SolarMobil
SOLARPOLIS ® GbR
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SolarMobil
for a new of traffic and energy culture
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Solarmobiles are light weight electric vehicles which cover their power equirements from regenerative (renewable) energy sources, such as solar energy, wind energy, and decentralised small hydroelectric power stations. The lighter the vehicle, the less energy it requires. The lightest vehicles designs require less than 3 kWh per seat for 100 kilometres. This is the energy equivalent of around 0.3 litres of petrol for 100 kilometres.
Internal combustion engine vehicles require ten to fifteen times as much energy to drive 100 kilometres. Moreover, in contrast to solarmobiles, they release 2.5 kilograms of CO2 per litre of fuel.
| ...Solarmobiles of yesterday and today |
 First Solar-Van 1985 (jpeg 20 KB) Solarverein Erlangen |
 Horlacher Sport CH (jpeg 26 KB) Worldrekord 1992: 547 km with one Batterycharge (Na/S) |
On a yearly average, as much regenerative power as the car requires should be produced. 10 m2 solar area is sufficient to enable a two-seater local transport vehicle to drive 15.000 pollutant-free kilometers per year.
The amount of space required to mount the entire photovoltaic unit on the vehicle would be too large. The existing electricity network is used as an energy buffer, with the solar generator mounted on the roof of the house to archieve optimum alignment and hence maximum energy yield from the solar module. The direct current is fed into the public network as alternating current with 230 or 400 volts via an inverter. The vehicle can then take energy required for loading its batteries from any 230 volt socket. This principle is described as a solar network interconnection.
The electric drive does not create any waste gases. Apart from the energy used to manufacture the solarmobiles and the energy generation plant, these vehicles operate entirely exhaust gas-free.
The level of effectiveness of the energy used in the electric drive is approxitmately 70% from the socket, in other words, including charging losses. For a combustion engine powered vehicle in urban traffic, this figure is between 5 and 15%. In other words, of the DM 50.00 which it costs to fill an average tank, only around DM 5.00 is used for the drive, whilst DM 45.00 is heated by the exhaust.
The electric drive does not have a warm-up period and can regain energy during the braking process (recuperation). Electrically powered vehicles do not consume energy when they are at a standstill (at traffic lights/in a traffic jam) and are extremely lownoise. They are entirely maintenance-free thanks to their simple technical structure with three-phase a.c. drives and a closed energy storage system.
Text: Bettina Kosub
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In several cities in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, the proper time has
come:
Anyone generating solar electricity receives a cost-covering reimbursement.
Six additional German cities including Berlin and Bonn have decided to enter
into this agreement.
Solar cells can be used to generate environment-friendly solar electricity directly from solar radiation. But the generating of electricity using solar cells is still expensive when compared to the power generated by systems that use coal, nuclear energy, oil and gas. The demand for solar cells is not very high, and they are only being produced in small series.
The cost-covering power supply reimbursement, however that provides solar systems with a sufficient financing base. The reimbursement provided by the power supply firms covers the write-off and financing costs of the investment. Accordingly, the resulting costs for the power supply firms are passed on to all electricity consumers - subject, however, to the proviso of the energy supervisory board that the electricity rate must not increase by more than one percent. The reimbursement per kilowatt hour in the cities that already proceed in this manner is DM 2.00 at present.
The reimbursement motivates many people to invest in solar elctricity systems. With a corresponding increase in the demand for solar systems, it will be possible to offer these systems at lower prices thanks to the mass production. The power supply reimbursement will, of course, drop for less expensive sytems installed later on.
The study group of federal German solar associations demands: "The cost-covering reimbursement must be included in every new licensing agreement". This group is also working on a federal legislative initiative which is aimed at the inclusion of the cost-covering reimbursement in the power supply legislation or energy management legislation.
The financing capacity of solar technology is, of course, a good reason in fovour of solar electricity. In the long run, its use will always pay off, since enormous follow-up costs due to increasing environmental pollution through the use of fossil fuels are avoided.
If nuclear power plants were insured according to their inherent risks, a kilowatt hour of nuclear electricity would cost DM 3,60 according to the calculations of the federal German ministry for economic affairs. Seen from that point of view, solar electricity is already less expensive today.
Text: Dr. Ing. Gotthard Schulte-Tigges
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In Berlin, an energy concept on the binding reduction of carbon dioxide quantitis was adopted (Berlin house of representatives, document 12/5194). Considerable influence on the contents was exercised by the Berlin non-goverment organisations, such as the Verein zur Förderung der Solarenergie, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Sonnenenergie und Eurosolar.
Training: From schools to universities, the subject of energy will be included in the curricula.
Solar energy: Construction obligation for solar hot-water
conditioning in new buildings, with cost-covering power supply of solar energy.
Establishment of a solar agency as a consulting and coordinating office.
Innovation price solar energy.
Housing: Energy savings and solar energy applications are
being determinated by new standards in housing modernisation and housing
repair projects as well as in the construction of new buildings.
Building plans with gables flacing the sun.
New building development areas with solar intra-area heat and seasonal storage
units.
Traffic: Planning of low-volume traffic and new building
developments without automobiles.
Pilot scheme "environment lane" as a lane to be used by vehicles with low
CO2 emissions (e.g. solar vehicles in integrated
main system).
Promotion of bicycle traffic through the use of bicycle route networks and
bike-and-ride-systems.
Target for downtown zones: Local public passenger transport 80% and private
transport 20%.
Large-scale parking lot allocation and rental of state-owned real-estate
property to car-sharing companies.
Industry: Promotion schemes "ecological management" and "energy-saving concepts".
Energy supplier: Conversion of energy supply firms (electric
power and gas) to energy service firms.
Framework conditions for the development of private decentralised power-heat
linkup systems.
Non goverment organisations: Adherence to the 25-percent reduction by 2010 through the formulated energy savings and regenerative use of energy will continue to be controlled and maintained in public discussions by the non-government organisations to make sure that at least the rather low-set targets are achieved (the Berlin membership in the climate league of European cities demands a 50-percent CO2 reduction by 2010).
Text: Dr. Ing. Gotthard Schulte-Tigges
