Solar Powered Trike

Step 4: Solar panel mounts

Now you have to figure out how your going to mount the panels on your vehicle. Hinges were welded on the baskets to mount the panels and allow them to tilt for access to the basket, with rubber hold-downs on the other side to keep them from opening while riding.

Once your wires are all routed and zip tied, your batteries and panels held securely down, double check every thing and you are ready to go.

Performance:
This Solar Powered Trike does about 15-18 mph depending on the weight of the rider. The furthest I have gone is a little over 10 miles with small hills and little pedaling, and the battery meter still read full (green) at the end of the trips.

At ten miles, the voltage drops to around 36V, safely above the controller's cut-off voltage. If the batteries are kept from discharging too low the panels take about the same amount of time as the plug in charger, since both the plug in charger and the solar charge controller charge with constant wattage. With constant wattage charging, Power, (P), and Ohm's law again (P=V*I), the charging current goes down as the voltage goes up, as the batteries near their fully charged state.

What this means is if you keep the voltage from dropping too low, the panels provide adequate current to match the charging speed of the plug-in charger, but if it drops below a certain point the panels are slower at charging. This is easily avoided since my typical trip range is around 3 miles or less, semi daily at most, so low voltage not an issue, but on longer trips I bring the multi-meter.

Cost Breakdown:
The Trike cost a little over $910 to build

Schwinn Meridian Trike
$250.00 www.K-Mart.com

Q-cell Mono-crystalline Solar panels:
$330.00 www.Ebay.com....

Charge Controller:
$ 95.00 www.solarseller.com

Electric Hub Motor Kit
$260.00 www.goldenmotor.com- also sells regenerative braking motor speed controllers

Batteries
$ 60.00 Earl's industrial liquidation, Hawthorne, CA

High pressure tubes $ 15.00 Any bicycle store

Total $910.00

Other solar trikes / information

http://www.solartrike.com

http://www.therapyproducts.com/products_sunnybike.html

http://www.csulb.edu/~rtoossi/engr302i

http://www.kyosemi.co.jp/product/pro_ene_sun_e.html

http://www.nanosolar.com/

The last picture is a scan of a page straight out of Dr Reza Toossi's book,
Energy and the Environment, Sources, Technologies, and Impacts.

Book information / purchase

http://www.vervepublishers.com/

Comments

[jimbo13]

my calculator says it costs $ 1,010

[tauruslatino]

just a question...how long it will take to recharge the bateries?

[Bobert190]

I just started thinking about building a bike that would charge the battery, then power a motor to make my bike go much faster. I like speed and I thought it would be fun to give this a try. Do you think this will work? and Thanks this gave me some good ideas. Sometimes I just go the hard way.

[fearfactor]

Wow! What a terrific project. Thanks very much for this well documented instructable. I'm busy pricing components to build my own solar trike right now ;-) Lucky for me, I get plenty of of sunny skies for the solar panels here in South Africa!

[atb1991]

My friend and I are building a similar bicycle as a project for our school, but I'm having a very hard time finding the correct solar panels. Could anybody help me out? I have looked at these: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200328565_200328565
And the Q-Cell website offers no hint as to where to purchase their panels. Oh and one last thing, and ideas as to where to purchase the best batteries? Money is an issue.... Thanks.

[liongold]

I bought some solar panels at Harbor Freight. Might try there. Also, I think Northern Tools Catalog may have had some too. Hope this helps. Donna Long

[Chwlo]

Very cool, I like how you kept it simple but still got the job done. I have a 16 mile round trip to work and I am a active fat person 310. I can put any thing together but don't know jack about figuring out motor size or battery needs to do a project like this. If you don't mind could you post the ideal numbers for making this same project for us BIG PEOPLE, we like to make cool stuff to.

