Solar Vehicle - Limitations

Limitations

There are limits to using photovoltaic (PV) cells for vehicles:

  • Power density: Power from a solar array is limited by the size of the vehicle and area that can be exposed to sunlight. While energy can be accumulated in batteries to lower peak demand on the array and provide operation in sunless conditions, the battery adds weight and cost to the vehicle. The power limit can be mitigated by use of conventional electric cars supplied by solar (or other) power, recharging from the electrical grid.
  • Cost: While sunlight is free, the creation of PV cells to capture that sunlight is expensive. Costs for solar panels are steadily declining (22% cost reduction per doubling of production volume).
  • Design considerations: Even though sunlight has no lifespan, PV cells do. The lifetime of a solar module is approximately 30 years. Standard photovoltaics often come with a warranty of 90% (from nominal power) after 10 years and 80% after 25 years. Mobile applications are unlikely to require lifetimes as long as building integrated PV and solar parks. Current PV panels are mostly designed for stationary installations. However, to be successful in mobile applications, PV panels need to be designed to withstand vibrations. Also, solar panels, especially those incorporating glass have significant weight. To be useful, the energy harvested by a panel must exceed the added fuel consumption caused by the added weight.

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