Comments to the Department of Energy on Vehicle Integrated Photovoltaics

Summary

Vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) and vehicle-added photovoltaic (VAPV) modules serve dual functionality by generating electric energy while replacing other structural parts of the vehicle, like the roof, the hood, the doors, the windows, the windshield, the sunroof, or other glass components. Although vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) and vehicle-added photovoltaic (VAPV) strategies could in principle complement policies that impact the transportation sector and have climate benefits, the likelihood of breakthroughs that significantly improve upon current VIPV and VAPV products (which provide only a few miles per day) is low. DOE’s highest RD&D priorities should focus on decarbonizing the off-road and heavy-duty transportation segments, which have proven to be much harder to abate to date and are less likely to be impacted by VIPV and VAPV strategies. If they were to proceed, RD&D and commercialization efforts on VIPV/VAPV technologies need to apply beyond the on-road light-duty vehicle subsector.

Read the comments. (PDF)