If you’re considering trialling solar on your fleet, winter is the time to do it.

• Shorter daylight hours
• Lower light levels
• Colder temperatures
• Longer periods of inactivity over Christmas and New Year

Winter puts 12 V batteries under greater pressure and gives vehicle solar less available daylight to work with.

Which is exactly why we think it’s the right time to test it!

Winter is the toughest test for solar performance, but we are confident in our technology! Our vehicle solar panels continue to generate energy during winter because our photovoltaic technology uses daylight, rather than direct sunshine, to generate electricity.

Solar generation will be lower during the winter months because days are shorter and the amount of available solar energy is reduced. However, that does not mean a solar system stops making a useful contribution.

Genie Insights has now supplied more than 16,000 commercial vehicle solar systems. Thousands are installed on working vehicles across the UK and beyond, with systems that have already operated through multiple winters. Some systems even have over 6 years in service.

Why Can Solar Still Be Useful During Winter?

Maintaining a healthy 12V or 24V battery becomes more challenging in winter.

Lower temperatures affect lead acid battery performance, while electrical equipment such as telematics, trackers, cameras and monitoring systems can continue drawing power when a vehicle is parked.

Periods of inactivity can add to the problem, particularly over weekends and holiday periods when vehicles may remain stationary for several days.

Vehicle-integrated solar generates energy during daylight hours and feeds it into the vehicle battery through a charge controller. This can offset some of these ongoing electrical loads and reduce periods of undercharging.

Genie Insights uses CIGS solar technology, which is manufactured in the UK by MIPV. CIGS can generate energy in low and variable light conditions. Our vehicle panels are also configured to minimise the effect of partial shading, allowing unaffected sections of the panel to continue generating when part of the panel is obstructed. You can read more here about how CIGS solar panels perform in low light conditions.

Is Winter a Good Time to Trial Vehicle Solar?

Winter can actually be the best times to run a fleet solar trial.

Rather than assessing the technology when daylight is plentiful, fleets can monitor its contribution during shorter days and lower-light conditions, when battery performance may also be under greater pressure. It’s fair to say, if solar can work in winter conditions, then it will definitely work throughout the other seasons.

A winter trial can measure solar generation alongside battery condition, vehicle usage, periods of inactivity and electrical loads. This gives a fleet evidence from its own vehicles and operating conditions before considering a wider installation.

If you’re considering vehicle-integrated solar, talk to Genie Insights about putting it to the test this winter.

VIPV stands for Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaics – the integration of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology directly onto a vehicle to generate energy during daylight hours.

Rather than thinking of solar as simply an additional panel fitted to a vehicle, VIPV considers how solar technology can be integrated into the vehicle and its wider electrical system to provide useful energy in real-world operating conditions.

For commercial vehicles, that energy can be used in several ways – from maintaining critical 12V and 24V batteries to supporting onboard electrical equipment or contributing to larger integrated energy systems.

How Does VIPV Work?

A typical commercial vehicle VIPV system combines a solar panel with a charge controller and the vehicle or equipment battery.

The solar panel harvests energy from available daylight. The charge controller manages that energy and delivers it to the battery or electrical system at the appropriate voltage.

VIPV doesn’t require bright sunshine to work. CIGS (copper, indium, gallium, selenide) solar technology can harvest energy throughout daylight hours, including during cloudy and lower-light conditions.

The amount of energy generated depends panel size and technology, available daylight, location, season, shading, vehicle orientation and the available installation area.

What Can VIPV Be Used for on Commercial Vehicles?

How VIPV is used depends on the vehicle and its power requirements.

One of Genie Insights’ most common applications is battery protection,where solar provides an ongoing source of energy during daylight hours to help maintain 12V or 24V batteries and offset electrical loads from equipment such as telematics, trackers, cameras, monitoring systems and vehicle electronics.

VIPV can also provide supplementary power for fixed onboard equipment, reducing demand on the vehicle’s primary electrical system.

