Solar Energy for Cars: Integrating Control Strategies, Design, Battery Management and Marketing

Solar Energy for Cars: Integrating Control Strategies, Design, Battery Management and Marketing presents major topics relating to the integration of solar energy on electric, hybrid and conventional cars. The book covers energy management, component sizing and battery management, and is geared for specialists interested in applying each concept to hybrid and electric vehicles. It further discusses how to apply these concepts to conventional cars, both for reducing the electrical load of the alternator, or for directly contributing to traction by means of vehicle hybridization systems. It uses case studies to present applications of solar energy to vehicles.

The book is an ideal resource for control, automotive, and power engineers and researchers.

• Highlights key concepts on solar energy and its potentialities and limits in automotive applications
• Discusses self-orienting solar panels for electric and hybrid vehicles, including mechanical structure, expected performance as a function of location and time, and real-time control
• Presents control strategies and technology findings to incorporate solar energy power for electric, hybrid and conventional cars, as well as possible alternatives for conventional cars