What Types of Commercial Vehicles Can Genie Insights’ Solar Panels be Fitted to?
Vehicle solar panels can be fitted to a wide range of commercial vehicles and transport equipment, either during the initial vehicle build or as a retrofit to vehicles already in service.
Genie Insights’ lightweight, flexible CIGS solar technology is particularly well suited to commercial vehicle applications because it can be integrated onto different vehicle types and roof profiles without the weight and rigid mounting structures associated with conventional glass solar panels.
The important consideration isn’t just the type of vehicle – it’s what you want the solar system to achieve.
Electric Light Commercial Vehicles (eLCVs)
Solar can be used on electric vans to help maintain the critical 12V auxiliary battery that supports many of the vehicle’s electrical and control systems.
Our high-voltage eLCV solar solutions harvest available daylight to help offset ongoing electrical loads, protect battery health and reduce the risk of 12V battery-related vehicle downtime.
Vans and Light Commercial Vehicles
Solar can also be fitted to conventional ICE vans and other light commercial vehicles to maintain 12V batteries or provide energy to support onboard electrical equipment.
Applications can range from battery protection to supplementary power for equipment used by mobile workers and specialist fleets.
HGVs and Trucks
On HGVs, solar can be used to maintain 24V vehicle batteries and help offset the electrical demand created by telematics, cameras, tracking systems and other onboard equipment.
Larger available roof areas can also create opportunities for solar to provide supplementary power to ancillary equipment.
Refrigerated Trailers and Transport Equipment
Refrigerated transport was our earliest commercial vehicle solar application.
Solar can maintain the refrigeration unit battery, helping to offset the parasitic electrical demand created by telematics, temperature monitoring and fridge control systems and reducing the risk of battery-related downtime.
The same battery-maintenance principle can also be applied to other trailers and transport equipment with independent batteries and ongoing electrical loads.
Waste and Recycling Vehicles
Waste and recycling vehicles provide an opportunity to use larger solar arrays across the available vehicle roof area.
Rather than simply maintaining a battery, the energy generated can support onboard ancillary equipment, reducing demand on the vehicle’s alternator and creating opportunities to reduce fuel consumption and associated emissions.
Specialist and Bespoke Commercial Vehicles
Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaics (VIPV) can also be incorporated into a wide range of specialist vehicles and mobile equipment.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solar panel, we consider the vehicle, available installation area, battery architecture, electrical demand and operating cycle to determine the most appropriate solar and power solution.
This means applications can range from a relatively small battery-maintenance system through to larger supplementary or auxiliary power solutions.
New Vehicles or Retrofit
Solar doesn’t have to be specified when a vehicle is first built.
Our systems can be integrated by vehicle manufacturers and converters during the build process or retrofitted to vehicles already operating within a fleet.
For many operators, the two approaches run alongside one another – retrofitting solar to existing vehicles while incorporating the technology into new vehicles as part of the ongoing fleet replacement cycle.