Where energy requirements are greater and there is sufficient installation area, solar can form part of a wider vehicle integrated energy system, working alongside batteries and other energy sources to power equipment on or close to the vehicle, such as tail lifts, microwaves, kettles or power tools.

Why Is VIPV Relevant to Commercial Vehicles?

Commercial vehicles rely on electrical power for a growing range of systems and equipment. At the same time, electrification is adding further demands, including the need to maintain auxiliary batteries and manage energy use carefully.

Is VIPV Just for Electric Vehicles?

No. Although VIPV is popular for electric vehicles, the technology can provide benefits across both ICE and electric commercial fleets.

On conventional ICE vehicles, solar can maintain batteries, help support electrical equipment and, in some applications, reduce reliance on the engine or alternator for supplementary power.

On electric vehicles, solar can maintain auxiliary batteries and offset electrical loads that would otherwise draw energy that needs to be replenished from the vehicle’s primary energy source.

This means the same underlying technology can be applied across conventional, hybrid and electric commercial vehicles.

What Makes a Solar System Suitable for VIPV?

Vehicle solar technology operates in a very different environment from stationary photovoltaic installations. Weight, flexibility, vibration resistance, mechanical shock, reliability, weather resistance, safety and integration with vehicle electrical systems all need to be considered. For commercial vehicle applications, the complete system therefore needs to be designed around the realities of a working vehicle.

Genie Insights uses lightweight, flexible CIGS solar technology, manufactured by MIPV, combined with vehicle-ready charge controllers and associated components to create systems designed specifically for commercial fleet applications.

Our approach considers the complete solution – including solar technology, voltage, charge control, installation method, electrical demand and the way the vehicle is used, rather than just selecting a panel based on headline wattage.

Setting the Benchmark for Commercial Vehicle VIPV

As VIPV adoption grows, we believe fleets should expect the same focus on quality, safety and engineering assurance from vehicle solar technology as they would from other systems integrated into a commercial vehicle.

Genie Insights’ vehicle solar solutions are backed by an extensive programme of testing, certification and product assurance covering areas including vibration and mechanical shock, environmental performance, electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility, fire performance, ingress protection, bonding and component quality.

We are confident that no other vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) solar solution on the market can match the breadth of testing, certification and compliance credentials achieved by Genie Insights.

Explore our Solar Product Assurances

The Future of VIPV

Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaics is attracting increasing international attention as vehicle manufacturers, van converters and fleet operators look for new ways to manage onboard energy and improve transport efficiency.

Research through the International Energy Agency’s PVPS Task 17 programme is examining the potential, technical requirements and challenges associated with integrating photovoltaic technology into vehicles.

For commercial fleets VIPV is no longer a technology for the future. Solar is already being fitted to commercial vehicles to protect batteries, power onboard equipment, improve reliability and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources.

Genie Insights has been developing and deploying commercial vehicle solar solutions since 2019, applying the technology to refrigerated transport, eLCVs, HGVs, waste and recycling vehicles and other specialist fleet applications.

Explore our commercial vehicle VIPV technology

What Standards Should a Commercial Vehicle Solar Solution Meet?

There is currently no single standard that defines what a complete Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaic (VIPV) solar system for a commercial vehicle should achieve.

But we believe fitting solar technology to a working commercial vehicle requires a much higher level of assurance than simply demonstrating that an individual solar panel can generate electricity.

Commercial vehicles operate in demanding environments. Solar systems must contend with vibration from varying road surfaces, changing weather conditions, intensive daily use and integration with increasingly complex vehicle electrical systems.

At Genie Insights, our objective has therefore been to go beyond individual product certification and set the benchmark for transport solar.

Setting the Benchmark for Transport Solar

We are confident that no other VIPV solution on the market can match the breadth of testing, certification and compliance credentials achieved by Genie Insights.

