LOUISVILLE, Ky., — Go Power!, one of North America’s leading innovators of solar-based mobile power solutions for RV, marine, work truck and over-the-road fleet vehicles, announced that its new Solar Flex panels will be used by Cummins Crosspoint to demonstrate new solar applications at the 2014 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.
A Solar Flex-powered system will be on display at the Crosspoint Solutions ClimaCab booth #11056 and is being used to show how solar power alone can keep dedicated batteries in their battery-powered cab-comfort systems fully charged and ready to start equipment. The product also can be seen at the Go Power! booth #66173.
The thin, flexible, ultra-high-efficiency Solar Flex GP-FLEX series panels were originally developed for the RV industry, where AC power loads and HVAC climate control demands are similar to those of a small cottage. The Solar Flex panels were designed to contour to the roof of an RV and to allow the vehicle to operate completely autonomously for weeks at a time, with no need to connect to Shorepower or any other supplemental power resource.
“By focusing on fully solar-powering RVs, we tackled and solved the hardest problem first,” Sean O’Connor, sales channel manager for Go Power! North America, said. “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 has the ability to produce about 100 watts-per-foot of trailer length. A 53-foot trailer has the roof area to hold approximately fifty 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. Unlike traditional carbon-based power plants, the Go Power! solar solution regenerates batteries while taking idling, emissions, noise and fuel costs out of the equation.
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. Under normal circumstances, parasitic current draw can drain reefer and APU batteries whenever their dependant engines are not in service.
“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,” Joe Aschenbener, general manager for Crosspoint Power & Refrigeration, 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.”
Aschenbener noted that the 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. “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 3 millimeters thick, the thin panels can flex to follow rooflines and are simple to install, presenting virtually no height restriction issues in the process.
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 extremely durable and can even stand up to foot traffic.
The new Solar Flex panels come in convenient 30-, 100- and 200-watt power kits and can be paired with a wide range of Go Power! inverters for a complete system. For customized mobile power solutions for class-8 trucks, work trucks, vans and utility vehicles, please contact Sean O’Connor at (866) 247-6527, ext. 8357, or visit http://gpelectric.com/HD-Truck.
To view an HD application data sheet of the new Go Power! Solar Flex System, please visit: http://gpelectric.com/files/gpelectric/Docs/Specs/Fleet_Insert_Solar_Flex.pdf
To view product images of the Go Power! Solar Flex System’s GP-Flex-200, GP-Flex-100 and GP-Flex-30, please visit: http://gpelectric.com/company/news-and-updates/company-update/cummins-crosspoint-chooses-go-powers-solar-flex
To view Go Power! solar application videos, please visit:
http://gpelectric.com/video-channel
About Go Power!
Go Power! is a leader in the mobile, solar power industry and has more than 18 years of experience in the RV and fleet truck market. The Go Power! brand is one of North America’s most popular and is recognized in solar power for both recreational and industrial use. Go Power! products supply both AC and DC power for fleet, utility and long-haul truck applications. Their inverters, chargers and mobile AC and DC power products are the professionals’ choice for installations where dependable power is necessary. Go Power! is a division of Carmanah Technologies Corp. As one of the most trusted names in solar technology, Carmanah has earned a reputation for delivering strong and effective products for industrial applications worldwide. Industry-proven to perform reliably in some of the world’s harshest environments, Carmanah solar LED lights and solar power systems provide a durable, dependable and cost-effective energy alternative. Carmanah is a publicly traded company, with common shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “CMH.” For more information, visit www.carmanah.com.
