im pretty sure the maths doesnt work out in favor of this. it'd be more efficient to simply insulate the roof better, than to try to capture solar power.. but maybe I'm wrong.
Exactly - my car has the sensors to do this already, it knows the inside and outside temp, I would like it to crack the windows when it's hotter inside, and run the blower on low. It could even use the rain sensor on the windshield to close them if necessary.
I've done the math: even if I covered the top of our VW Westfalia camper van with solar panels (400-500W max), the panels couldn't begin to generate enough power to run even the most efficient A/C unit.
Better to just park in the shade with the windows cracked.
Though there's telemetry for it, I've never paid attention to how much our Nissan Leaf's A/C pulls. What I do know is that it doesn't kill the range nearly as much as the heater, so let's say it pulls half what the heater does. Heater pulls, give or take, 3000W (that telemetry, I've paid attention to). Figure out how to squeeze 15 100W panels on the roof and you're golden.
Probably about as "feel good" as the panel on the spoiler of our Nissan Leaf: looks cool, doesn't do much. Keep in mind that a Leaf does about four miles per 1000Wh. That Audi can't have more than 200W worth of panels.
Leave a car for months, and you'll get back to a dead battery. Keyless entry won't work. You can't roll down the windows. Settings may be forgotten. There is no way to start the engine.
Leave a car out in the Sun in a place like Arizona, and stuff melts. If you get in the car, the seatbelts cause burns that blister. Having the car run a fan would be nice, and the more you need it the more power there is available to do so.
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 38.7 ms ] threadBetter to just park in the shade with the windows cracked.
Fans might work, but not the A/C.
They might be better off installing a lighter roof and reduce overall weight to increase range.
The cynic in me wonders how much government subsidies for alternative energy vehicles prop up expensive, nearly pointless features like this.
Leave a car for months, and you'll get back to a dead battery. Keyless entry won't work. You can't roll down the windows. Settings may be forgotten. There is no way to start the engine.
Leave a car out in the Sun in a place like Arizona, and stuff melts. If you get in the car, the seatbelts cause burns that blister. Having the car run a fan would be nice, and the more you need it the more power there is available to do so.