A group of scientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia will test printed-solar panels on a Tesla Model 30
A project called Charge Around Australia will demonstrate that printed solar panel technology could be used to generate renewable energy for off-grid electric car charging. This project is made possible between the UK company Charging Around Britain Ltd and the University of Newcastle. The project will be using a Tesla Model 3, which will complete a 9,400-mile journey, equipped with 18 of the group’s printed plastic solar panels. It will be rolled out beside the car to soak up sunlight. This will complete the trip using solely solar energy.
Paul Dastoor, the inventor of the printed solar panel technology, said that “This is actually an ideal testbed to give us information about how we would go about using and powering technology in other remote locations, for example, in space.” He said that this project would not be only testing the endurance of the printed solar panels during the trip. They will also be looking at the technology’s potential applications beyond EV charging.
Dastoor added: “We can look at applications where we can cover them across vast areas, and because they’re printed, at really low cost. So imagine a world where every building, every structure, has a coating on it that generates power. That’s the potential of this technology,”
Since the Tesla Model 3 will only be getting its energy from the sun, it is expected that the journey will be long. However, the team aims to complete the 9,400-mile journey in 84 days. They will also be visiting 70 schools during the course of the trip, in hopes that students across Australia could get an idea of what a renewable future potentially holds.
Solar printed panels are printed using conventional printers, which makes them extremely affordable to make. It is also extremely lightweight and thin, making it portable and convenient to use.
