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PhillyT (not verified)    January 12, 2025 - 4:30PM

Some of the numbers don't quite line up.

First of all - where does the 1-1.5kW number come from? Flexible penels tend to be less efficient than rigid and looking at a few options out there, it looks like they have peak production rates of about 150W/m2. The hood is probably close to 4m2 so that's maybe 600W? The remainder of the car is always going to be 50% shaded, so we get two doors and the side of the bed. If that adds up to another 3m2 then we get another 450W of theoretical capacity, but if the sun angle is good for the hood (straight overhead), it's poor for the sides of the truck. My guess is that it probably wouldn't reliably generate more than 500W. It's still something - but buying a few big folding panels for while you are in camp would be cheaper and generate a lot more (I want to make a solar awning for camping).

Next up - your prices for home solar are super out of whack. My 5kW system cost me $13k CAD six years ago and prices have been dropping. You could almost certainly get a 5kW system for under $10k USD. That makes this setup at least 5x the cost per W of capacity.

It's super cool tech and I love maximizing marginal gains, but bang for your buck is ROUGH.

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