2006-07-19 08:02:46 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
parked most of the time.
2006-07-19 10:00:37 · update #1
It depends on your driving habits as implied by answer 2, and how little reserve battery energy you feel secure with. Oh, and it would help if you lived near the equator. If you drive in sunshine only, your alternator could have a smaller maximum output, by the few hundred watts (~120 watts/m^2 if you live in the tropics; see ref.) you'd get from solar cells and the amount of electrical power you save not using lights (~200-250 w), compared to a typical capacity of 1 kw or so. If you'd feel OK with less than the ~1 kwh capacity of a typical car battery you could downsize it, but that has nothing to do with add-on power sources.
If you have enough serious money to spend on solarizing your car, you might get a better return on your investment by setting up solar energy addition to your living area where you probably spend more time and electric energy.
2006-07-19 09:07:46 · answer #1 · answered by kirchwey 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Solar cells do not supply nearly enough energy to spin a starter motor (especially at night!); a large battery is needed to supply sufficient energy. In principle, solar cells could reduce the size of the needed alternator, but the reduction would be so small as to be pointless. And solar cells are not cheap.
2006-07-19 08:08:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen solar panel battery chargers for sale in auto magazines. You can charge your car battery with a solar panel. Don't know how well it works though
2006-07-19 10:40:15 · answer #3 · answered by Derek W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With enough cells you might reduce the need for alternator-produced energy, hence redude the size. In contrast, using the batteries available today, you will need to increase the storage capacity and therefore the size and weight.
2006-07-19 08:09:16 · answer #4 · answered by goolsby39 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-01-31 06:01:19 · answer #5 · answered by Vernon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. They sell battery charging photovoltaic setups, but you may have a prob if your climate isn't sunny enough.
Some race cars are setup with no charger or battery, and work just fine. They do use a magneto instead of a coil/distributor arrangement though.
2006-07-19 08:10:06 · answer #6 · answered by Favoured 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not by a lot - solar powers are not that powerfull.
and it won't make your care lighter or cheaper.
2006-07-19 08:08:33 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not in western pa
2006-07-19 08:21:29 · answer #8 · answered by representin_gbg 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely! In fact, you could almost eliminate it.
2006-07-19 11:28:58 · answer #9 · answered by Martin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
only of you plan to drive on sunny days (roof, hood, trunk), then yes
2006-07-19 08:06:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