What's Included:
1x SunPower 170w flexible solar panel (32" x 45.5")
1x Genasun GVB-8-Li waterproof solar charge controller
1x MC-4 to Anderson Powerpole wire adapter
1x 5' Solar Power Extension Cable 5'
3-way power splitter
Features:
Includes everything you need to charge your e-bike's lithium battery directly from the sun
100% plug and play with our batteries for easy operation, plus easy to add to most e-bikes
5 year system warranty for ultimate reliability
Solar panel contains industry leading SunPower Maxeon 25% efficient solar cells
How much electricity can this system really make?
There's several ways to estimate solar power production. Below, we'll use a simple method to estimate what kind of daily charging rates you can expect in different conditions. Your individual mileage will vary significantly from this depending on location, weather, e-bike efficiency, elevation, sun angle, road shading, temperature, tire inflation, aerodynamics, driver skill and more.
We typically experience 12-18 wh/mi when testing normal (upright) e-bikes in our area. On the 2019 Sun Trip Tour, our prototype solar charged longtail e-bike averaged 11.3 wh/mi over the >800 mile trip. It's easy to use up to 24wh/mi or more when riding at 750w on the road, or as little as 8wh/mi when aggressively riding more efficient bikes such as recumbents or road bikes. The best way to measure and improve your watt hours per mile is to log it with the Cycle Analyst.
Example 1: 170w panel on a statistically average day of the year in Winston-Salem, NC.
170w x .70 = 119 watts per hour (70% efficiency at 700w/m²)
x 4.5 usable sun hours = 535.5wh.
/ 12 wh/mi = 45 miles per day.
/ 24 wh/mi = 22 miles per day.
Example 2: 170w on a summer day with exceptional sun and good weather.
170w x .75 = 131.25 watts per hour (75% efficiency at 750w/m²)
x 8 useable sun hours = 1,050wh.
/ 12 wh/mi =88 miles per day.
/ 24 wh/mi = 44 miles per day.
Example 1: 170w on a not so sunny day in January
170w x .60 = 102 watts per hour (50% efficiency at 500w/m²)
x 2 useable sun hours = 204wh.
/ 12 wh/mi = 17 miles per day.
/ 24mi/mi = 8.5 mi/day