Questions for all you solar roofers

OMG that's freakin goofy looking

I wonder if we will live to see the day a solar panel will be small enough yet have huge voltage & current potential for running a electric car. Maybe our children will live to see something like that.

Mike :tea:

 

This is correct to the extent that the remote A/C is virtually useless. I played with it a couple of times but when it was apparent that the A/C was just beginning to power up as I was getting into the driver's seat, I never used it again.

Whomever it was at Toyota that thought a short-range remote A/C was a good idea should be sacked.

 

Does anyone know where the antenna is located for the remote receiver in the car? Maybe it could have a more optimal location so it would see the remotes signal from further away.

Mike

 

well think of it this way: They expect a person to be doing 1 of 2 things, either putting something in the car or at least walking TO the car which is why it is only 3 min. If they had made it long range, what if through the random variables of life the button was accidentally pressed numerous times throughout the day? you'd return to a dead battery.

 

I would guess which ever computer is running the remote A/C is programmed to monitor the HV battery voltage and turn off the A/C when it reaches that low level or refuses to start the remote A/C if the HV battery is at that low level already.

Mike :tea:

 

If they built that car & the roof panel was able to charge the main battery, even when driving down the road with the ICE running, I think it would be worth it. I'm almost always ending a trip on a battery that's below half full; it would be nice to have it fully charged when I came back outside in the morning.

And it doesn't look that bad. Better than those carbon-fiber hoods that the boy-racer cars seem to always have.

 

This may actually be correct. Once, on a long summer trip, I stopped for a rest and tried to sleep in the back of my Prius when it was very hot outside. I repeatedly pressed the remote A/C from inside the car to keep it cool, figuring I could fall asleep without worrying about the car running. Eventually, the remote A/C simply refused to operate.

I surmised it was due to battery drain and the car was smart enough to discontinue the remote A/C to be used until such time as the battery was recharged (or the ICE was started).

So, yeah, Toyota could have extended the remote A/C range without draining the battery.

 

I vote you buy a Four Solar

Mike

 

Soon-to-be, you'll regret it if you get a Prius & pass on the sunroof! If it's within your means, get it! It makes the whole experience much more fun, plus it's another gadget to play with!

We might even let you into our exclusive solar-roof club

 

Of course you do Mike, and me too, for the same reason! It shows we were smart

 

There is another reason to get the solar/sun roof. We took a trip to southern New England last weekend and used the sun roof for ventilation. Just cracked the back edge and it improved the ventilation enough that we didn't have to use the A/C, and it didn't increase the noise level that much. Makes way less wind noise and no buffeting of the ears, compared to cracking a window open at 70 mph! Plus it's still more aero to do that compared to cracking a window open at highway speeds.

I didn't think we would use it, but now I have to admit that the solar fan is a great option. It makes a big difference when you leave the car out in the sun during the day.

Didn't someone develop a paint that makes a surface PV? If it's out there, the roof and hood (and any other exposed surface on the car, for that matter) could be used to charge all batteries.