Go Power! Announces New Solar Panels for Trailer Tops
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ATLANTA — Go Power! announced on Feb. 25 a 600-watt model of its flexible solar panels, which are designed to fasten across the tops of trailers. The system builds on the 300-watt Solar Flex panel, which can bend as it grips the top of a trailer.
Go Power! specializes in mobile solar-powered systems for trailers, marine vessels and recreational vehicles. For fleets, the company offers solar batteries, charging kits and power inverters.
The product was unveiled at American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting.
The Solar Flex panel’s dual charging system is designed to sustain the batteries that support the liftgate and the power jack. Sean O’Connor, manager of the Go Power! fleet division, emphasized that the Solar Flex panels can charge even when the trailer is not connected to the tractor.
“That’s a very big difference from what the industry’s had before,” O’Connor said. “The trailer’s not being used 100% of the time, so it’s sitting and a lot of time these batteries end up dying while it’s sitting in the yard.”
O’Connor acknowledged this feature can be counterintuitive for fleets that are accustomed to charging their solar panels while the trailers still are attached to tractors.
“It is a tricky thing to get someone to trust that they can go against everything they’ve always done,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor said the systems are particularly useful for carriers that haul food and beverages and make deliveries in urban areas. He noted these carriers start and stop frequently, which drains a vehicle’s battery. The system is able to keep the batteries charged at about 80%, even in the winter.
Solar charging can be difficult during the winter, particularly in areas such as O’Connor’s home of British Columbia, which can experience about two or three hours of sunlight per day during certain times of the year.
The Solar Flex panel has the potential to extend the life of a customer’s battery from eight months to five years.
“We have the most efficient cells used in solar power today,” O’Connor said.
The panels are attached with peel-and-stick material after the top of the trailer has been cleaned. O’Connor estimated the peel-and-stick panels for the 300-watt system would take one person about six hours to install.
The 600-watt system is available immediately. O’Connor said the company’s first 600-watt Solar Flex panel installation will be with a food company based in Pennsylvania.
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