The Fresnel lenses on their own would only weigh about 60 pounds. When compared to the weight of a car, which is around 4000 pounds, the effect of the weight of the Fresnel lenses would be almost insignificant. Also, an advantage of using Fresnel lenses over traditional convex lenses is their thinness, which would have a very low impact on the car’s aerodynamics. Photovoltaic paint and Fresnel lenses with solar cells could be implemented on trains successfully since trains have a large surface area on both the body and roof, which would allow more solar cells and Fresnel lenses to be placed and more paint to be applied, thus compensating for the larger amount of energy required to operate the train. Implementation on other modes of transportation such as public buses and even airplanes is possible as well.
— Solar High Rollers

Although we have not discussed our issue with a car expert or experimented extensively with this technology, we were able to think of some possible issues that might arise.
Since the power from our innovation goes directly to a battery, which then powers the car, if the cells and paint generate more electricity than can be stored in the battery there could be potentially harmful results. To solve this issue, power could be diverted from the battery to directly power the car’s motor when the battery is full.
Another potential issue is that the heat concentrated onto the solar cells could affect the temperature of the car. This issue could be solved by placing an insulating layer, such as Aerogel, between the cells and the car’s roof.
These issues are the ones we found more prominent. If we were to test our innovation, we may discover other issues with implementation in the car, and solutions to these issues would then be developed.

Hot spots on the solar cells may be generated, which could reduce their functionality. This issue can be resolved by running a coolant similar to the one used to cool the engine of the car through the solar cells to regulate the temperatures of the cells. Although concentrating the sunlight could overheat the solar panels it is unlikely that it will affect the car’s temperature. If we are able to experiment with this technology and find that it does affect the car’s temperature, we could add an insulating layer, such as foam or Aerogel, between the cells and the car’s roof.
— Solar High Rollers

Generating electricity at home would allow the car to charge while at home, but not when it is in motion. Our idea allows the driver to charge their car while they are driving, increasing the usefulness of the electricity generated. Another advantage is that our idea is much cheaper, costing significantly less than the tens of thousands of dollars that solar panels on homes cost.
— Solar High Rollers

Our product is an innovation based off of the invention of NanoFlex Power Corporation’s, however that is not the only aspect of our idea. Fresnel lenses and photovoltaic cells will also implemented on the roof of the car to help decrease the environmental impact of the cars, and they will work in conjunction with the photovoltaic paint.

The combined cost of the Fresnel lens and solar cell assembly and the photovoltaic paint is an estimated $3500.
Replacement of the paint would depend on the severity of the crash. If the car were to get into a very mild accident, the paint may not need to be reapplied at all. If the accident is more severe, then the paint may need to be reapplied, but possibly only in the affected area.
Extending our innovation to trains is feasible, since they operate much more efficiently than buses and trucks. Although our innovation may help for trucks and buses it might not have a significant enough impact for the cost to be appealing to consumers.

The incorporation of your idea to trains seems like a successful venture. Their operations are pre-planned so the trains which yield the most output (based on the environment traveled through) in simulations could have the solar cell assembly and Freshnel lenses. However, do the benefits of your system outweigh the costs of the Fresnel lens and solar cell assembly for a personal automobile like a family car?

One benefit of our system is that, in the long run, it saves its user money. Similarly to solar panels that people install on their homes, our innovation will pay itself off, since the amount of gasoline a car must use is reduced. After the innovation has paid itself off, the user will continue to save money from the higher efficiency of his or her car.
Another benefit of our innovation is that it reduces the environmental impact of an automobile by increasing the car’s efficiency and lowering its dependence on nonrenewable energy sources.

When we designed our innovation we kept the idea that people care about the aesthetic appeal of their car in mind. The photovoltaic paint will not affect the car;s appearance very much, since the color of the paint layer is customizable. The Fresnel lenses and solar cells will, however, affect the appearance of the car. A large advantage that Fresnel lenses have over convex lenses is their slim profile. Since the lenses will not protrude very far from the top of the car, they will not affect the car’s appearance very much.