Car sunroof installation – Electric hybrid vehicles have become a popular alternative to traditional gasoline power or total electric power. Depending on the make and model of the vehicle the owner can expect to be able to drive about 40 miles before the engine switches to gasoline.
To increase this distance manufactures would need to add more lithium batteries to the vehicle, thus adding more weight to the vehicle and increasing the amount of electricity needed to move the vehicle. An alternative to adding more batteries is to find a way to charge them while driving.
Adding Car Sunroof Installation
One way to achieve this is to add after market solar panels to the roof of the electric or hybrid vehicle. According to industry analysts, the car sunroof installation is flexible unit and used to charge a supplemental battery. Depending on the vehicle, weather and the driver’s habits, the car sunroof installation can add as much as 20 miles of battery powered driving per day with a standard supplemental battery; another 10 miles per day with a high-capacity battery.
The cost of such car sunroof installation units can range from $2000 to $4000. Considering the cost of gasoline and the cost of recharging the lithium batteries off of house power, the solar panel can pay for itself in about 3 years. Solar power is also a renewable energy source whereas house power comes off the utility grid which is commonly powered by coal.
Vehicles in Production with Solar Paneled Roof
The recent decade vehicle choices include several electric hybrids, but few with solar paneled roofs. USA Today reported earlier that three manufactures either produce these or are considering them. One such vehicle is the 2010 Fisker Karma that advertises its car sunroof installation as a standard feature that not only recharges the batteries but will also assist in keeping the vehicle cool on hot summer days.
The 2010 Prius has a solar moon roof as an option, and that it is being considered as a feature in the future, but it will only have enough power to run the cabin fan. Though not a hybrid, the Audi A8 also uses a car sunroof installation fan to regulate cabin temperature.
USA Today stated that the primary reasons for the lack of completely solar-celled roofs are aesthetics and overall benefit. Fisker is the first company to market a vehicle with a completely solarized roof and others are watching due to concerns that consumers might think the vehicles are too ugly. The overall benefit is estimated at about 5 to 10 miles extra per day from the solar power due to the small area of the roof of hybrid vehicles.
No data is currently available to show why self-installed solar roof panels can produce almost twice as much extra mileage.
The decision to go solar with an electric vehicle can be a difficult one, but currently the options are few when deciding to purchase a new solar roof vehicle or an aftermarket solar panel kit.
Homeschool Science Lesson on Energy With Solar Power Panels
Solar energy has been recognized and used for centuries, through primitive means of using the energy of the sun to harden clay for building materials to the more contemporary use of solar energy for powering vehicles and providing energy for homes.
Homeschool science can be filled with extra activities when studying forms of alternative energy. Even the simple solar powered calculator can demonstrate how solar energy can replace battery energy. Kids can experiment with placing objects over the solar panel on the calculator, such as a Kleenex, a piece of transparent tape, or a piece of black paper, and record the results.
- Solar Power Panel Kits and Experiments for Kids
- Another effective tool in a homeschool science lesson is a kit with which the student can build a solar powered robot. Several inexpensive models are available through Kits USA, including the Attacking Inch Worm, the Frightened Grasshopper, the Happy Hopping Frog, the Peppy Orangutan, and the Valiant Viking Ship. Each of these costs less than $15.00 and takes about 1-2 hours to assemble. No tools or batteries are required.
Many hobby stores also carry small solar panels which can be affixed to model vehicles and machines to provide power. Many of these require a basic tool set and the ability to connect the wiring. There are also toy brands, such as LEGO, that sell kits and parts with which kids can create machines with alternative power sources.
There are several effect ways to demonstrate the power of solar energy using these small kits. Once the creature or machine has been created, the parents can have the kids test it on days of varying weather. Some solar panels are strong enough to collect energy through cloud cover, while others require direct sunlight in order to be effective.
Kids can also experiment by adding weights to their creations to see how effectively the power can handle the extra workload. Some of these weights can be as easy as small rocks, building blocks, or a string tied to a toy car and attached to the solar vehicle. Testing the towing capacity and carrying ability when the weight has been increased provides real world examples.
- Solar Power Reading Resources for Homeschools
- These simple experiments can be done in conjunction with reading varieties of books on the subject of solar energy. Some resources include:
