Practical Solar Power Cars Still Under Investigation

The topic of solar power cars can evoke passionate responses from both sides of the spectrum with many believing the technology is not going to be possible in the near future. On the other side are those that believe the technology is alive and well and being hidden by those that control the flow of gasoline in the world. The truth is most likely somewhere in the middle with solar power cars in existence, but without the strength or durability to be in use on a daily basis.

If solar power cars use all of their power to operate the vehicle, if the sun goes behind clouds, the vehicle would stop. If part of the power is diverted to a battery back-up system the car would not be able to operate at full power. While the simple solution would be increase the number of photovoltaic cells on the vehicle, remember they only produce about a half-watt of power per cell. The number of cells required to power the car and charge spare batteries would increase the size of the car, requiring even more cells to power the larger vehicle.

Production of practical solar power cars has been a technological goal for about 20 years and contests are held every two years in Australia in the form of a race of about 1,800 miles. Recently, the average speed of solar power cars in this race was 62 miles per hour, up from an average of 42 miles per hour in 1987 during the first race.

Simple Concept Requires Complex Development

The idea of solar power cars is relatively simple, in that power produced through photovoltaic cells is presented to a series of batteries for storage. An electric motor to drive the cars power wheel is connected to the battery through a series of switches, also connecting it directly to the output of the cells. When the sunlight striking the cells is reduced, it draws power from the battery. Regulators are also installed to prevent damage to the array of batteries due to overcharging.

The problem has been with the amount of electricity delivered by the photovoltaic array, the size of witch is limited to the size of the vehicle. Producing enough power to operate the car and charge the battery in solar power cars has seen a trade-off of the vehicle’s power. It is this technology, as well as cells that work at more than 15 percent efficiency that requires additional research in the feasibility of solar power cars.