[johnson_steve]

I have an electric moped with a 36v hub motor very much like this it came equiped with 3 12v 12Ah batteries in series and I added another pack of 3 7.5Ah batteries that fit in the trunk for longer trips. the bike itself was 160lbs. I'm 245lbs I could do about 18mph on level ground and my longest trip was about 17 miles. The electric moped is currently under the knife being uped to either 48 or 60v with a custom controller while I ride the '78 Honda hawk I built last winter. sure it's not electric but it gets about 60mpg.

[dpearce1]

This motor would pull you just fine, but if you need more power 1000W hub motors are available. For more range, you need more batteries, but for 8 miles to work, just let it charge in the sun while you are there and it should make it 8 miles back easily.

[ac-dc]

You do not know it should make it 8 miles back easily. It might, or maybe the battery is not new anymore, or it's a cloudy day, or you have to park where there is not full sun exposure all day due to shadows, or there are a fair amount of hills, or for numerous other reasons someone could easily find themselves without enough power. The project is neat but let's not pretend it is a reliable form of transportation because it can't be used regularly except in a limited ideal environment.

[homba]

... or you could just plug it in at work on a cloudy day. Even if you can't plug in outside, 3 12ah batteries weigh around 30 lbs. You can buy a charger for $20-25 that will top the batteries off in around 4 hours and plug in at your desk ... or you could pedal to help along ... my bike weighs around 60lbs w/all the add-ons, panniers, racks, and gear - I get at least 4 miles @12mph out of a crappy 12ah 36v battery pack that is well past 3 years of hard abusive use.

The point is - there are always options and I would disagree with your assessment that this couldn't be reliable. As long as you can pedal, you can make 8 miles in a pinch.

Personally, I wouldn't want to carry around expensive PV panels and risk breaking them. I'd rather install them at my house and slow down my meter (which I realize requires some pricey equipment) and just charge when I need to, or have 2 or more battery packs so one or two are always ready to swap out. The PVs will get used whenever sun is available (and the bike is in the garage) making the PVs payback time shorter.

With regard to many of the other Negative Nellies saying this isn't healthy, green, etc. I would love to see what you've come up with. I put together an electric bike 4 years ago and it has paid for itself many times over financially (costs around $.01 electricity per 4 miles without pedaling) and environmentally (for both carbon offsets or jusy energy inputs for the manufacturing energy used + electricity to charge) vs. a 34mpg car which is what this replaced.

I find that I like to pedal with it to baby the batteries and extend my range. I coast downhill and pedal at the same cadence and power whether I'm on a flat or uphill and adjust the electric use accordingly. I still get lots of exercise but not so much that I'm all sweaty when I get to my destination.

I would prefer to see some constructive ideas instead of "that won't work".

"Those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it."
--Chinese proverb

[ac-dc]

You must be kidding. You feel it's reasonable to take out a 30 lb pack, haul it into your workplace, AND that they won't mind this? You and others seem to be making a lot of attempts to find a way to do something but it all adds up to a large number of reasons not to do it. You wrote the Chinese proverb but all these people AREN'T doing it, they're just trying to ignore the problems as if theories about what might be possible are actually possible in every case of a problem. It is true that a very small number of people may not have any problems, but the vast majority will. You say it could be reliable and write about payback time but have you calculated out how long it would take for a payback considering how inexpensive electricity is? Have you considered that this time period is the one against which reliability is measured, and repair costs when, not if, you have to replace portions - and some are necessarily needing replaced on a schedule like the batteries since they will lose capacity. Regular use will make it necessary to replace them more often than once a year. You write that you'd love to see what I come up with. Ok, for those not healthy or physically able to ride a bicycle, they aren't healthy enough to pedal this or push it in case of breakdown, or in areas where it can't be ridden. It's not enough to say 9 streets you travel on the way to work can accomdate an oversized motorized bicycle, the 10th, 11th, etc streets also have to be traveled. That's why cars exist. For those who are capable of biking, that's why regular bicycles exist. Is it irony that the two better forms of transportation already exist? No. Bicycles, motors, and batteries aren't new inventions, nor is putting them together as a motorized bicycle (you can buy one already made!) and yet most people have enough common sense to see it is not a good option. I never stated "that won't work", you are trying to extend your argument past the reality of what was written. I mentioned factors that need to be considered by each person, the negatives as well as the positives. Not considering the negatives would be foolish, and biased since one had to consider the negatives about other forms of transportation to contrast things like carbon offsets or MPG, etc. You're really missing the point, that this or another motorized bike is not impossible for some to use but that all factors involved will need to be considered, that I and others are simply weighing all factors. That is adding more information to combat ignorance. Everyone should have as much information and discussion about all aspects to make the best choice per their subjective needs and environment in which it would be used if possible. "Ignorance is not bliss" --Origin Unknown

