Solar-panel awnings and windows are coming to a campsite near you. But are they just a gimmick, or will they make life easier?
There are no two ways about it, the way we camp has drastically changed over the past few decades. Sure, there’s been an explosion of advancement in the campers we tow. Lightweight materials make them easier to tow on and off-road, and clever engineering makes them far more user-friendly, whether you’re shored up in a Big4 or camped on the Nullabor. But it’s the tech inside them that’s had the biggest effect on how we camp.
Kits like induction cookers, inverters running microwaves in the middle of the desert, and even air-conditioning allow for more comfortable travel for all age groups. All things you could barely dream of a few decades ago. But as we place more and more demand on our setups and electrical systems, we need to be backing it up on the other end to ensure it’s up to the task.
How solar power works
Solar panels are unarguably one of the greatest accessories to keep your electrical system ticking along on even the most remote trip, and most people are familiar with their operation. Point them at the sun, and they make electricity. The actual ‘how’ is a little more complicated. Actually, it’s near on as complicated as it gets to the point that trying to understand it kicked off the field of quantum mechanics.
We won’t bore you with the reactions inside the sun itself, but the result is an unending stream of photons fired our way. We perceive them as light, but they’re also energy (you’d need to speak to Albert Einstein if you want to understand that better). In just one hour, the earth receives enough energy from these photons to power all of our energy needs for a year, so it’s worth paying attention to.
Solar panels traditionally take advantage of these photons with photovoltaic cells under sheets of hard glass. As the photons hit the cells, they knock electrons loose from their atoms. If conductors are attached, these electrons flow through a circuit, the very definition of electricity.
But now they bend…
Most solar panels have a Monocrystalline Silicon photovoltaic cell, typically under glass in a solid panel. Plastic-coated versions offer some degree of flexibility, making them an increasingly common sight on curved leading edges of caravan roofs, and even stuck directly to 4WD canopies. But they’re almost outdated already.
There’s a new emerging field of solar panels called Solar Fabrics, and frankly, it means potentially massive boosts to the power capabilities of your camping setup. There are a few different methods manufacturers are using, including Quantum Dots designed by the University of Queensland, but commercial installations of solar harvesting fabrics have already begun rolling out all across the world in shade structures.
German company Heliatek produces a solar fabric with carbon nanoparticles on a polyethylene film capable of producing 85W per square metre. Now yes, traditional solar panels are capable of producing more per square metre. But if the annex on a typical forward fold camper trailer was produced out of this material, you’d have 900W of solar just by setting up your shade. Even a typical 3m x 3m gazebo would give nearly 800W of solar. That’s not far-fetched either.
While Heliatek’s focus is on building coverings, U.S.-based Eco-Dynamic has already announced their Artpiece awning, which is capable of producing 1000W of solar power when rolled out. Functionally, it works exactly the same as any other van-mounted awning, just with an extra trick up its sleeve.
See-through tech
If the thought of running your fridge from your awning rocks your socks, wait ‘til you hear about photovoltaic glass. Basically, since their inception, solar panels have been large black sheets. But tech advancement has meant your tow-tugs glass could soon be producing more power than the solar on your roof. Yep, you guessed it. This means the possibility of solar panel windows for your RV.
Crystalline Silicon Glass and Amorphous Silicon Glass have been installed in architectural projects for a few years now, and despite their relatively low power output per square metre, their ability to cover huge spaces while filtering UV radiation and providing thermal and sound insulation makes them something we expect to see more of in future.
Don’t believe us? See it in action in the video below.
While we doubt companies like Redarc will produce replacement glass to charge your dual battery system from the sun, it’s not hard to imagine future EVs or hybrid tow-tugs utilising the tech to charge your rig on the run. With that in mind, it’s only a matter of time until companies like Dometic integrate photovoltaic solar panel technology into their range of caravan windows and doors.
Imagine your caravan effortlessly running your air conditioning completely off the grid, powered by nothing but your awning and windows. That future might be closer than you think.
