Solar Roof

[chuckm]

Well, yes and no. To really gain a good understanding of your improvement, you need to test it under as near identical conditions as possible. With solar cells connected, make a short back-and-forth run on a road with no stop lights and little other traffic. Make the same run with the cells disconnected. Run the route yet again with the cells reconnected. Check results after each run.
It's difficult to compare results on runs such as yours. Is there an elevation difference? Difference in traffic loads? The idea is too eliminate as many variables as possible, otherwise your results are, statistically speaking, contaminated.

[basslover911]

You could do a set up like this and put in a second battery.

How long do you think it would take to completely charge your one battery sitting in the sun without using the car?

[idiom]

Originally Posted by basslover911

You could do a set up like this and put in a second battery.

How long do you think it would take to completely charge your one battery sitting in the sun without using the car?

Not on my new car. I'm planning a total conversion for my 98 Altima or some other "candidate".
But it's just a plan, have not much time to spend and need some space, tools and help with project.

I don't know how long it'll take to charge. But i know it's not much you can get from Solar. Maybe about 5-10 miles per day?...

[jedi_sol]

I know where my next paycheck is going! However, I'm still debating on whether or not to custom build the panel like Gascort, or buy a premade panel all assembled nice and neat. I know if i build it, it will cost half as much, however, I don't to ruin my paint on my car.

However, if i buy a premade panel, i can just place it right on top of my flat trunk.

Hm, decisions....

[groar]

I was imagining building my own with coroplast as support, so the panel will be light and may be foldable. I could use it as a windshield sun reflector when I park but may not be for this year.

Denis.

[Christ]

How flexible are the solar cells? Will they easily bend into non-complex shapes, or will I need to hammer out my roof?

I don't care, I'll do what I gotta do if I decide to do this, but if the cells will flex and fill in the areas between the rises in the roof line, I'd rather do that.

[jedi_sol]

I believe the ones he purchased (and are only on sale) on ebay are the mono/poly-crystaline type that come in small plates (generally 2"x3" or 2"x2", but they come in all sorts of sizes). They are not flexible at all, in fact, the Mono are the most delicate (yet most efficient) and crack easily. Polycrystaline are more durable (not as efficient) and Amorphous are the most durable (but least efficient).

If you want a flexible cell, you need to look into the Amorphous types. However, these are the lease efficient type of solar cell available.

Mono = Best
Poly = Better
Amorphous = Good

[Christ]

Well, I guess I'll have to look into flattening the roof somehow, then.

[jedi_sol]

or you could build a custom tray to place on top of your roof, then put the solar cells in the tray.

or you could put the smaller cells in between the ridges

[Christ]

Originally Posted by jedi_sol

or you could build a custom tray to place on top of your roof, then put the solar cells in the tray.

or you could put the smaller cells in between the ridges

I was thinking more like cutting out the upper panel of the roof, and putting a flat sheet in about 3/8" deeper, so that the cells and the plexi would match up to the original roof line, nix the ridges altogether.

I also have about 3-4 sqft of black dash panel that does nothing except collect sunlight all day... I think I could use that also, if I ended up with extra cells.

Better to tab the cells together for 14V?