[homba]

I have and do haul my pack (sometimes 2) into my workplace. They are happy to allow it. The maintenance people even offered to place a dolly for me at the front door (where I park). It costs them very little for them to allow me to charge - well worth the parking space it frees up.

I am not trying to find a way to do something - I have done something that works very well, thank you. I stated that it is reliable and have compared the payback time compared to a 34mpg car including maintenance and fuel. I have actually my own very self ridden for 4 years approximately 5+ miles a day 5 days a week to work.

I have had to only replace tires and brakes. Regarding battery usage. You are ignorant about lead acid batteries. Life expectancy is greatly enhanced by not discharging below 50% and immediately charging - SLA batteries will sulfate quickly if left discharged.

I'm not missing any point - you are are being intentionally obtuse. To me, "let's not pretend it is a reliable form of transportation" == "it won't work". My point is that it is a good, inexpensive, viable option for a non-trivial percentage of people and that percentage of people would increase as more large vehicles got off the road and small vehicles were more common.

I put my Chinese proverb in to tell you to quiet down because I am doing it - right now, with a wilderness energy 26" brushed electric hub kit, a Mongoose mountain bike, and an Extracycle kit. All off the shelf and readily available 4 years ago. I spent around $800 at the time and has paid for itself many times over. It has been a great option for me and as you said - perhaps not for others. But there are a non-trivial number of people for which it would be an excellent option, especially for $800-$1000.

[ac-dc]

You are still overlooking that just because you are in a situation where you can do it, that doesn't eliminate the need for other people to think about whether they can, whether the things mentioned are significant, which is why they were mentioned. Life expectancy of lead acid is indeed greatly improved by not deep discharging but you ignore two things: 1) You can't then travel nearly as far. 2) They still lose capacity with each cycling meaning that limit in how far you can travel without deep discharging continues to drop even lower. Maybe these things do not effect you and your use, but again they may effect others and so they need to be considered. Please remember everyone else's needs are not exactly the same as yours, so instead of only mentioning the positive aspects, all aspects should be considered. You are pretending it is viable for a lot of people but this is false. The roads are not made to accomdate this number of wider electric bikes, most can't even accomodate multiple regular bikes before it becomes a problem, and unsafe for motorists on bikes and in cars alike. Face it, people do get into accidents and a large car will destroy not just the bike but the rider. There's nothing obtuse about accepting reality and not pretending anything, whether it be this bike or a car or whatever, has only positive attributes and not negatives. I really did not mean to get into such argumentative discussions about this, but it seems some are wanting to ignore the very real issues present. What one person can get away with does not prove, not make it sustainable for a larger number of people for many of the reasons mentioned and even some that haven't been mentioned yet. I will say it is not a great option for most people by seeing the world as it is - full of people who are capable of making their own choices when given the information, who decided a car is the better option and so they drive one. What I have done is provide some information, I have no control over someone deciding this bike is or is not right for them, it is only information.

[homba]

Sooo your answer for people looking for an alternative to cars and standard bikes is ... cars and bikes. That's not much of an answer, so I assume you just want to poo-poo on other ideas that you don't think are perfect. That's just fine if you like, but don't expect many people in this community to think you are wonderful for it. You have your own perspective and you are welcome to it, but your "I'm right and you're not accepting reality" attitude is really off-putting - no matter how correct you believe you are in the matter. You just come off as the 20-something-know-it-all-brother-in-law, and I've got better things to do than try to convince you that what works very well for me would probably work pretty well for a lot of other people.

