Correction: Solar panels to only supply a portion of power for air conditioning on 2010 Prius

If Toyota's research into their PV panels helps decrease the cost of other PV panels then I will be glad. I would love to completely go off the grid but we still can't afford the PVs at the current price and efficiency.

 

increased demand leads to increased production. mass production has the positive effect of being cheaper. any decrease in the price of PV would be great.

and this is just another example of an early inroad toward something bigger. will it pan out? who knows. would be cool if we could eventually have fully solar a/c, wouldn't it?

kow, how come the word "scientist" is both singular and plural? i never understood that.

 

Whoa! Hold on there young man. I think you are perhaps a little confused about the posts in this thread. My post was in reference to and only the post by Priusenvy. The quote (see my other post referencing his) is:

The above quote by Priusenvy, which references a clip by Fox News (of which theirs and other television news organizations bore me), unequivocally implies that 1) Fox News is presented in a simpleton manner so ergo 2) the average (which implies most) American needs such simpleton formats to comprehend such concepts.

I don't know how much clearer Priusenvy could be in explaining his opinion as I stated above. Therefore my original post is clear and correct. Priusenvy believes most Americans are simpletons and because he is able to make such a statement he believes he is somehow more intelligent than most Americans. Insulting and arrogant at best.

Now, where you fit into the above equation???

Rick
#4 2006

 

They are. Especially Floridians.

 

I think we can safely assume that the Toyota solar cells will be about as revolutionary as the Toyota NiMH batteries. In other words, they will be a novel application of current technology. The Toyota solar cells will be a mass market version of technology that we can already purchase as specialty equipment.

So the Toyota cells will be thin film technology with an efficiency of about 10%. They can cover the roof (and perhaps the hood), and generate maybe 100 watts tops under ideal conditions. Or a more typical 40 watts. This is enough to run a decent ventilation fan. It won't operate the cooling function of the air conditioner.

Toyota will charge $10-$20 per rated watt for the cells, and pay about $1-$2 for those cells. They make a killing, and come up smelling like roses. Just good business.

A decent size traction battery with a 40 mile EV range would be a real offering. A ventilation fan solar roof is just fluff.

 

That's not funny. Perhaps meant as a joke, but even when you are in jest your immature and childlike demeanor shows.

Racist because perhaps we have a higher minority population than most other states? Do you think the same from folks from Tennessee or West Virginia? How about Mississippi? Are all these folks a bunch of this and that?

You dug your own hole. Find a better way to crawl out of it.

Rick
#4 2006

 

I find it odd that I do not recall seeing posts ripping Aptera apart for having this same feature (solar panels for venting fan) built into their vehicle.

 

Wait a minute there!

Not to white knight for Priusenvy (he's obviously able to stand up for himself) but you've gone off the deep end there. It's clear that Priusenvy is poking fun with a bit of sarcasm and smack talk that's no worse than when I rib my friend for being such an obvious idiot because he's a Miami Dolphin's fan. You only make it worse by slinging around the most grievous insult possible ('racist') without any basis what so ever given that no one mentioned such a thing until you brought it into the conversation.

Was this a deliberate ad hominem attack or an attempt to derail the conversation with a strawman argument?



So as not to further contribute to derailing the thread, here's my on-topic thoughts:

1. It is a sad commentary on the state of science journalism in all formats that things like this get mis-reported and the very important details left out in an attempt to summarize something complex in a 30-second sound bite or to raise ratings by sensationalizing an essentially non-story. All media is guilty of this to one degree or another and most of us are guilty of helping it along through our lazy multi-tasking information gathering habits.

2. I think it's a poor idea for Toyota to go this route at this point unless they know something about better solar cells than we do. Best case scenario this doesn't do a whole hell of a lot and just adds to the cost of the car for a gimick not much better than spinning rims. Worst case scenario it raises all sorts of false expectations in the minds of the buying public world-wide and we see another flood of posts that are just the new version of "my Prius doesn't get the EPA mileage" when people realize that a small solar panel doesn't remove the need for a gas tank.

Here's hoping Toyota either changes their minds or has one hell of a great idea up their collective sleeves.

 

Uh, probably because most, including myself, after seeing this post thought "what's an Aptera??".

Rick
#4 2006

 

It's probably because the Aptera doesn't affect the Prius.
Also, it's probable that most Prius drivers would rather see the cost invested into a larger traction battery rather than a solar cell roof.

 

Cost is not a barrier for the production of a larger NiMh traction battery, patent laws and restrictions are. We can thank GM then Texaco for that.

 

i keep meaning to ask... when does that patent run out?

 

2014 I believe. I could be wrong though.