This solar-powered sidewalk can charge an electric vehicle

As efficiency and durability in solar panels improves, we're seeing them installed in more and more creative places. Budapest, Hungary-based startup Platio has installed solar pavers on a sidewalk, paired with a charging station for electric cars.

Budapest - Platio first hit the headlines in July 2017 when it was announced the company had designed a modular energy-harvesting paving system made withrecycled plastic. A mere two months later, Platio had developed projects in Hungary, Sweden, and Kazakhstan.

Not only is this company making use of recycled plastic, but it has developed an outdoor, energy producing modular paving system that can also be equipped with information technological functions.

One of the company's first projects can be found at Városháza Park, in Budapest. Platio installed their solar system on a wooden bench. Park-goers can use the "Smart bench" to charge their phones or tablets using either a USB cord or QI wireless. Local design studio Hello Wood installed the park’s wavy wooden benches, Platio founder Miklós Ilyés told Inhabitat.

Platio's smart bench car charge your phone or tablet.

Platio

Platio Solar-Powered sidewalk

Measuring 4.7 square meters, or about 50 square feet, the 720 Wp system of Platio Solar Pavers is made up of 40 units and is located at a charging station for electric vehicles on the campus of real estate company Prologis.

Prologis focuses on green development solutions, so they were the perfect test-site for the solar sidewalk. The addition next to the charging stations was practical, and there is the added bonus of the energy generated in the panels being rerouted from the sidewalk to help power the office building next to it when the charging stations are not being used.

The sidewalks can be easily integrated into the environment, causing no disturbance to the way people use sidewalks. In a statement, Platio said they hoped “to demonstrate that by turning energy absorbing paved areas into huge walkable solar arrays, energy production can be achieved at a large scale without taking up useful space or altering the cityscape.”

The solar sidewalk can be easily integrated into the environment.

Platio

“It is important for us to find key partners who support innovative technologies and can give us a chance to try new fields of applications,” Miklós Illyés, co-founder of Platio, said in a Prologis blog post.“With the help of Prologis, we managed to install our first solution for EV charging stations, which is a significant milestone for us and our mission to contribute to e-mobility.”

Platio has bigger dreams for solar sidewalks

Obviously, when the solar sidewalk is in public areas, the energy generated from the sun can be used to provide the juice needed for running street lights or people can easily charge their mobile devices at hubs and benches while waiting at bus stops or cab stands.

Besides public lighting, traffic control systems and other energy consuming street contrivances can be powered independently from the grid using energy generated by the sidewalks, says Platio. And unlike other in-pavement integrated renewable energy technologies, Platio is easy to install and maintain, since it does not require a special foundation and also it is modularly upgradeable with several further smart functions.

Special coatings developed by Platio can prevent mishaps during bad weather.

Platio

And the startup also had durability and safety in mind when they developed their product. It would take a massive drop of 10 tons to even create a crack in the sidewalk, and because of the way it is installed, it is protected from thievery. The sidewalk requires special tools to raise, preventing theft.

Platio has also developed various slip protections, based on the climate conditions. For example, an aluminum oxide coating provides plenty of friction in both hot and cold areas. A clear hydrophobic polymer can also be used to prevent water from collecting between a person's shoes and the sidewalk surface, preventing slipping.

At the present time, solar sidewalks are not practical for large-scale energy solutions, yet there is a definite need for this technology, and it will be interesting to see where it leads.

Evovelo Mo: el pequeño coche solar español y costará menos de 5.000 euros

La empresa malagueña Evovelo lanzará a las calles en marzo las cien primeras unidades de su vehículos solar Mo, un turismo biplaza capaz de recorrer con energía solar hasta 25 kilómetros por recarga. 

Evovelo es una empresa malagueña que ha desarrollado el primer turismo capaz de ser propulsado a través de energía solar. Cuenta con un motor eléctrico que se mueve gracias a una batería que se carga con placas solares integradas en el propio vehículo, aunque dispone también de pedaleo asistido para aumentar así la autonomía. Recargado por energía solar, es capaz de cubrir hasta 25 kilómetros con un nivel de CO2 producido de 0 gr/km de CO2, pues toda la energía para moverlo vendrá del sol. En usos más intensivos de aproximadamente 40 kilómetros, las emisiones serán tan bajas como de 0.001 gr/km de CO2 dependiendo de la procedencia de la energía eléctrica utilizada para cargar la batería.

