Could this be a nice marriage of complementing technologies? Wouldn’t this be sweet?😇
Do you think there could be enough solar light focused, concentrated and directed by a series of Solar tubes mounted in your garage roof above a parked Aptera’s to energize the vehicle’s array of solar cell to still get the Never Charge benefit?
SOLATUBE (s)
I am not sure more than one solar tube would be needed.
(I even understand “SOLATUBE” offers a tube that has an internal PV panel within the tube to power and shed light.... on the Aptera if you like)
Concentrated (magnified) ☀️rays could be focused onto the vehicle’s 180 (?) solar cells, which provides the Never Charge innovation and also power the internal heat venting for the vehicle.
Aptera has plenty on their plate but this might be worth exploring to take their Never Charge technology, at not cost to them, to the next level... 1) offer more possibilities to their customers, 2) addressing some potential buyers concern about leaving the car outside the garage, car port, etc... to reap the benefit all day. I guess a windowed garage with a garage door with windows, especially if it has a south/southwest unshaded exposure...it may add a very slight benefit too. I.e., If the sun angle will bring the sun rays to the array of solar cells.
I have to design a new garage anyhow, so if an Aptera could live there one day, this could serve a dual purpose ( free illumination in the car shelter with “some solar production)
All the best Aptera!
Only to be punny, "What a bright idea!!"
😂 the world needs more pun / fun and from the ☀️ sun
Your garage / car port would need to be made out of glass, in order for the Never Charge cells to work.
Hi Neil,
Not that this means much but.. the Solatube presently allows the sun light to its internal PV panel which is energized and used for down night lighting. Bottom line...
It just so happens that Solatube is down the road from Aptera so...”to be explored”!🤞
But if it works I wouldn’t have to exposed the entire Aptera to the intense southwest sun all day, as the sun here degrades, plastics, rubber and much more. Hoping focused sunlight to just the entire top of solar cells of the vehicle would have net charging benefit.
There should be some net solar gain = some free charging
Presently my solar pump’s PV panel , which are located inside my translucent fiberglass greenhouse , (with UV inhibitor) has successfully allowed charging and operation of my gray-water irrigation pump for years, but again that is not the sophistication of the Aptera’ s 180 (?) solar cells.
I have seen a SolaTube on a bathroom remodeling project I worked on many years ago. It is a bright light - equivalent to a 1000watt light bulb, if my memory serves me. But it is just the 12" diameter dome on the top, and it diffuses the light with a Fresnel lens, so it will barely eek out enough light to make a tiny bit of electricity in the Aptera. If you had a dozen SolaTubes then it might be noticeable in some actual charging.