Screw these carbon fiber hoods

[Mitch]

I want a solar panel hood.

[CrazySxyGrrrly]

[Varmint]

Solar panel

Unfortunately, the gains don't seem to be all that significant.

[Scotty001]

Originally Posted by Mitch

I want a solar panel hood.

Should of got a Prius.. Wait - I didn't just say that did I?? My Bad...

[hoisumguo]

Hooligan....

-Hoi

[Scotty001]

^ Whew .. Thanks hoi - since becoming a mod, the hooliganizms have been too few and far between.. I gotta work on that.. Too much time banning spammers, reviewing/approving post and moving threads etc etc..

[cyeung]

There are a few things you need to consider when making a solar-powered hood or roof.

If you are looking for more horsepower at the crank, this will perhaps carry one of the highest cost-to-horsepower ratios, assuming you can get the components.
Solar irradiation has up to 1,000 W/m^2. However, the best silicon cells on the market (don't even think about Gallium-Arsenide cells!) will capture 20% of that energy. If you cover the roof and the hood, you would be lucky to get 0.2 horsepower out of it.

Glare caused by reflection from cells
Despite being dark in appearance, these cells also reflect a fair amount of visible light. This could cause other drivers on the road some grief.

Availability
What you might really want are solar cells, but they will need to be encapsulated into solar panels that are compatible with the car's look. These panels will need to be very thin, which means they will not be as resistant to hail, road debris, etc.

Nevertheless, this is something that could significantly reduce the likelihood of coming to a flat 12V battery... or allow you to blast your stereo all day while you detail your car without draining the battery as much. If you are looking to do a 12 VDC charger built into the hood, I might be able to help with the technical aspects of it.

[Talk2meGOOSE]

^KNOWLEDGE IS POWER^

[CR-Z Canadian]

Originally Posted by cyeung

There are a few things you need to consider when making a solar-powered hood or roof.

If you are looking for more horsepower at the crank, this will perhaps carry one of the highest cost-to-horsepower ratios, assuming you can get the components.
Solar irradiation has up to 1,000 W/m^2. However, the best silicon cells on the market (don't even think about Gallium-Arsenide cells!) will capture 20% of that energy. If you cover the roof and the hood, you would be lucky to get 0.2 horsepower out of it.

Glare caused by reflection from cells
Despite being dark in appearance, these cells also reflect a fair amount of visible light. This could cause other drivers on the road some grief.

Availability
What you might really want are solar cells, but they will need to be encapsulated into solar panels that are compatible with the car's look. These panels will need to be very thin, which means they will not be as resistant to hail, road debris, etc.

Nevertheless, this is something that could significantly reduce the likelihood of coming to a flat 12V battery... or allow you to blast your stereo all day while you detail your car without draining the battery as much. If you are looking to do a 12 VDC charger built into the hood, I might be able to help with the technical aspects of it.

Not to mention the added weight.
And repairs.
Never mind resistance to hail-if it doesn't deflect parking lot dings, it's no good to me (don't get me started)!
There are cheaper ways to listen to the radio!

[Varmint]

^^^