Learn how to solar power a fire truck or ambulance

Do you know the KOPL for your fire devices or ambulances? KOPL stands for key-off parasitic load, which sounds kind of scary but really isn’t — unless of course you’re an apparatus energy.

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KOPL is the electro-mechanical load created by radios, computers, climate-controlled drug-storage cabinets and other portable electro-mechanical devices found on today’s fire devices and ambulances when the ignition is often turned off.

That electrical load has grown substantially over the years as departments have actually increased their scope of web sites. The increased amount of time that devices spend out of quarters — and furthermore away from plug-in power to address KOPL — requires continually running all the apparatus motor to ensure that the devices batteries don’t run down to a target where the apparatus cannot be started.

Approach apparatus-mounted solar panels that capture solar power to keep those apparatus batteries located at full charge — along with those individuals parasitic devices — with the devices motor turned off. And the benefits of getting solar panels to help maintain the battery request go beyond improved battery performance. The following are five of those benefits.

Reduced performing hours on the vehicle motor.

Greatly reduce maintenance costs (less frequent replacing filters and lubricants).

Reduced calories use at the station as the devices can be outside during the daylight hours in place being plugged into a shoreline.

Ones technology necessary to harness electricity in sunlight continues to become more effective and furthermore efficient — and smaller. Keep in mind, the more direct the sun, the better, and furthermore today’s solar panels produce electricity may on a cloudy day, as well as in towns with tall buildings that can sombre the sun. Only the rate of request is affected.

The San Rafael (Calif. ) Fire Department and furthermore South Metro (Colo. ) Fire-starters Rescue Authority have each presented programs to outfit their function apparatus and ambulances with solar. The purpose is to keep their 12 volts systems charged so they don’t need to carry on to be at idle at an incident.

San Rafael began its commitment throughout solar energy five years ago with the installing of solar equipment on one engine regarding fleet. Since then, the success from this initial installation has led to the category to outfit all 22 vehicle owners in their fleet with solar panels.

The benefits of using solar panels to address KOPL addresses couple of big concerns regarding ambulances: electro-mechanical load and carbon footprint. With the use of solar panels can extend the vehicle’s service life in terms of the batteries because the electric battery load is not killing the system.

Rescue ambulances present a special challenge to car managers. A vehicle sits in the service station until a call comes in. Ones crew starts the engine, replies to the scene and then the serps idles. Then the patient is looking forward to transport and brought to the hospital, that the truck idles again.

Finally it then goes back to the station. All of that creating and idling time quickly holders up the vehicle’s operating hours includes a major influence on the longevity of those ambulance chassis.

PL Custom contains its solar system, panels postioned atop an ambulance to provide calories from the sun. The system is designed to charge a 10-amp DC electrical move for eight hours without just starting the vehicle, or connecting to a coastline.

The system is made up of two 110-watt solar, measuring 2 feet by fuve feet, a solar regulator to gain system voltage and a deep pattern battery. The panels are placed using the ambulance without interfering with airwaves antennas or rooftop lettering.

With the use of solar panels to reduce the amount of idling day reduces a vehicle’s carbon presence by reducing the amount of engine exhausts, engine lubricants used for maintenance (fewer changes needed) and spent lubricants and moisturizers that require proper disposal.

Making a interest to the use of solar energy can have some other financial benefit beyond savings after maintenance and fuel costs. A couple of departments have found success in procuring grant funding for new vehicles by making use of to their respective states citing saving money initiative aspect of solar charging.

Pulsetech’s 2-watt solar pulse battery charger and furthermore conditioner/maintainer charges and maintains 12 volts batteries using solar power energy. Machine cleans battery plates of large, terrible lead-sulfates so batteries can empati, store and release maximum charge when you need it. Military grade construction should make it ideal for fire apparatus and emergency ambulances.

Kussmaul Electronics’ solar power charging plan comes with instructions and parts to be sure of proper installation and eliminates fonder guess work. The system includes: great industrial-grade solar panel with 10-year whilst; charge controller with temperature-compensated, three-step output and battery type conclusion; heavy-duty vibration-dampened mounting system; 14 feet of duplex wire, définitif and cable ties; and waterproofed wire feed-through fitting and all hanging hardware for various truck agencement.

The Pure Sine line of solar energy charging systems, available from The Inverter Store, provide solar charging abilities ranging from 1, 000 to six, 000 watts of power. Ones kit comes with all the necessary material and mounting hardware and is home to military-grade specifications making it a great application for emergency response vehicle owners.

So take a look at what solar billing systems can do to improve your department’s bottom line and reduce the carbon presence for your apparatus fleet.

There is another article about solar powered system, visit here.

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