Our approach considers the complete vehicle solar solution rather than the solar panel in isolation. This includes the panel, charge controller, connectors, cables and other critical elements that determine how safely and effectively the system performs on a vehicle.

Why Vehicle Solar Requires a Different Approach

The requirements of VIPV are increasingly being recognised internationally.

Recent US Department of Energy research into vehicle-integrated solar highlighted weight, flexibility, vibration resistance, reliability, lifetime, maintenance and safety among the important requirements for vehicle solar, together with the need for appropriate testing and standards.

Many of these requirements reinforce the approach Genie Insights has already taken in developing solar solutions specifically for commercial vehicle applications.

Read what US research tells us about the future of commercial vehicle solar.

Assurance Across the Complete Solution

Our product assurance brings together independent testing, recognised international standards, vehicle-specific compliance and quality-controlled processes.

Key components within our systems, including the solar panel and charge controller, have undergone independent vibration and mechanical shock testing. Our exclusive MPPT charge controllers are ECE R10 compliant for electromagnetic compatibility, while the wider solution incorporates tested and certified components covering areas such as weather resistance, ingress protection and component quality.

But product assurance doesn’t stop when the individual components have been selected. Genie Insights operates an ISO 9001-certified Quality Management System with defined installation procedures and quality controls to ensure that the way the technology is integrated onto the vehicle reflects the same standards expected of the products themselves.

What Should Fleets, Manufacturers and Converters Look For?

As VIPV becomes more widely adopted across commercial transport, we believe fleets, vehicle manufacturers and converters should expect robust evidence that the technology they are installing is suitable for the environment in which it will operate.

For Genie Insights, that means considering everything from technology selection and component testing through to vehicle integration, installation quality and quality control.

Our extensive testing, certification and quality assurance has been developed to provide that confidence and to help set a benchmark for how commercial vehicle solar should be engineered, tested and delivered.

Explore our Solar Product Assurances

Yes. Our solar battery maintenance system can be incorporated into new vehicle builds and conversions where vehicle type approval requirements apply.

Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) applies to the completed vehicle rather than the solar system in isolation. The responsibility for the final approval sits with the vehicle manufacturer, bodybuilder or converter, but our role is to ensure that the solar system has the appropriate component compliance, testing and technical documentation to allow it to be considered as part of that wider vehicle approval process.

ECE R10 Compliant Charge Controller

The exclusive MPPT charge controller used within our solar battery maintenance system is ECE R10 compliant for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

ECE Regulation No. 10 relates to the electromagnetic compatibility of vehicles and electrical/electronic components. Equipment added to a vehicle must not create unacceptable electromagnetic interference with other vehicle systems and must have appropriate immunity to electromagnetic disturbances.

Using an ECE R10 compliant charge controller provides OEMs and converters with an important element of the technical assurance required when integrating our battery maintenance solar solution into a new vehicle build.

Developed for Commercial Vehicle Integration

Automotive EMC compliance is only one consideration when integrating solar onto a commercial vehicle. Our battery maintenance solution brings together all of the components required to fit the system; we don’t just supply a solar panel. We also provide defined installation methods and quality assurance techniques.

The complete solution is supported by extensive testing and product assurance, including independent vibration and mechanical shock testing of both the solar panel and charge controller, alongside testing and certification covering areas such as electrical and fire safety and weather resistance.

This provides vehicle manufacturers, bodybuilders and converters with confidence that the solution has been developed around the conditions vehicles actually experience on the road.

Explore our Solar Product Assurances

Why Integrate Solar During the New Vehicle Build?

There is also an operational advantage to integrating a solar battery maintenance system from the outset. New commercial vehicles can spend considerable periods stationary during conversion, bodybuilding and preparation before they enter fleet service, while onboard electrical equipment may already be drawing energy from the battery. Installing solar during the build process allows the battery to begin benefiting from maintenance charging as early as possible, helping to protect battery state of charge before the vehicle even starts its working life.

