The photovoltaic panels and bicycles They are proving to be a great "tandem" to achieve a greener sustainable mobility vehicle that, although it depends on electricity, is obtained through renewable energy.
The design of electric bikes with solar panels is experiencing a boom, although they are still something unusual. The objective? Get them to serve as an alternative to the car or motorcycle in medium distances, those for which the conventional bike falls short. In this case, curiously, it is not about generating electricity by pedaling, but to avoid having to do it. In this Green Ecologist article, we tell you all about the electric bikes with solar panels.
Endless models
The Leos SolarFor example, it is a bicycle with a carbon fiber structure that has an ultra-thin panel incorporated into the frame and can be self-sufficient up to 20 kilometers in assisted mode, or about 16 kilometers if we give it a totally electric use, he points out. Leaos founder Armin Oberhollenzer.
Basically, the battery accumulates the energy collected by the panel, so while there is light, it will charge. On the other hand, if we make a full charge, its 36 V battery allows it to travel 90 or 72 kilometers, depending on the mode.
Finalist in the 2013 Spark Awards, the Ele Solar Bicicle is another interesting model. It can be used as a normal bike, in assisted and electric mode, and its power supports both solar and conventional energy. Otherwise, its design is compact and the adjustable panels, placed in place of the spokes.
By curling the curl, a Singapore company has created a bicycle, the EHITS (Energy Harvesting Intermode Transport System) capable of generating solar and wind energy thanks to the installation of a solar panel in the frame and two wind generators in the broken wheels of the disk.
Going to practicality, the bicycle that becomes a solar panel is curious. The designer Sencer Ozdemir has made it possible and his creation is called Velosphere E-Bike, an electric bike that looks like a mountain bike that can easily turn into a panel when parked. This is how it recharges, and it does so at full throttle, since its elliptical shape is ideal for maximizing the arrival of light, without further complications.
Add a simple gadget
In addition to the different models, there are accessories applicable to normal bicycles, whose operation can be controlled through mobile devices, such as the gadget the Daymak company is working on, a system that allows one kilometer of autonomy for each hour of exposure.
And, of course, there is the option of making a photovoltaic installation to charge our electric bike, especially since the bike is usually used in good weather, which coincides with the conditions that the panel needs to perform well.
But are they ecological?
We speak of a bike, of solar energy … but in reality they depend on an electricity source that although it does not pollute, the production of solar panels, their maintenance and replacement imply a greater pollution than that of the traditional bicycle.
However, within the urban context in which they could be used, i.e. in medium distances, they are much more ecological than other alternatives, such as public transport or private motor vehicle, be it a motorcycle or a car.
In general terms, the efficiency of the electric bike is equivalent to about 1600 kilometers for every 5 liters of gasoline and, if it also works with solar energy, the green advantage is even greater, since it comes from renewable sources.
The future of the solar bike
Today solar bike models are still rare, but the boom that the sector is experiencing in this field is enough reason for hope to trust that the bicycle, the ecological means of transport par excellence, will end up evolving in this sense. In addition, with the evolution of lighter and cheaper photovoltaic materials, advances could bring us many joys.
On the one hand, if costs are lowered, the electric bike could be the future of the electric bike. In turn, perhaps this one is the solar electric bikes … And what will be the future of the latter? Its popularization is its first challenge, no doubt, but we must also be attentive to new technologies, which among other things promise to be much cheaper than photovoltaic solar cells for collecting solar energy with which to power them.
Instead of photovoltaic panels, which include silicon semiconductors, for example, perovskite makes it possible to manufacture more efficient cells and even apply them through a spray on all types of surfaces. And they are also working on technologies that allow charging on cloudy days or in difficult conditions, such as when the panels get dirty, the objective of Solar Aplication Lab.
Spraying photovoltaic cells through a spray, and being able to do it on uneven surfaces, would be a revolutionary application when it comes to manufacturing bicycles in series, as this system facilitates production at scale. Science fiction? It seems like it, but it is also a reality that is getting closer and closer.
In fact, there are some similar initiatives that are surprising, such as the Pure Fix Glow Bikes collection of bikes. They are not electric, but they do use a paint that gives them visibility thanks to a solar paint that charges during the day, and then glows in the dark. They do not provide energy, but they do take advantage of light to put an end to the visibility problem once and for all. Sparkly.
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