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Ever wonder if solar cells would make a hybrid car more efficient? Toyota is preparing a solar power option for the Prius hybrid car. The panels would recharge the car’s electric batteries while the car is in moderate to bright sunlight.

The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) decided to test the concept of this system. Their engineers modified the charging system so the car can be plugged into a large set of turbines or solar panels. A regular 110 volt AC outlet will also work. This article called NREL’s Prius Hits 100 Miles per Gallon has more details. 

NREL also hired Solar Electrical Vehicles to add a rooftop solar charging system to the vehicle. The solar cell was glued to the roof of the vehicle. However, it’s a low power rig, generating a maximum of 215 watts from 146 four-inch-square crystalline-silicon cells. The real benefit comes from the additional 3000 volt battery that can store power from the Prius drivetrain, the solar cells, and the plug-in charging system. Total cost of the modded Prius is US$70000 - the mods alone cost US$42500.

Another company, Solatec, markets a less powerful, less expensive kit that produces only 24 watts of power using a smaller set of roof-mounted solar panels that resemble wide racing stripes. It’s designed to run the Prius’ air conditioner, sound system and other devices, and provides a 2 mpg improvement in fuel economy for US$1075.

The hybrid explosion

The hybrid car market has heated up in the last year. Dealers cannot keep hybrids in stock - in fact, some models have long waiting lists. Saturn of Honolulu was allocated only 4 VUE Green line hybrid SUVs for the 2008 model year.

Honda has announced it will build half a million hybrids a year by 2010, including versions of the Accord, Fit, and a new hybrid-only model. I’ve long hoped for a hybrid Element, put that has not been announced yet. Honda engineers hope to reduce the incremental cost of a hybrid to US$2000, compared to the current $3000 standard. Honda’s hybrid system is simpler and less powerful than others, but it’s easier to integrate the design into existing gas-only models. 

Toyota is releasing 5 hybrid-only models in the US at that time, including a minivan and a new Prius. Even if Toyota can’t ramp up its own production, it will make money by licensing its hybrid engine technology to other car manufacturers, including Ford and Nissan. General Motors is licensing its own hybrid tech to Daimler, BMW and Chrysler.  Chevrolet is rushing its Volt electric car into production as well. 

See this MIT Technology Review article called Does Car Mounted Solar Make Sense? and these Business Week article called Honda Goes Whole Hog for Hybrids and Is GM’s Green Tech Better Than Toyota’s for more links and information.

Image courtesy of Abrilon through a Creative Commons license. 

Related articles on billso.com

• 6 July 2008: Dubai tower twists and turns with solar and wind power
• 21 June 2008: Gallons per mile: Making fuel economy easy to understand
• 14 May 2008: Google makes more investments in alternative energy
• 11 April 2008: Cellular base station uses wind and solar power
• 7 March 2008: Solar-powered Bluetooth headset

An 80-story building in Dubai will feature floors that spin around the building’s central axis, using electric motors powered by wind and solar energy.

Occupants can control their floor through a voice command system, although this demonstration video implies that the rotation will be centrally controlled. I would have used the Clapper, myself.

The building looks like it is doing a hula, although in real life, the floors would move very slowly.

I can only wonder what the Outdoor Circle might say if a similar building were proposed on Oahu. Similar towers have been proposed for Moscow and Manhattan. The Dubai project is scheduled for completion in 2010.

There’s more information at architect David Fisher’s web site, this CNN article titled Dubai ‘shape-shifting skyscraper’ unveiled and in Dynamic Tower Skyscraper: Every Floor Self-Rotates, Powered by Wind and Sun at Gizmodo.

Google has invested US$10 million in BrightSource as part of the Internet firms’s RE>C initiative. According to news.com and ValleyWag, BrightSource builds solar thermal facilities and sells the generated electricity to commercial customers and electricity. The generation system is cost-effective during peak periods of the day.

Google’s data center use large quantities of electricity, so Google.org has been awarding grants to suppliers of renewable energy technologies such as solar, thermal and wind.

Google also announced today that it is hiring a Head of Renewable Energy to supervise the company’s research & development programs. The company already invested in eSolar and Makani Power - see this Google web page more details and links.

Cnet has a report on a cellular base station that can switch among wind, solar and diesel generators. This Gizmodo article has a few more details about E-site.

It’s an interesting concept that would be useful in developing countries. In Africa, diesel generators are often used to provide coverage. A cleaner alternative would be welcome.

As I pointed out on 29 March 2008, power isn’t the only problem that mobile phone carriers face in developing countries. Terrorists, insurgents, and other groups may target cellular base stations to knock out coverage or make a political statement. On the other hand, these same groups often rely on mobile phones.

E-sites also make sense for Hawaii. Oahu has good mobile phone coverage, but there are many parts of this island and the neighbor islands that are served by one carrier, if coverage is even available. Adding wind and solar power generation capabilities to existing base stations can also improve reliability during brownouts, blackouts, and seismic events. The wind and solar generators can be used to charge backup batteries, or to provide primary power.

From ChipChick and Engadget comes information on a solar-powered Bluetooth headset. Bluetooth headsets need a battery to power the radio, but it’s usually a low-wattage affair. The Iqua Sun 603 uses a small solar panel that on the exterior side of the headset to trickle charge the battery. It looks like an ideal headset for the sunny tropics, but it’s not available yet in the USA. Price is £40 in the UK.

My current headset is the Jawbone. It’s not solar-powered – the charger uses a proprietary cable that has a USB jack on one end and the headset plug on the other. The Jawbone’s best feature is sound quality. It does a very nice job of eliminating background noise in the user’s vicinity. It looks good, too. I’ve seen some really ugly headsets in the last couple of years.