Testing Solar Power
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by: JonathanHeath | Total views: 30 | Word Count: 328
When it comes to thinking of the future, renewable energy sources are often at the top of many people's priorities. One of the most simple to use and widely developed sources of renewable energy is solar power and this option in recent years has been developed into a wide range of applications.
One of the most highly developed applications for solar power is the introduction of solar powered vehicles which aim to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide us with a clean and efficient method of transport into the future.
Solar powered cars have been developed for years and they come on the back of the popular electrical hybrid cars which have been developed for mass production in the next 10 to 20 years. The idea behind solar powered cars works in a similar way to the hybrid and would serve to provide the electrical aspect of the hybrid through PV cases which would be placed on the roof and sides of the car to collate electrical energy from the sun.
The idea of bringing solar cars onto the wider market does have a number of pitfalls and it isn't as clear cut as the electrical hybrids. The cost to the consumer and the creator would be enormous and many people aren't prepared to pay for decreased carbon emissions. Sunlight may be free but unfortunately the PV cases which are required to capture the sunlight are not and they can be quite an expensive cost to the consumer.
The storage capacity of your car could present a problem too as when you run out of energy there is no immediate ability to get more. This rules out a great deal of long distance journeys which now cannot be taken with the risk of running out of gas. The current maximum speed of a solar powered car is 120km/h and many cars would not reach this, meaning the car would really only be able to be used for small city commutes.
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