Solar Golf carts?

[Lihu]

23 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

Most courses have plenty of carts in the barn during operating hours. Some rotate in as others go out. The course can also use the power for something else. Doesn't really matter where the power goes so long as it is used. Batteries are also an becoming a viable option thanks to Tesla.

I don't really think of this as a do one or other thing, as you seem to think? I'll just assume you have strong opinions on other topics as well.

Yes, as long as there are panels we can harvest power from the sun and use less from other sources.

[SavvySwede]

2 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I don't really think of this as a do one or other thing, as you seem to think? I'll just assume you have strong opinions on other topics as well.

Yes, as long as there are panels we can harvest power from the sun and use less from other sources.

Seriously, what's the difference if it save the course operators money and keeps their fees low? Or do you just want to make impudent political comments?

[Lihu]

7 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

Seriously, what's the difference if it save the course operators money and keeps their fees low? Or do you just want to make impudent political comments?

I have no idea how you think what I said is political?

All I was saying is that you could put solar panels on the barn and on the carts. Not really taking any operational costs into account. I figured the average course pays $3000/cart and solar panels using the same cost structure are less than 10% of that price?

They charge $11 for a cart and a single rider at my course. If they told me that they are saving resources generating power somewhere else and needed to charge me $12.10, I'd have no problem with that.

[SavvySwede]

16 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I have no idea how you think what I said is political?

All I was saying is that you could put solar panels on the barn and on the carts. Not really taking any operational costs into account. I figured the average course pays $3000/cart and solar panels using the same cost structure are less than 10% of that price?

They charge $11 for a cart and a single rider at my course. If they told me that they are saving resources generating power somewhere else and needed to charge me $12.10, I'd have no problem with that.

 

31 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I don't really think of this as a do one or other thing, as you seem to think? I'll just assume you have strong opinions on other topics as well.

Yes, as long as there are panels we can harvest power from the sun and use less from other sources.

How am I supposed to interpret that?

[Lihu]

4 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

 

 

Not sure what you meant by this post, but I obviously offended you by noting that you were coming in a little bit strong with your posts. I apologize, if you were offended.

On the note of using solar carts, I actually don't have any opinion other than using more solar is good. Doesn't matter to me where people put the panels. Just seemed funny that someone already marketed panels for golf carts after we discussed this in another thread with @CarlSpackler

 

 

Actually, it seems like golf courses could double up as solar farms and provide shade for customers in strategic locations and power to local municipalities?

[CarlSpackler]

22 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Not sure what you meant by this post, but I obviously offended you by noting that you were coming in a little bit strong with your posts. I apologize, if you were offended.

On the note of using solar carts, I actually don't have any opinion other than using more solar is good. Doesn't matter to me where people put the panels. Just seemed funny that someone already marketed panels for golf carts after we discussed this in another thread with @CarlSpackler

 

 

Actually, it seems like golf courses could double up as solar farms and provide shade for customers in strategic locations and power to local municipalities?

I have this image of golf balls crashing into solar panels. 

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, CarlSpackler said:

I have this image of golf balls crashing into solar panels. 

The panels are rated for:

Quote

Hailstone impact test: 1 inch hail at 43 MPH from 1m distance

Not sure what is the terminal velocity of a golf ball?

 

EDIT : http://www.golf-simulators.com/physics.htm

Quote

It will eventually reach a maximum falling velocity dictated by its mass and area. This velocity is known as Terminal Velocity and in the case of a golf ball with a radius of 2.1 cm, an area of 14cm² and a mass of 46 grams, this will be 32 meters per second or 72 mph.

Clearly, work needs to be done to make it withstand the 72 mph velocities over and above the 43mph rating. . .

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, Lihu said:

The panels are rated for:

Not sure what is the terminal velocity of a golf ball?

Higher than 43 MPH.

A golf ball just falling from 30 yards in the air would be going about 50 MPH (just the vertical component), IIRC. 30 yards is almost 9.8m*3.

[Pretzel]

 

43 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Clearly, work needs to be done to make it withstand the 72 mph velocities over and above the 43mph rating. . .

 

Could the panels be protected as easily as placing a sheet of clear polycarbonate over the top of them? That stuff is pretty darn sturdy and I would bet that a 1/4" or 3/8" sheet would at least help with impact resistance if placed an inch above the panels themselves (I don't think the golf ball would break through that, and properly sized polycarb would likely not flex far enough to touch the panels themselves).

[Lihu]

6 minutes ago, Pretzel said:

Could the panels be protected as easily as placing a sheet of clear polycarbonate over the top of them? That stuff is pretty darn sturdy and I would bet that a 1/4" or 3/8" sheet would at least help with impact resistance if placed an inch above the panels themselves (I don't think the golf ball would break through that, and properly sized polycarb would likely not flex far enough to touch the panels themselves).

