Assessing Effectiveness of Integrated Photovoltaic Panels on Light Electric Vehicles

Light electric vehicles (LEV) are seen as an effective solution for reducing the carbon emissions in the transportation sector thanks to their light weight and low energy requirement. Integrated photovoltaic (PV) panels on LEVs have great potential because a higher portion of the energy demands can be covered by PV panels compared to heavier vehicles. Integrated PV panels on LEVs are constrained by the surface shape and available area, which results in panels facing different angles. In this work, we assess the effectiveness of such integrated PV panels based on simulations with meteorological data and measurements from a real prototype on an electric scooter. It is shown that the measured PV power correlates well with the simulated data. A number of design options such as the number of PV panels and the angle of the panels are evaluated through simulations and we compare seasonal and regional differences. Based on the assessment, we make design suggestions for cost-effective and energy-efficient integrated PV panels on LEVs. Results indicate that with the right design and favorable circumstances, the integrated PV panels can generate more energy over a day than is consumed by the LEV in a day.