion,’ using the ‘Matrix’ architecture, where solar cells are arranged in a masonry-like pattern, the technology company said on April 29.
Per the press release, this is the first deployment of the ‘Matrix’ architecture in a serial module, it delivers up to 90% higher yields in the same conditions in comparison to traditional modules, and its development has involved efforts from two Fraunhofer institutes and multiple carmakers – among others.
How solar panels for cars work
Specifically, the system involves the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels on the vehicle roof, allowing modern commercial and recreational vehicles, increasingly equipped with main and auxiliary electrical consumers (refrigeration units, liftgates, A/C) to decrease the engine or alternator load.
As such, its solar energy can supply these electricity-consuming devices and dramatically lower the vehicles’ operating costs and CO2 emissions. Commenting on the breakthrough, Robert Händel, the CEO of OPES Solar Mobility, explained:
“Photovoltaics on commercial vehicles is not an eco-niche but economically viable. Even light commercial vehicles equipped with 800 watts of solar power can achieve fuel savings of up to 9%. We estimate the market potential in the EU at over 20 GW of solar capacity annually.”
At the same time, the company’s technology addresses various challenges faced by typical vehicle-mounted solar modules, including vibrations and shocks, dirt buildup, and changing shading conditions. Notably, the key is in the Matrix architecture’s masonry-like pattern of solar cell arrangement.
As opposed to traditional modules that rely on soldered busbars, the engineers have interconnected the cells using a highly conductive specialized adhesive for electrical contact, removing the need for ribbon soldering. The Matrix also minimizes resistance losses and maximizes the active cell area per square meter, allowing up to 30% more output on the same surface.
Meanwhile, the new adhesive connections also support increased mechanical durability in terms of vibrations and high temperatures, while reduced sensitivity to shading additionally increases energy yields under various real-world conditions.
Elsewhere, Mercedes-Benz is working on revolutionary car paint containing solar power modules five micrometers thick and weighing 50 grams per square meter, which would be able to generate enough running power to cover the larger part of drivers’ annual mileage using the sun’s free energy.
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