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gen 3 solar roof ambiant to inside air cooling any good?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Flying White Dutchman, Jul 2, 2009.

  1. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    ok
    like topic titel

    what is the use for the solar roof ventilation system ( yes i now about the AC remote stuff .. i am asking for the ventilation )

    is the difference between the hot inside of the car ( because of the windows ) being suckt out the car and replaced by the cooler outside air really that big?

    any numbers on this or members that have a temp reader to test this?

    or is it maybe just a gadget?
     
    #1 Flying White Dutchman, Jul 2, 2009
  2. AUTiger

    AUTiger New Member

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    According to weather.com, on a 90 degree day, after 90 minutes, the car can be 138 deg F. They don't detail tinting or interior color, so this is very generic. Keep the car at 90 degrees is probably an improvement.

    I wonder if the solar roof is good enough to keep your dog/kid from getting baked in the hot sun. And NO, I'm not suggesting leaving living creatures in the car.

    David
     
    #2 AUTiger, Jul 2, 2009
  3. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    if the outside is 90 and the car can be 138 then i guess with the solar roof ventilation its maybe 118 or zo.. at best...

    but i hope to get some more real life data or toyota data on this.
     
    #3 Flying White Dutchman, Jul 2, 2009
  4. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    The few times I've experienced getting into the Prius on a "hot" day with the solar running, the difference was very noticeable. Surfaces still get warm, but the air is comfortable. You aren't stepping into a furnace anymore.

    Of course, there probably is a deminishing return which only those of us in the north would notice. In other words, cooling with temperatures lower than 95. So the benefit decision is quite different for me from those much further south.
    .
     
    #4 john1701a, Jul 2, 2009
  5. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    I've noted temps 5-10ËšF higher inside vs. outside using an IR thermometer pointed at the floor (not in direct sunlight). No tint, but I do use a HeatShield in the windshield. I try to keep my car parked w/ the rear facing west or south for best solar performance.

    Is it "ambient" inside? No. Is it better than without the blower running? Absolutely.
     
    #5 HTMLSpinnr, Jul 2, 2009
  6. Flying White Dutchman

    Flying White Dutchman Senior Member

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    only 5-10 higher then outside is a good performance.
    ( ok not forget you use a windows shade )

    that makes a big diff.
     
    #6 Flying White Dutchman, Jul 3, 2009
  7. Spee1113

    Spee1113 Diehard Dolfan

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    I think it works great. I think the biggest help is once you get in the car and turn on the AC (or use the remote from outside to turn it on), the car cools much quicker (in a matter of seconds).

    I'm in South Florida and its been in the upper 90s here lately. The ventilation fan definitely helps. It also helps if you have your windows tinted as well. I am very happy with the solar roof.
     
    #7 Spee1113, Jul 10, 2009
  8. Jon S

    Jon S Member

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    one owner has reported that the deflector glass shatters easily... from the photos, the sunroof panels look awfully thin....
     
    #8 Jon S, Jul 10, 2009
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Shouldn't be any different from the side window thickness.
     
    #9 Tideland Prius, Jul 10, 2009
  10. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    not thin

    the whole thing feels quite substantial

    but if it gets hit by a rock giong 65 it may break
     
    #10 fred garvin, Jul 10, 2009
  11. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i think the difference will vary greatly by how sunny and hot it is, but on average, without measuring, 5-15 degree difference is about right. still waaaay better than nothing at all. one thing i will say...leaving the windows cracked does not do as good a job.

    i drive my Zenn to work and the few times i have gone out during a nice sunny day, i immediately notice that is much hotter in there than the 2010. and i always have the windows open a few inches. (the doors are so light, they dont close very easily if the windows are rolled all the way up!!)
     
    #11 DaveinOlyWA, Jul 11, 2009
  12. Salsawonder

    Salsawonder New Member

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    Anything will break glass if hit at moderate speed. The car feels way better with the SR running. Someone else posted that running the fan with one window cracked a bit also helped. I live in SoCal so I have plenty of sun to power it with. The a/c is really improved in the 2010. I do have window tint 20/50 as well. The moon roof blocks heat quite well and I often drive with the sun shining on me but the window closed.
     
    #12 Salsawonder, Jul 11, 2009
  13. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    i love the sr but i also ordered a front wndow shade, as that is where the sun is when i park outside
     
    #13 fred garvin, Jul 12, 2009
  14. Gadgetdad

    Gadgetdad New Member

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    With my front window shade (Heat Shield sold on PriusChat store) on, and my aftermarket extra tinting on the back and side windows, I notice my SR fan runs only occasionally. Use them all to keep it cool! :cool:

    Lee
     
    #14 Gadgetdad, Jul 12, 2009
  15. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    my priuschat shield is en route. tinting may be in my future also.
     
    #15 fred garvin, Jul 12, 2009
  16. grahamy

    grahamy New Member

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    #16 grahamy, Jul 12, 2009
  17. jaywolf

    jaywolf Member

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    If you look up that thread they are talking about a similar sunroof on the Scion Tc not the Prius sunroof.

    My wife leaves work at 3:30 PM everyday and parks in full sun.
    She think it makes a large difference and she uses the air conditioning a lot less. The few time I have entered the car when it was in the sun I could notice the difference.

    Plus it looks neat.
     
    #17 jaywolf, Jul 13, 2009
  18. Salsawonder

    Salsawonder New Member

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    We've had a good hot spell here the last few days and between the SR and the remote AC, I am more than happy with my 2010 Prius. There is no longer the "blast furnace" when you open the door. In this heat I actually look to park IN the sun vs limited shade, use the SR and the Remote AC. I think I may need to send after the Prius SunShade as the one I have is pretty crappy. If you live in sunny climates like Ca., AZ, and such then the SR is a great option and will get plenty of use.
     
    #18 Salsawonder, Jul 13, 2009
  19. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    On a COOL day, our rooftop PV system will generate over 7Kwh. On a HOT day, it'll only do maybe 6Kwh. Roughly, that's what ... maybe a 15% drop in efficiency? See where I'm going? On a day when it's 90 degrees outside the Gen III PV panels will max at maybe 54 watts because efficiency drops with increased heat ... and if the sun is 30 degrees from being perpendicular you can knock off another 5 watts or so. The 49 watts remaining will still drive the fan to ventilate I suppose, but I wonder if the loss causes the fan to run slower.
     
    #19 hill, Jul 14, 2009
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