Solar Panels on Trucks and Trailers

Picked up some information for shore power, dollar per hour is pretty good since it does not restrict draw.

 

There's always doubting Thomas's. They said bottled water would never fly too. Solar technology has really advanced in the last 5 years. The new VW plant outside Chattanooga has acres of solar panels that run the plant and they even return electricity to the grid.

Durability? They are making glass .7 mm thick that you can bend and handle the impact of an 1.5 inch hail stone projected at 70 mph like the glass on your cell phone, TV or monitor. That stuff can easily protect a panel. I bet in the future instead of mounting to a trailer roof the trailer roof itself will be one big panel.

Even battery technology is advancing with lithium-ion batteries that charge faster, hold more of a charge and last longer. As technology advances appliances are using less power.

House solar panels mount to tracks that carry the current. The only wiring is where it enters the house. Even that could be protected with a slim line cover on a trailer.

There ain't no reason one couldn't expand a battery bank. An APU weighs 400 lbs.

I like what you are doing Dice1. There might even be a huge market for that if someone designed a specific kit.

Man didn't get no where without trying. There are many things today I never thought I would see.

 

Some of the wiring on the older trailers for solar panels mounted on them that are used for the tracking devices and cameras have a aluminum plate for a cover, many times those plates and some times the unit mounted on the outside of the trailers are knocked off or bent from someone hitting something. The new-er trailers have it all mounted as one unit The only item exposed is the solar panel under what looks like glass in a thin box about 1.5 feet from the roof top.. off center... drivers side,,,

 

actually I put a large solar panel on my dash a long time ago and it keeps my GPS, phone, and laptop charged. It is good to use in emergencies as well, since a couple of months ago in -5F weather my alternator went out in my truck and mechanic didn't have the part so I had to drive to nearest terminal 10 hours away but I had electricity for the three devices I listed that allowed me to still communicate and navigate.

 

Id be seriously considering this technology if I used the same trailer all the time and or the batteries were designed/ powerful enough to contribute to better mpg.
Even 1/2 mpg would pay for the upgrade in a heartbeat. Any info on hybrid electrical drive systems for OTR applications?
Would be nice to see Bill Gates to pitch in some financing into this field instead of throwing away money on charity. Nobody invented an affordable engine that works on natural gas and electricity yet?
If only I had a few billions to spare... sigh