Yeah, PC is pretty tough stuff.

It's also possible that the panels themselves are also not flexible enough which could cause them to crack upon impact? So, the 1 inch gap could be good. However, you'd possibly have some transmission loss as the light travels through different media?

I've used thin film solar panels that are used in the solar panel "blankets" nowadays, so perhaps that in conjunction with a PC cover? Or glue the flexible panel to the bottom of the PC facing up. That would also improve the transmission loss due to media change?

Seems like a possibly good idea. . .

[Pretzel]

7 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Yeah, PC is pretty tough stuff.

It's also possible that the panels themselves are also not flexible enough which could cause them to crack upon impact?

I've used thin film solar panels that are used in the solar panel "blankets" nowadays, so perhaps that in conjunction with a PC cover? Or glue the flexible panel to the bottom of the PC facing up. That would also improve the transmission loss due to media change?

Seems like a possibly good idea. . .

 

 

Yeah, the rigid panels are pretty fragile. How is the efficiency of the thin film ones? I just wonder if there's any reason other than possibly the additional cost for the solar cart to use the more rigid panels over the flexible ones, because it seems like the cost would be a moot point when you have to replace broken rigid panels much more frequently than the film ones.

[Lihu]

1 minute ago, Pretzel said:

Yeah, the rigid panels are pretty fragile. How is the efficiency of the thin film ones? I just wonder if there's any reason other than possibly the additional cost for the solar cart to use the more rigid panels over the flexible ones.

This isn't the film I used in the past, but it's interesting. . .

http://solopower.com/

They used to be roughly 2/3 to half the efficiency of a standard Si cell, but this one seems to be around 9%-11%

[Denny Bang Bang]

It's not only golf courses that I could see potentially benefit from this product, or something similar... what about folks in retirement communities (whether on a golf course or not)?  When my grandparents were still alive and living in a retirement community in FL, probably half of the residents there had golf carts.

Edited January 20, 2017 by Denny Bang Bang

[Archie Bunker]

Down here in The Villages, FL there are tens of thousands of golf carts in use every day, yet you never see anyone with a solar panel. They were advertised for sale years ago, but are apparently not worth it for the price. Electricity here is not that expensive, compared to the add-on price of a charging panel. We no longer see them advertised. However, I do have solar panels installed on my house in Connecticut, and they are great. 

[Buckeyebowman]

On 1/19/2017 at 6:13 PM, dennyjones said:

Wouldn't work in Michigan.   Gotta have sun!

We had 66 sunny days last year.

Good point. I say if the technology fits the application and the area where it will be used, go for it. I live in NE Ohio which is one of the cloudiest areas on the planet. The Ravenna Arsenal is not far from my home, and when the Army decided to locate it there, the cloudiness was one of the primary reasons. Eyes in the sky couldn't see what was on the ground. Of course, this was before the advent of more advanced technologies.

Back in the late 70's, early 80's, several of my friends moved from here to the Denver, Colorado area for work. They were very surprised to find themselves enjoying 300+ days of sunshine a year! There's a whole lot of places in the American West where this may be applicable.

This also depends upon how expensive it is, and how efficient it is.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Buckeyebowman

[Denny Bang Bang]

26 minutes ago, Archie Bunker said:

Down here in The Villages, FL there are tens of thousands of golf carts in use every day, yet you never see anyone with a solar panel. They were advertised for sale years ago, but are apparently not worth it for the price. Electricity here is not that expensive, compared to the add-on price of a charging panel. We no longer see them advertised. However, I do have solar panels installed on my house in Connecticut, and they are great. 

Battery and solar technology is better and cheaper than it was, even than just a few years ago.  Not saying that everyone will want to, or need to, go the solar... but it's cheaper and more viable today than it has been in the past

[gregsandiego]

On 1/19/2017 at 2:54 PM, Lihu said:

Solar assisted charging anyway. . .

http://www.saferwholesale.com/200-Watt-Powerful-Solar-Golf-Cart-Charger-p/gsi-200wsolarcharger.htm?vfsku=GSI.200wSolarCharger&Click=35179&vfsku=GSI.200wSolarCharger&gpla=pla&gclid=CNm9tpOmz9ECFc-Eswodm1QGiw

 

Not sure how practical this is in many parts of the country, but it might have a chance in the Southwest.

 

 

If I read the ad correct it costs about $800 for the panel. If I ran a course I'd calculate how much I pay for electricity with and without solar to find the break even point. Then figure in the life of the panel. 

It would pretty awesome if it pencils out.

[Patch]

2 hours ago, gregsandiego said:

If I read the ad correct it costs about $800 for the panel. If I ran a course I'd calculate how much I pay for electricity with and without solar to find the break even point. Then figure in the life of the panel. 

It would pretty awesome if it pencils out.

There might also be fed/state tax breaks available for using solar too.