Read why we recommend fitting solar battery maintenance from day one

Explore our Battery Protection solutions

A vehicle solar battery maintenance system is designed to help prevent battery discharge, not to recover or repair a battery that is already flat or degraded.

Solar can replenish energy being consumed by ongoing electrical loads and help maintain a healthier battery state of charge over time. However, a solar panel cannot reverse degradation or damage that has already occurred within a lead-acid battery.

That’s why we believe the best time to install a battery maintenance solar system is when the vehicle is new, before repeated periods of low state of charge have had an opportunity to affect battery health.

Why Fit a Solar Battery Maintenance System from Day One?

The greatest benefit comes from fitting a solar battery maintenance system when the vehicle is new, so the battery receives the benefit from the very beginning of its working life.

Battery discharge can start before the vehicle even enters service. New commercial vehicles can spend extended periods parked during the build and conversion process – at bodybuilders, van converters, dealerships or depots – while onboard electrical systems are already drawing power.

We know from working with vehicle converters and bodybuilders that vehicles sometimes need to be jump-started during this period because they have been stationary for so long. By the time the completed vehicle reaches the fleet operator, its battery may already have experienced periods of significant discharge.

Lead-acid batteries can deteriorate when they spend repeated or prolonged periods at a low state of charge. Installing solar at the start of the original vehicle build means the battery can begin receiving a maintenance charge as soon as the system is commissioned, rather than waiting until battery problems have already developed.

This is why we encourage fleets, OEMs and vehicle converters to think about solar as a preventative battery-health solution from day one, rather than something to retrofit only after flat batteries become an operational problem.

Protecting Battery Health Over the Vehicle Lifetime

The purpose of a battery maintenance solar system is preventative rather than remedial.

Over the lifetime of a commercial vehicle, the battery can be exposed to thousands of hours of ongoing electrical demand from connected equipment, including during periods when the vehicle isn’t being driven. By harvesting available daylight to help offset these loads and maintain battery charge, solar can reduce the frequency and severity of low-state-of-charge events, supporting better battery health and potentially extending battery life.

Maintaining a healthier state of charge from the start can help reduce premature battery degradation, extend battery life and reduce the likelihood of battery-related downtime and replacement over the vehicle’s operating life.

Read more about how vehicle solar can prolong the life of lead acid batteries.

Explore our Battery Protection solutions

CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) is a thin-film solar technology particularly well suited to commercial vehicle applications.

Unlike conventional rigid, glass-based solar panels, CIGS technology enables panels to be manufactured in a lightweight, thin and flexible format that can integrate closely with a vehicle roof. Its characteristics also make it well suited to the variable light, shading and operating conditions experienced by commercial vehicles.

Why is CIGS Suitable for Commercial Vehicles?

The key benefits of CIGS solar technology include:

• Lightweight construction – helping to minimise additional vehicle weight and protect payload.
• Thin and flexible design – allowing panels to follow the contours of a vehicle roof without bulky mounting frames.
• Glass-free construction – providing a robust, shatter-resistant solution suited to demanding mobile applications.
• Strong low-light performance – enabling useful energy generation across a wider range of daylight and weather conditions.
• Good shading tolerance – helping the system continue generating when parts of the panel are affected by shadows or obstructions.
• Bonded installation – the solar panel is bonded directly to the vehicle surface rather than mechanically fixed through the panel.

These characteristics are particularly important on commercial vehicles, where available roof space, weight, durability, changing light conditions and everyday operational demands all need to be considered.

CIGS Solar Technology for Commercial Vehicles

CIGS technology forms the basis of Genie Insights’ Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaic (VIPV) solutions, combining the physical characteristics required for vehicle integration with strong performance across the variable light and operating conditions experienced by commercial fleets.

Explore our CIGS Solar PV technology.

For a more detailed look at how CIGS compares with conventional solar technologies and why its characteristics are particularly suited to vehicle applications, read our guide to the advantages of CIGS solar technology for commercial vehicles.