Solar Power Panels Keep Reefers Going
LOUISVILLE, KY — At the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show, Cummins Crosspoint showed off how they’re using Go Power!’s Solar Flex-powered system to keep dedicated batteries in their battery-powered cab-comfort systems fully charged and ready to start equipment.
Built-in telematics in many reefer units can completely drain their starter battery within just four days of sitting idle and that the downtime and service cost of jumping a dead battery can really add up, explained Joe Aschenbener, general manager for Crosspoint Power and Refrigeration.
That’s why Cummins Crosspoint was looking for a reliable solar-based method for keeping the dedicated batteries used in Carrier Transicold refrigeration units and ClimaCab battery-powered cab-comfort systems optimally charged.
“We have been looking for a practical solar solution for battery regeneration for a while, but the rigid-panel systems we found couldn’t stand up to the shock, vibration and debris strikes that vehicles commonly encounter; plus, they were heavy and bulky,” Aschenbener said. “The light, thin Solar Flex system is bendable, can mount almost anywhere and is so durable, you can drive over it without significantly damaging it.”
The Solar Flex GP-Flex series panels were originally made for the RV industry, where A/C power loads and HVAC climate control demands are similar to those of a small cottage. The Solar Flex panels were designed to go around the roof of an RV and to allow the vehicle to run on its own for weeks at a time, without connecting to Shorepower or any extra power resource, Go Power! claims.
“By focusing on fully solar-powering RVs, we tackled and solved the hardest problem first,” said Sean O’Connor, sales channel manager for Go Power! North America. “I can’t imagine a sleeper cab with a power demand that would even approach what our Solar Flex technology has been able to deliver to full-time RVers.”
The Solar Flex system can produce about 100 watts-per-foot of trailer length. A 53-ft trailer has the roof area to hold about 50 100-watt Solar Flex panels and to generate about 5,000 watts, or about 280 amps, of DC power per hour. When combined with a Go Power! inverter, a system can produce up to 3,000 watts of AC power per hour.
“In the case of our ClimaCab battery-powered cab-comfort systems, it’s critical that optimal charge is maintained at all times,” Aschenbener said. “The trickle charge generated by the new Solar Flex system assures us that reefer and batteries are always at the ready, regardless of the inactivity of the vehicle.”
Solar Flex panels can be safely secured to the cab and trailer roofs with adhesives, eliminating the need to penetrate watertight surfaces with fasteners. At just three millimeters thick, the panels can flex to follow rooflines and are simple to install.
The Solar Flex panels are coated with a marine-grade laminate and can be secured adhesively to metal, rubber, fiberglass and plastic surfaces. The panels also can be secured with fasteners through precut eyelets and can flex with parabolic bends of as much as 30 degrees. The panels are durable and can even stand up to foot traffic.
The Solar Flex panels come in 30-, 100- and 200-watt power kits and can be paired with a wide range of Go Power! inverters for a complete system.
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