El Mö está pensado principalmente para entornos urbanos, alcanza una velocidad máxima de 50 km/h, tiene una autonomía máxima de hasta 50 kilómetros y costará menos de 5.000 euros cuando salga a la venta el próximo mes de marzo. El tiempo de carga con luz natural oscila entre dos o tres días y, si se enchufa a la corriente eléctrica, en una hora se obtiene alrededor de un 90 por ciento de la batería.

Las placas solares están integradas en el techo y cargan la batería durante su funcionamiento o cuando el vehículo permanece estacionado, y en ausencia de luz, se puede conectar a un enchufe convencional o extraer su batería para su carga en cualquier otro lugar. El diseño curvado de la carrocería hace que el Mö incorpore unas placas solares flexibles fruto de nuevos métodos de fabricación que han permitido este diseño con una alta eficiencia, además de contar con baterías de litio de última generación y motores trifásicos sin escobillas.

Mide 2 metros de longitud, 1,30 de alto y 1,40 de ancho y pesa apenas 85 kilos, con un interior para dos plazas y que será homologado como vehículo eléctrico ligero, por lo que no requiere de permiso de circulación y, según los responsables de la marca, no pagará impuestos, ni tendrá obligación de circular con seguro.

Los primeros clientes de estas primeras unidades, cuya producción se ultima en Gerona, fueron seleccionados por la empresa de entre casi medio millar de peticiones tras de su presentación durante la Cumbre del Clima de París del año pasado.

Solar Cars Are Far From Mainstream. OTOH, Solar-Powered Cars Are Normal, Common, Becoming Popular

Many of us who are interested in electric vehicles and solar power have probably wondered if this form of clean electricity could be integrated into an EV somehow. In fact, for some years now, there have been a number of solar-powered car races conducted. However, these vehicles, though impressive in their engineering and abilities, do not meet consumer expectations for speed, comfort, safety, passenger capacity, and storage space.

In a word, they are impractical and not “there” yet in terms of what most of us would find acceptable or even desirable. Also, they could probably not be made street legal in their current incarnations. Finally, they simply have a very odd appearance resembling a narrow waffle with a bulbous area for the driver to see out of, for the single passenger versions. There is a cruiser class for some of these competitions and these vehicles can transport multiple passengers. However, the larger ones still are not road-worthy for normal driving conditions on city streets and are far too slow for freeways and highways.

Of available commercial vehicles, the Toyota Prius Prime in Japan has a rooftop solar power option, but it doesn’t generate that much electricity, perhaps enough to add about 3.8 milesof driving distance to the vehicle’s batteries when there is adequate sunlight.

There has been some speculation about what a small solar power system on the Karma Revero might be capable of, but a writer summarize the numbers he collected and emphasize how little the panel provided: “So, again, about a month. A month of non-stop solar charging, to get you a full battery, which Karma says will take you a whole 50 miles.”

Sono Motors has developed an EV called the Sion, which has more solar cells embedded into its body — about 81 square feet of its surface. It does meet basic consumer expectations in terms of the conventional form and finish, but the extra dimension of having some solar power is intriguing. The range per charge is about 155 miles, and the solar power system has been estimated to have the capacity to add approximately 18–19 miles of electricity per day in order to recharge the battery when there is adequate sunlight.

The fact that this startup accomplished what it did is impressive, and when Sono vehicles are operating in the consumer world, their very presence will turn some heads and demonstrate that such a technology is indeed possible. The amount of electricity the Sono EV rooftop solar power system will generate won’t be that much, but it is a step further than companies have gone before.

One problem with putting solar cells on cars is that there simply isn’t enough surface area. A small collection of solar cells can’t generate nearly enough electricity to function as a primary source.

Even if solar cells can eventually be made that have two times greater efficiency, solar cells on cars would still not generate enough electricity to be the main source. They will be helpful in situations where an EV is going to sit outdoors in sunshine where there are no chargers, but solar power on car bodies will play an auxiliary role for quite a long time to come — perhaps indefinitely.

Aside from simple limitations in efficiency and cost of solar panels, remember that cars often park in the shade, are often shaded by buildings even when they are in daylight, and can rather easily get into accidents — which could mean the destruction of highly valuable solar technology.

A more practical approach is to put solar panels on your roof or carport and charge your car there. The good news is, that’s what 28–42% of electric car drivers do, according to our research, or 32% according to more recent research. Collecting solar energy on stationary roofs and using that electricity to charge competitive electric cars makes a lot of sense, so let’s hope a lot more people go that route in the coming years … er, months … er, days.

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