Futuring and Innovation on Electric car with solar panel roof

 

Electric vehicles are becoming more visible on American roads that are cool, special, and futuristic. Electric cars are becoming cheaper, making them more accessible to the general public. The electric vehicle has changed people’s opinions with feature advanced touch-screen interfaces, self-driving capabilities, and much more. We can expect to see completely autonomous cars shortly. The performance of these vehicles has significantly improved, with vehicles such as Tesla’s Model S being able to overtake traditional sports cars. Energy demands are surging with the rise of electric vehicles. According to Schaal(2019), Solar charging for cars is being developed where chargers can convert solar energy into electricity for EVs and vehicles that have solar panels attached to their roofs. Car running solely on solar energy is an incredible prospect and still under development to make it successful. Faster-charging, longer-range battery power is the future of electric vehicles. It’s quite challenging to fast-charge the electric cars and enough places to recharge an EV at a respectable speed.  Quick public charging apps suggest the most expensive chargers remain unused. Also, the charging station location problem of plug-in electric vehicles

A social-technical plan is a scheme of arrangement and process of sophisticated work design that employs the interaction between humans and technology in the workplace. According to Hayashi and Baranauskas (2013), a socio-technical plan is the formulation and adaptability of different inter-related processes to achieve a typical result. This definition was developed in the study as a plan to review the meanings of formal and informal learning and how it might help to unravel the new possibilities presented by digital technology, towards more seamless learning scenarios. Making sense of technology, in the context of children’s education, demands a socio-technical perspective that might contribute to the dialogical approach (Hayashi & Baranauskas, 2013).

The socio-technical context in which the introduction of new technologies and innovations by exploring the critical barriers to electric vehicles battery issues will make electric vehicles more accessible to the general public. Electric cars have also been increasingly studied from a socio-technical systems perspective.

Scope

The energy produced by the sun can be used to maximize the potential of electric power vehicles (EVs) with zero-carbon electricity. According to Kristian (2020), the ability to use solar synchronization could have significant implications for reducing carbon emissions in both the electricity and transportation sectors and presents potential benefits for consumers and businesses alike. Adjusting energy demand is one of many ways to make sure that the electricity used is clean or carbon-free, and is useful in a wide variety of scenarios. The cost of solar is dropping across the nation, and installing a solar energy system can charge electric cars for emissions-free transportation(Kristian, 2020).

According to Furrer (n.d.), Innovative solutions and trends in EV Charging help to push the electric car revolution. The bidirectional Chargers are a charging technology that goes two ways. This can be carried out by either the car’s converter or a converter located in the charger. With the bidirectional charges, the power of electric vehicles can be used in a more sustainable way. The high-Speed Chargers can fully charge the car in less than 10 minutes, and advanced battery charging technology to enable EVs to charge as fast as it takes to fill a tank of gas without a negative impact on battery life (Furrer, n.d.).

Frequent use of DC Fast Charging can negatively impact battery performance and durability. Once charging is initiated and the car’s battery is warmed up, the flow of kilowatts typically increases to the vehicle’s maximum input. The charger will sustain this rate for as long as possible. A study conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) concluded that while an electric car’s battery will deteriorate faster if it’s only power source is Level 3 charging. It has been tested that the test cars had been driven for 50,000 miles, the Level 2 cars had lost around 23 percent of their original battery capacity, while the Level 3 cars were down by approximately 27 percent. The top of an electric car has maybe 3–5 square meters of flat space. Solar panels, even at high noon, usually only produce about 200 watt-hours per square meter.

 

Purpose

The fast charging is essential for high mileage/long-distance driving and large fleets. The fast charging enables drivers to recharge during the day or on a small break as opposed to being plugged in overnight, or for many hours, for a full charge. The battery size has increased significantly since the first EVs hit the market, DC chargers have been getting progressively higher outputs to match. The combination of a solar panel system and EV charging station brings several benefits and provides a cost-effective way to produce and make use of your solar energy. Solar panels are a cost-effective way to fuel your electric car and may require anywhere from 6 to 12 solar panels. Solar panel system on your roof can effectively charge your Electric Vehicle. The battery from electric vehicles uses electricity stored in a battery pack to power the electric motor. 

Supporting forces

Solar panels and electric cars are a match made in heaven which can power both home and charge electric car. Some famous solar panel manufacturer recently decided to expand their business into the energy storage space that can help keep your lights on during power outages. The cost of solar is falling rapidly, and solar PV systems large enough to generate sufficient power. A solar installation will charge the electric car just as it will supply energy for the rest of the home appliances (Chibber,2018).

Challenging forces

Engineers have been working on solar panels on top of electric cars to fuel them even more cleanly and efficiently for several years. The central speed bump has been that the solar panels sized for the top of a car would not be sufficiently robust, efficient, or large enough actually to power the vehicle. Also, the cost has been prohibitive for commercial viability. Basically, the issue is aerodynamics, weight, price, and the smallness of the benefit.  The on-vehicle solar array was enough to generate power to drive 100 kilometers or about 60 miles.  There are a number of factors limiting how much is caused by a given solar panel, in a given location, in given weather conditions, etc. Solar panels on a solar car would generate a small fraction of the power, but with the innovation of efficient solar panels, it can be increased in the future (Herron, n.d.).

Methods

The Delphi Technique is a forecasting or estimating method based on a discussion by a group of experts used to calculate the likelihood and outcome of future events. A group of experts exchanges views and each independently gives estimates and assumptions to a facilitator who reviews the data and issues a summary report. According to Mulder (2017), The Delphi technique was utilized because it pools the knowledge of experts within a defined field to build a consensus to forecast what is likely to occur in the years ahead. Such projections are very accurate because it is utilizing the knowledge of those who are at the cutting edge of research and study in a particular field. The first round of the Delphi study started with an open-ended questionnaire asking the panel of experts to respond to general questions. Charging infrastructure, as the energy provider of electric vehicles, is critical to the development of an electric vehicle system. The availability of efficient, convenient, and economic EVCSs could enhance the willingness to buy of consumers and promote the development of the sector. The technique consists of several rounds of personal and anonymous questions to each expert, followed by a group discussion after every game. The Delphi Technique uses a carefully designed list of items that are developed and refined in several rounds. There is a feedback mechanism in the Delphi method, where obtained information is recorded and reported to participants regularly. By confronting the participants with each other’s ideas and insights will work towards a consensus (Mulder,2017).

References

Chibber, K. (2018). Why Teslas don’t and can’t have solar roofs. Retrieved from https://qz.com/1482588/why-teslas-dont-and-cant-have-solar-roofs/

Furrer, t. (n.d.). The Future Standard Of Electric Vehicles: Charging Infrastructures. Retrieved from https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/resources/future-standard-electric-vehicles-charging-infrastructures/

Hayashi, E. S., & Baranauskas, M. C. (2013). Affectability in educational technologies: A socio-technical perspective for design. Retrieved from Affectibility_in_Educational_T.pdf

Herron, D. (n.d.). The number of solar panels required to power an electric car. Retrieved from https://greentransportation.info/energy-transportation/solar-panel-ev-car.html

Kristian, M. (2020). Pilot Project Gets Solar Panels in Sync with Electric Vehicle Chargers. Retrieved from https://www.betterenergy.org/blog/solar-synchronization-electric-vehicle-chargers/

Mulder, P. (2017). Delphi Technique. Retrieved from https://www.toolshero.com/decision-making/delphi-technique/

Schaal, E.(2019). 5 Biggest Problems With Electric Vehicle Charging. Retrieved from https://www.motorbiscuit.com/5-biggest-problems-electric-vehicle-charging/