So how many of you use the solar panel pre-cool AC? That is a feature that seems pretty "cool". Does it work really well? Is it worth the hefty upgrade price?
I have the Solar Roof panels. I hope I don't misunderstand the feature, but it powers a fan that circulates outside air thru the cabin while parked in the sun. We have had a cold winter so I don't know how good this will work in the dead of summer.
Ah so it doesn't really "cool" it with any cold air.. just keeps it from getting super hot with the outside air.. I C.. Don't suppose anyone has had a chance to use it yet??
The solar panel comes with remote air as well, it will run the A/C for 3 minutes. A feature I plan to use, just hasn't been hot enough here to try it yet. The ventilation system has been running some and while again it hasn't been hot yet there is a noticeable difference when getting into the car.
It hasn't been hot enought yet to really test how much it works but it has worked for me on the hottest day of the winter. I just wanted to see how it worked so I turned it on. Will have to wait til summer to really find out how much it does. If it wasn't the only way to get a sunroof i wouldn't have paid for the extras but the remote AC should probably be nice in the heat of the summer.
There's two part to the solar roof 1. Solar Panel Ventilation System This one uses the solar panel to power the fan to draw in outside air and vent the hot interior air. This is fully automatic (as long as you've enabled it before you turned off the car via a button to the left of the steering wheel). The fans will come on and off as needed and as power from the sun is stored (i.e. it will run intermittently if there isn't enough for a continuous run). The SPVS will continue to run even after you unlock the car and open the door. It will cancel once the car is started or turned to IG-ON. 2. Remote Air Conditioning This is activated via the A/C button on the fob. This one starts up the A/C compressor to further cool the vehicle. The engine stays off because the compressor is powered by the hybrid battery. It will turn off after 3 mins, when the battery is low or when you open the door. For me, I use the SPVS all the time during the summer. I actually forgot to use the Remote A/C (because i never touch the smart key!) but even in 30°C weather, the solar panels kept the interior cool. Note that the solar panel is facing due south. If I parked the car facing south (so the panels are facing north), it might not be so cool inside so it works best in an open lot and you can position the car to face north (so that the solar panels face south). I might use the Remote A/C if I find myself not being able to park the car in such a position. My Prius isn't tinted nor do I use a sunshade (yet).
Always turned on in mine along with moonroof cracked open slightly. Remote air used sometimes but usually if the car is hot when I get in I open the roof fully for the first few kms. David
While this sounds great for comfort, I'm wondering if it would also help with summer fuel economy. In very hot places (like here in Phoenix) I experience a summer "cool down" penalty somewhat analogous to the winter warm up penalty others deal with. When its 115 F and the car has baked in the sun all day, interior temps can easily be as high as 170 F! It then takes a good 5-10 minutes of the AC blasting on high before it starts to settle down, even with the system set at auto 80. I'd be very interested to see if this feature cuts down on that cool down time, helping bring summer MPGs back up!
Just strictly using the SPVS and not the Remote A/C, it should. I've experienced battery drain due to A/C usage on the 2005. (31°C, front and side window sunshade and thanks to a train crossing, I got down to 2 bars in a hurry. Temp set at 22.5°C)
Yeah, I've seen the AC suck the battery down pretty fast. I went through the car wash once when it was over 110 and the car was still in cool down mode. It was actually a little scary as it was one of those that you get pulled through in Neutral. First time I've ever gotten to 1 bar, was about ready to kill the AC when I rolled out and put it back in drive. I was mostly thinking of the SPVS, pre-starting the AC seems like it would be neutral if not a net loss.
I live in SoCal so my SPVS kicks in a lot during the day. I actually like it very much but given the option I wouldn't spend money on just that. I do think it helps keep the car a little cooler. The remote AC is almost useless in my experience. The reason for this is by the time you get within range of your car to turn it on you are a matter of seconds from getting in. The AC doesn't really have enough time to do it's job and at that point I might as well just get in and turn the car on. Also, when in a crowded parking lot it's hard to know if you've turned the Remote AC on or not. On bright sunny days it's hard to see the lights flash or they are blocked by other parked cars and the beeps are not very load if you're around traffic. I always keep pressing the button not knowing if I've turned it on or not. This process became so annoying that I just gave up on it. The only time I use it is if I'm standing right beside the car talking with someone so that I know it's on and I have the time to let it cool the car. It would be FAR more useful if it didn't turn off as soon as you unlock the door. Anyone else have similar thoughts?
I was kind of thinking the same thing..thanks for your insight.. I think if I ever get a Prius I will pass on this feature.. I'll just do the old.. roll down the windows for a few seconds to let all the "super-hot" air get out..trick...
