Does the Solar Panel powers anything useful when the car is running?

The solar panel does not power anything while the car is running.

 

I know, what a bummer! Why didn't Toyota use it to trickle charge the 12V battery? A little is still a positive little. and if the car is parked for the whole day under the sun, that can accumlate to a lot of charge.

 

yeah that would really have made sense... i wonder if you can get an aftermarket solar panel to do that...

 

Nothing...What a waste.Oh well:rockon:

 

Or simply rewire the original solar panel to charge the 12V battery, and let the cabin circulating fan to run off the 12v battery. and have a protection mechanism to prevent the circulating fan from draining the battery.

Prius mod experts?

 

They tried:

Slide Show: 10 Things You Should Know about Toyota's New Prius Hybrid: Scientific American Slideshows

SYMBOLIC SOLAR

In keeping with the car's ecofriendly theme, the new Prius includes solar power. An optional moonroof incorporates silicon solar cells that power an air-circulation fan/vent that lessens the need for air-conditioning on start-up. Toyota engineers originally studied using the 59-watt solar array to (at least symbolically) recharge the 1,300 watt-hour hybrid battery, but hit an unexpected roadblock. When the solar panel is connected to the battery, the rooftop device acts as an antenna, radiating electrical noise that interferes with nearby radios and mobile phones.

 

wow... nice information there... i would have never guessed... so i guess you CAN'T rewire after all! ;-)

 

It's possible to electrically isolate the solar panel from the interference, but it was not considered worth the effort considering the limited gain, cost, and the development schedule. Certainly a skilled person could create a DIY charger running from the solar panel.

Tom