Plug-in Hybrid Fit details

[jzerocsk]

Originally Posted by FITMugen

If I have electric car, I would charge it from the electrical grid at night but my solar panels will feed electric back during the day.

Sure, but we're talking about being able to sufficiently charge the car with solar panels mounted on the car. We're just not there yet.

[jzerocsk]

Originally Posted by Lyon[Nightroad]

Would completely tarnish the image of the fit.

I'm not sure what the "image" of the Fit has that could be tarnished. It's not exactly a status car.

Assuming a hybrid Fit would be an option and not an outright replacement for the all-gas Fit, I can't see how it would make any difference at all in anyone's perception. We already have hybrid versions of Civic, Accord, Camry, Highlander, RX, Fusion, Escape and nothing catastrophic happened to the egos of anyone driving the non-hybrid versions.

[reako]

Originally Posted by jzerocsk

I'm not sure what the "image" of the Fit has that could be tarnished. It's not exactly a status car.

Assuming a hybrid Fit would be an option and not an outright replacement for the all-gas Fit, I can't see how it would make any difference at all in anyone's perception. We already have hybrid versions of Civic, Accord, Camry, Highlander, RX, Fusion, Escape and nothing catastrophic happened to the egos of anyone driving the non-hybrid versions.

Agreed, but for clarification the Accord hybrid was dropped.

[Steve244]

Originally Posted by jzerocsk

Sure, but we're talking about being able to sufficiently charge the car with solar panels mounted on the car. We're just not there yet.

We're not there, not even close.

The Chevy Volt has a 16KWH battery and has a range of 40miles.

Lets say they can get 40 miles on a Fit platform with only 10KWH. Typical solar arrays develop 10 watts per square foot. A Fit roof is what, 3' x 4' or about 12sqft? With 12sqft you can develop 120 watts. In five hours this is 600wh or 0.6KWH (five hours seems to be what you can expect from good ol' sol given cloudy days and such. YMMV).

If it takes 10KWH to go 40 miles, half a KWH will get you 2 miles.

I'm a little concerned FITmugen is paying $900 a month for electricity. This is about 10 times the national residential average. Even down here in peak summer months cooling a 3000sqft house our bills are around $250 a month. What gives?

Anyway, say you're going to use an array on your roof to charge your FIT (power exchange dealio). 10KWH over 5 hours would require an array producing 2KW. At 10W per sq ft, 2KW/0.01 is 200sq ft or a 10' x 20' array. Doesn't sound bad, but current price to produce 200w is about $1000. 2KW would cost ten thousand dollars (said in my best Dr. Evil voice).

Going back to FITmugen's application, he's saving $700 a month. This is about 7,000 KWH (1KWH @ $0.09) or 225KWH per day. Assuming 5 hours good sunshine this is an array producing 45KW covering 4,500 sqft which would cost TWO HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Is this a commercial property? What was your investment in solar and how do you justify the cost?

[specboy]

Originally Posted by reako

Agreed, but for clarification the Accord hybrid was dropped.

Unfortunately, it was released at the wrong time with the wrong theory. The Accord Hybrid was released to show what hybrid electric power could do to improve performance as opposed to what it could do to save fuel. It was the fastest accord of that generation because it mated a full powered V6 with an electric assist.

Originally Posted by Steve244

We're not there, not even close.

The Chevy Volt has a 16KWH battery and has a range of 40miles.

Lets say they can get 40 miles on a Fit platform with only 10KWH. Typical solar arrays develop 10 watts per square foot. A Fit roof is what, 3' x 4' or about 12sqft? With 12sqft you can develop 120 watts. In five hours this is 600wh or 0.6KWH (five hours seems to be what you can expect from good ol' sol given cloudy days and such. YMMV).

If it takes 10KWH to go 40 miles, half a KWH will get you 2 miles.

I'm a little concerned FITmugen is paying $900 a month for electricity. This is about 10 times the national residential average. Even down here in peak summer months cooling a 3000sqft house our bills are around $250 a month. What gives?

Anyway, say you're going to use an array on your roof to charge your FIT (power exchange dealio). 10KWH over 5 hours would require an array producing 2KW. At 10W per sq ft, 2KW/0.01 is 200sq ft or a 10' x 20' array. Doesn't sound bad, but current price to produce 200w is about $1000. 2KW would cost ten thousand dollars (said in my best Dr. Evil voice).

Going back to FITmugen's application, he's saving $700 a month. This is about 7,000 KWH (1KWH @ $0.09) or 225KWH per day. Assuming 5 hours good sunshine this is an array producing 45KW covering 4,500 sqft which would cost TWO HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Is this a commercial property? What was your investment in solar and how do you justify the cost?

Reading back, I believe that FITmugen was talking "over the winter months", not just one month. If this is the case, Dropping your electrical bill by 80% no matter what the cost, is quite nice.

~SB

[Steve244]

Originally Posted by specboy

Unfortunately, it was released at the wrong time with the wrong theory. The Accord Hybrid was released to show what hybrid electric power could do to improve performance as opposed to what it could do to save fuel. It was the fastest accord of that generation because it mated a full powered V6 with an electric assist.



Reading back, I believe that FITmugen was talking "over the winter months", not just one month. If this is the case, Dropping your electrical bill by 80% no matter what the cost, is quite nice.

~SB

Over a four month period if he's saving $700 even at $0.12 per KWH thats 700/0.12=5,833KWH. Per month 5,888/4 = 1,458 KWH. Per day 1,488/31=47KWH. If 5 hours sunlight per day is used 47/5= 9.5KW generating capacity.

At $1000 investment in solar for every 200 watts, 9.5KW/0.2KW*$1000= $47,500 and that's not counting routine maintenance. Assuming he saves $2100 a year in electricity it would take 22 years to pay for the system. Maybe tax credits make this more feasible but personally I don't see it.

[FITMugen]

Originally Posted by Steve244

Over a four month period if he's saving $700 even at $0.12 per KWH thats 700/0.12=5,833KWH. Per month 5,888/4 = 1,458 KWH. Per day 1,488/31=47KWH. If 5 hours sunlight per day is used 47/5= 9.5KW generating capacity.

At $1000 investment in solar for every 200 watts, 9.5KW/0.2KW*$1000= $47,500 and that's not counting routine maintenance. Assuming he saves $2100 a year in electricity it would take 22 years to pay for the system. Maybe tax credits make this more feasible but personally I don't see it.

Yes, I got tax credit from both state and federal. I am expecting to get my money back within 7-9 years beside it increases home value as well.

[Steve244]

Originally Posted by FITMugen

Yes, I got tax credit from both state and federal. I am expecting to get my money back within 7-9 years beside it increases home value as well.

How much did you spend and how many watts does it produce (peak)? What sort of maintenance do you have to perform?

[FITMugen]

I have to check how many watts it produces? Since I installed it 3 years ago. It produces enough for 4500 sq. ft house comfortably.

The only maintenance I have done so far is clean the solar panel surface in the spring each year.