Displacing Internal, Auxiliary Combustion Engines on Commercial Vehicles

The commercial vehicle industry in the US and elsewhere is facing significant challenges. This industry provides vehicles critical to the US economy such as refrigerated trucks, emergency vehicles, and construction equipment. The key challenges are: 1) Local, state and federal agencies are mandating zero or low emissions while idling in order to improve air quality for the US population. 2) An increase in the use of additional equipment on the vehicles, which have significant auxiliary and parasitic electrical power needs. 3) An increase in diesel fuel usage to run auxiliary power units, which is used while the main engine is not running. This fuel usage can be as much as half the vehicle fuel consumption. 4) An increase in costs associated with battery replacement due to full battery discharge. This is a problem across many industries and for the US military. Energy from solar panels mounted on the vehicles can be used to solve the problems listed above. However, presently available solar panels are too heavy, lack durability or are too costly for this application. An advanced solar panel is needed for this market that is rapidly growing out of its infancy stage towards its full $40B+ market potential. This SBIR grant will enable Sol-Go to develop and manufacture advanced solar panels for the commercial transportation marketplace, solving all the above-mentioned problems and delivering a lightweight panel with excellent durability at a competitive price. This solar panel will be developed with Phase I R&D efforts in the US with subsequent implementation into a US solar panel manufacturing facility in Phase II. Sol-Go has already begun discussions with US-based companies for R&D efforts in Phase I. Sol-Go is also in preliminary discussions with 3 US partners for the US manufacturing site in Phase II. In Phase I and II, Sol-Go will be successful by collaborative efforts with US based testing entities, US owned/based suppliers and US owned/based solar panel manufacturers. Customer demand is very strong where Sol-Go has had direct requests from large US-based customers for Sol-Go to manufacture solar panels in the US.