2010 Prius Solar Panel

Having just cleared 3 inches of snow and ice off my car's roof, for those of you in Detroit who have seen the 2010 model in person, I wonder does the solar panel have some sort of glass or composite cover on it? Would there be any issues with taking an ice scraper or brush to it?

Thanks,
Jim

For those at the show ... please try to gather some technical details about the solar panel.
How many watts (max) does it put out (sun directly overhead)?
What's the output voltage?
What electrical system does it tie into (LV or HV or both)?
Does it power the standard ventilation blower, or is there another fan solely devoted to solar-powered cooling?
How does the solar-powered cooling feature operate?
Are there auto (thermostat) and manual settings?
If thermostat controlled, is the setpoint programmable?
Does it vary the fan speed?
How does it work when controlled by the keyfob?
Does it operate the actual A/C system in any way?
What is the solar power used for on those cold days when cooling isn't necessary?
Does it just charge the LV or HV battery or both?
Is it tied into a built-in engine block heater?

The solar panel is flush with the roof, and resides just behind the moonroof. The solar panel is only sold as a package with the moonroof and electric ventilation. The purpose of the panel is to provide electricity to run a ventilating fan, so on hot days the interior of the car is kept cooler, making it more comfortable on entry and also reducing initial A/C loads. This package also includes remote start air conditioning that can be run on battery alone.

It appears to be covered with some sort of glass that could withstand a standard snow brush or scraper.

Tom

Hi Tom good to meet you at the PCD.

I would only add that the people I talked to said that the solar panel is only for the ventilation and will not charge anything else.

As far as the specs, it is too late as most of us are on are way home or home already. Maybe someone that is still there can get that information.

Can the solar panel run a heater instead of AC? I barely use the AC here in Calgary, but I'd love to have some extra heat during the winter months.

Is it necessary to manually open the moonroof to exhaust the ventilation air (I mean, like an inch, or some such distance that would not compromise security)? Does the ventilation air enter through the cabin air filter?

it is probably under moon roof, for protection, they got you covered...

... I doubt AC is just for cooling, it probably does whatever you left it on last time you were in the vehicle.

wait, moon roof? finally the prius gets a moon roof??

eh.. they are like 200 pics available on this site alone... it gets pretty nice moon roof

80 watts looks about right for that size if one uses high-efficiency PV cells. I've seen fold-up solar panels about that size that provide 55 watts used by military soldiers. I've seen fold-up solar panels for public use on the order of 20-30 watts, I'm sure using inexpensive low-efficiency PV cells.

So, if the solar panel only powers the vent fan and nothing else, then I look forward to seeing some ingenious people invent devices/hacks to take advantage of the unused power on those cold, sunny days. I wonder how much impact 80 watts would have on warming up an engine with an EBH?

I was lead to believe but I was well back, that the battery will recieve a slight charge to alow the AC to be remotely started and not drain the HV too much.

The pre-entry remote AC (I made that up too) will run for up to 3 minutes before.

I was going to post a detailed explanation of the solar panels/pre-cooling system, but you've done it for me. And, more concisely than I ever could.
I do have a short video of the pre-start A/C sequence, that should be on my Flickr set by the end of today.

80W of energy really isn't enough to power very much, not even you laptop, though it could help charge the battery when the sun is shining. I am happy to see Toyota taking some advantage of that totally free source of PV power though. I would have preferred to see a greater area of PV solar panel in place of the moon roof, which we seldom crack open on our Acura Integra these days. An open moon roof certainly degrades the aero drag and does nothing for your FE at speed.

From a personal cost-benefit analysis, I just don't see the allure of the Solar Panel. I'd like a moon roof very much, but don't want to be saddled with the de facto, say $1000, extra cost of the Solar Panel.

If the Solar Panel were offered as a separate option for $1000, I doubt that many people, even here, would buy it.

Right now, it seems to me to be all show and faux ecological public relations (solar panels!), but in reality has very little use value, monetary savings or ecological benefit.

My netbook (Acer Aspire One) use 10W and about 20W during h.264 720p playback. Heck, the power supply can draw only 30W (to charge the battery).

The solar panel driving a ventilation fan will make the car much more pleasant to enter on a hot day. It will also reduce the sun damage to the interior for cars left out in the sun in hot climates. A luxury, but so are a lot of other things that people buy.

I'm curious about the electrical connection to the solar panel. The simplest setup would be to connect the panel directly to the ventilator fan. The panel/fan may be electrically separate from the rest of the car.

If the panel/fan are separate, I can see all sorts of aftermarket electronics for the system. It could float charge the 12 volt battery, which would keep the battery up when the car is not used for several weeks. You could use it to charge cell phones and other small electronics, without worrying about drawing down the 12 volt battery. After you run down the 12 volt battery by leaving the lights ON, you could recharge it enough to get the car running again.

You could put a small water feature pond on top of the moon roof, and run a small water pump... To keep the car cool, of course...