Lets see, the new Chevy Volt has a 16 kWhr battery, which is
programmed to operate between 30% and 85% of full charge. Thus, the
charge cycle requires about 8.8 kWhr plus allowances for
inefficiencies. Given 5 hours of sunlight a day, an array with
something like 2 kW production could conceptually recharge the
batteries. Newer panels, such as those from Evergreen Solar, produce
about 200 W per panel in full sun, so 10 panels could provide the
needed amount of electricity. That number of panels, plus a few extra
for spare, could charge the Chevy Volt during the day.
The electricity from those panels might also be stored in a local
fixed battery bank, which could then be used to charge the Volt's
battery after dark. Add a few more panels and run your basic house
loads (other than the large loads of water heating, a cloths dryer or
A/C, that is). Add 2 or 3 solar thermal panels to heat your hot water
and passive thermal gain for winter heating and you are about there.
E. S.
----------------------------------------------------
Don Libby wrote:
> A vast solar pv array the size of an Airbus jumbo-jet's wing-span generates
> about enough power to drive a motor scooter. That's what I learned from the
> solar airplane experiment that flew in Switzerland this past week. To those
> who think they can recharge their Prius plug-in hybrid from a rooftop solar
> pv array, I say...
>
> Good luck,
> -dl
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