[ac-dc]

"Sooo your answer for people looking for an alternative to cars and standard bikes is ... cars and bikes. That's not much of an answer, " Wrong, it is the intelligent answer millions of people have made! They are not ignorant, they have weighed the options. Again I remind you that batteries, motors, and bicycles are not new inventions. "so I assume you just want to poo-poo on other ideas that you don't think are perfect. That's just fine if you like, but don't expect many people in this community to think you are wonderful for it." Assume whatever you like, this "community" is not an absolute truth. The truth is, any sane person will weigh all the pros and cons. For some the pros will outweigh the cons but for others they will not. What is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL is to know all the prons and cons. I mentioned several cons, it is just a shame if you can't appreciate having more information instead of less. "You have your own perspective and you are welcome to it, but your "I'm right and you're not accepting reality" attitude is really off-putting" But in fact, you are not accepting responsibility if you are not being conservative about the possible problems and risks. Consider this - it is a trivial thing to make a more energy efficient ICE car but why don't they? Because they are not being so irresponsible as to ignore the safety of the occupants! "- no matter how correct you believe you are in the matter. You just come off as the 20-something-know-it-all-brother-in-law, and I've got better things to do than try to convince you that what works very well for me would probably work pretty well for a lot of other people." I respect the value of human life and the needs of others more than someone's personal brainwashed idea of doing what is pseudo-green no matter what the consequence, especially when it is foolish nonsense, when what is green is just riding a bike instead of making it less green. If you can't even ride a bicycle for the same range as this allows, you would do well to stop pretending you have insight and get off your bum and pedal a bike until you have the same average fitness level as (even americans which are rumored to be fatter than average) most people. Though does not solve any problem you pretend to solve, action does. Action like pedaling a bike. Actually doing it is what matters, not your grand nonsense pretense. By the way, I was being nice. I didn't call you a fool even once.

[lloydrmc]

Actually, automakers are already forced by CAFE standards to make more efficient cars, to the detriment the safety of the occupants thereof.

And did you just miss the part where (s)he says (s)he can get to work without breaking a sweat?

"...the value of human life..." Really?

[homba]

Gosh, you win ... you obviously saw through my grand pretense and know everything about me and my life. I'll just stop my pseudo-green nonsense and buy a car just like you said. One last thing, I really love the fact that you have 80ish comments of being a know-it-all and exactly zero instructables. Sheesh - there really are more horses posteriors in the world than there are horses.

[killerjackalope]

hehe start a shop called big men's bikes... Those hubs motors are quite strong you just wouldn't get as much acceleration, the security guard at work rides a manufactured E-bike and though he wouldn't be 310lbs he's not small and he takes off like a rocket on his, the components are similar on this build except hiw is rear wheel drive rather than front hub motors...

[Hamish121212]

Nice! Well done! Would be good if you could mount the batteries down low out of the rear basket so that you could still use the rear and front baskets for groceries.

[SirJoey]

I read about a solar golf cart with a 55 mile range. What would be involved in building a trike with that kind of range, & what would it cost to build, not counting the trike itself?

[robhoski]

A wiring diagram would be nice. Can you post one? Signed ... Hopeful.

[Dualies]

is it possible to put up a vid of the trike in action?

[jacoby308]

Very nice project indeed. hope you get your A :) I would suggest having batteries also charged whenever you pedal, so it would be at maximum efficiency...

[bennythejet17]

Your project rocks! I saw it riding around the campus the other day. Great job! And I recognize that guy riding it in your picture! He cheated his way through every class in college! Haha.

[wecannotbesaved]

Few questions, how fast does it go? And does it have enough torque to make up a good hill?

[yoitspoe]

15-18mph dependin on rider weight. read the thing!