On the optimization of the interconnection of photovoltaic modules integrated in vehicles.

The design of photovoltaic modules for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPVs) must consider specific operating conditions like partial shading. Module cell interconnection topology must demonstrate resilience to such conditions to maximize energy generation without compromising shadow-free performance, manufacturing complexity, or cost. This study presents a modeling tool for VIPV, calculating effective irradiance on the VIPV surface using Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) point clouds to estimate the direct component and sky images for the diffuse irradiance.

Estimation of solar resource for vehicle-integrated photovoltaics in urban environments using image-based shade detection.

Vehicle-Integrated Photovoltaics (VIPV) in urban environments face challenges in accurately estimating solar resource due to dynamic shading effects. This research presents a methodology for evaluating VIPV solar resource by analyzing imagery and detecting shade conditions along driving routes. Street image mapping services and obstacle detection algorithms are utilized to determine the shaded or sunny condition of the vehicle at each point.

Hybrid lighting-CPV, a new efficient concept mixing illumination with CPV.

Hybrid Lighting-CPV concept mixes illumination using low-cost fiber optics for light transmission with conventional Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) technology. This approach may offer an important increase in the value of a CPV system. Direct illumination from sunlight with fibers does not require the double light-electricity-light energy conversion allowing for efficient lighting using just a small area of the CPV system, preferably those areas with lower CPV efficiency conversion.