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The Rise of Mobile Solar: Trends, Applications, and Future Perspectives

A Special Issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417) belonging to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1550

Editor

GX Research Center, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
Interests: automobile and transportation by renewable energy; solar energy; solar cell; CPV; standardization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions becomes increasingly critical, the transportation sector stands at a pivotal crossroads, poised to embrace revolutionary technological advancements. One of the most promising breakthroughs is the integration of photovoltaic technologies across a wide array of transportation modes—ranging from vehicles and trucks to buses, ships, trains, and even stratospheric drones.

The complexities of solar mobility technology present us with unparalleled opportunities and challenges that demand our immediate attention. By addressing hurdles such as achieving efficient electricity generation in dynamic and high-speed conditions, ensuring reliability in the face of vibrations and dynamic loads, and adapting to irregularly shaped surfaces, we can forge a more sustainable future for transportation. Moreover, we must ensure long-term performance in harsh environments—tackling exposure to UV light, the stresses of chemical and frictional car washes, impacts from debris, extreme temperatures, and the demands of high acceleration.

The importance of advanced optics cannot be overstated; attention must be paid to features like anti-glare technology and real-time performance calculations in response to fluctuating solar irradiance.

Effective energy management is also crucial to our success. By seamlessly integrating internal combustion engines, optimizing charging and discharging frequencies, and designing lightweight structures that harness solar resources, we can make greater strides towards a greener future.

This Special Issue highlights these essential challenges and showcases next-generation photovoltaics. By learning from the lessons of early solar mobility implementations, we can not only propel our transportation systems into a realm of sustainability but also lead the charge in combating climate change. In now spotlighting these innovations, we embrace the clean transportation future we envision. Together, we can drive this transformative change forward.

Dr. Kenji Araki
Guest Editor

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • transportation
  • solar electric vehicle (sev)
  • vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (vipv)
  • flexible pv
  • heigh-efficiency pv
  • haps
  • reliability
  • energy system

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

30 pages, 7938 KB  
Article
Retrofitting Solar Panels on Trucks: Lessons Learned from the Monitoring Project on PV-Equipped 200 Trucks in Japan
by Kenji Araki, Takumi Konuma, Makoto Tanaka, Yasuyuki Ota, Shiro Sakamoto and Kensuke Nishioka
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 2850; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16062850 - 16 Mar 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1077
Abstract
The decarbonization of the transportation sector necessitates the adoption of practical measures that can be implemented within existing fleets. One such measure is the installation of solar panels on trucks, which has shown potential to reduce fuel consumption in heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). This [...] Read more.
The decarbonization of the transportation sector necessitates the adoption of practical measures that can be implemented within existing fleets. One such measure is the installation of solar panels on trucks, which has shown potential to reduce fuel consumption in heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). This study presents lessons learned from a monitoring project involving 200 commercial trucks retrofitted with 300–500 W solar panels, aimed at supplementing battery charging and minimizing alternator operation. The system incorporated commercially available flexible photovoltaic (PV) modules, adhesive mounting techniques, a charge controller, and a data logger housed within a control box. Documentation covered installation procedures, wiring practices, and safety considerations across various truck models, with additional insights from electrical contractors regarding labor time and costs. Results indicate that adhesive-based mounting can be carried out safely and reliably without structural modifications, although wiring and control box placement constitute the most significant portions of the installation process. The project further identified variability in installation duration and economic viability, depending on vehicle configuration and technician expertise. Overall, the findings affirm that vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) retrofits are both technically feasible and operationally robust. They also underscore the practical requirements, constraints, and workforce considerations essential for scaling deployment within commercial fleets. Full article
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