kiltedcelt
100 W
I've been reading through page after page of threads on here mentioning solar recharging of ebike batteries but I'm finding little in the way of a more simplistic breakdown of what is currently known about the best panels to use and what sorts of components to use to make charging an ebike battery via solar panels a viable thing. I'm embarking on creating a tadpole cargo trike, and one thing I want to incorporate is a the ability to have an awning with solar panels just like many of the 'cycles you'd see on something like The Sun Trip. Sun Trip - that's another thing. I've looked at numerous threads regarding that as well, but again I'm finding it difficult to parse just how these 'cycles are set up for solar charging. The goal of something like Sun Trip and my intention is to have the ability to recharge the power source for an ebike without needing to rely on mains power to recharge. Are these 'cycles set up with a battery that powers the bike while riding and a second battery that is storing current generated by the panels while riding? Are they then simply swapping batteries as need, or does the battery connected to the charger then somehow recharge the main battery at stops? I'm planning right now on only working with what I have which is a BBSHD mid-drive and a 14sp 28.3 amp hour 52v battery. The battery voltage is another thing I'm perplexed about. I'm seeing plenty of info about 24/36/48v battery recharging, but nothing about 52v batteries, or at least not where I've been looking. So, is there some central site or thread where someone has collated all of this information? Created sort of a primer on how these systems should be set up, that sort of thing? I'm willing to buy or build another battery when it comes time to begin assembling the solar recharging system, as well as the other components. I realize that hub motors might be better in some regards due to having the option of regen, but that's not on the table right now. I'm also trying to make this 'cycle be more versatile so I want the ability to switch out the 26x3.0 wheels I'll be using with 26x4.0 for snow or more serious rough-road stuff. That obviously rules out hub motors as well, unless I get into things like mounting a hub motor in the frame somehow. Anyway, my budget isn't going to allow any other motor other than the BBSHD right now. Anyway, mainly just posting to see if anyone can help me narrow down my search criteria or if anyone knows of a site or collection of information where someone has put this all together along with the most recent information regarding the latest panels and battery voltages higher than 48v (ie. 52v).