This shit is pretty freakin' cool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQv21h-D6QI

#solar #bicycle #ebike #sustainability #efficiency #transportation

Damnit, now I actually want to build something like this, but a lot better.

Looks like this example's a decade old, but there's plenty of variations on the idea: http://solarbikeproject.com

Nowadays, I think how I'd do it... use the 100 watt flexible panels as the gently curved roof (with supports as needed), with a transparent bubble streamlined into the panels, and a coroplast rear structure for streamlining.

#solar #bicycle #ebike #sustainability #efficiency #transportation

You'd only get 200 watts on the trike itself instead of 315 watts, but with 10 pounds of solar panels instead of 50 (greatly improving handling), and putting a bit of effort into fairings would give you improved aerodynamics and a degree of weather protection.

A single seater could use one panel, for 100 watts - OK, it's not a ton of power, but it'll get you cruising at the speeds an average person cycles at, without any cyclist power input.

@bhtooefr You'd have to budget for something more like <50% of the panel's peak output. Latitude plus solar hour angle...

@jond Good point, you're not going to get 100% output.

Still, it'll be good for supplementary power, and these systems always have batteries to buffer things (and be able to store power when not moving).

@bhtooefr Good point. There are a lot of golf carts out there with a panel for the roof because it cuts deeply into the time you have to spend with the thing plugged in. (Which used to be fun because many carts were 36V and no cheap charge controllers could support 36V banks. They'd end up running three independent PWM controllers. Thankfully we've basically exited that era.)