Heavy-load vehicle traffic is responsible for 6 percent of the CO2 emissions in the European Union. Solar electricity generated directly on the vehicle can improve this balance by 5 to 7 percent. In the “Lade-PV” project under the direction of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, four industrial companies and two Fraunhofer institutes want to demonstrate the market feasibility of PV applications in the heavy-load transport. The aim is to develop an overall concept that makes the widespread use of integrated PV modules on electrical and other commercial vehicles (over 3.5 tons commercial load) possible.
In the coming three years, not only singular components, such as PV modules and power electronic units, but also manufacturing and production concepts will be developed within this project in order to establish an efficient supply chain between the branches involved. The practical implementation of the prototypes shall be demonstrated on an electrical heavy-load truck.
“Trucks provide lots of area with great sun exposure and electric-drive vehicles are equipped with large batteries. This combination presents an ideal situation for generating valuable on-board electricity with photovoltaics. This increases the driving range and all of that is provided with 100 percent renewable energy”, explains Dr. Harry Wirth, division director of Photovoltaics, Modules and Power Plants at Fraunhofer ISE.
