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Still no updates on the solar roof. However, I have an update on something related. This morning, for the first since the mod, I turned the alternator back on for the trip to work. It was a pretty cool 22F (-5.5C) out this morning. Based upon watching my charger (when I get home to plug in), its DOD (depth of discharge) has been increasing with the colder weather. This has been the coldest day thus far and I knew I wouldn't make it to and from on one charge. I disabled the alternator once I was parked at work for the ride home. However, that almost wasn't enough. On the ride home, I hit the last stoplight before home. Its a long light and I always engine off for it. When it went green, I fired up the engine, but it juuuuust made it. If the engine would have been cold there would have been no way it would have turned over.
So, it looks like I really need to get a voltmeter in the car to monitor battery voltage. I also hope that using the solar panel will allow me to maintain using the alternator disable through the winter since it will recharge the battery while I am at work during the day. The other thing I would like to try is some form of insulation. I put my hand on the battery once I got home and it was barely warm on the side that faces the engine. The side away from the engine was very cold. I'm not sure if wind is keeping it cold or what, but this is something to look into. The last idea would be to route coolant somehow to a heating block under the battery. This is pretty drastic though and I'd really rather not go that far.
Any ideas from you guys on how to increase battery capacity (without a new battery) for the winter driving months?
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