Pilot series of SolarOnTop kicked-off

Pilot series SolarOnTops on the road in 2020

HELMOND, June 2020 - IM Efficiency has entered the final phase for the market introduction of the innovative solution SolarOnTop. Together with a number of transporters, 10 vehicles are fitted with solar panels on the roof of the trailer or box truck.

With the pilot, IM Efficiency and its pilot partners can gather a lot of data on the usage of the SolarOnTop and it’s energy saving performance, while translating the relevant data into a user-friendly online dashboard. The pilot period lasts a maximum of 9 months. The pilot is being carried out with partners in the Benelux, including Vos Logistics and Emons Group.

The SolarOnTop has already been extensively tested in practice throughout the past three years, evaluating topics such as reliability, quality and energy yield.

Solar panels are mounted on the semi-trailer of the truck to generate green energy. This energy is supplied to the electrical circuit of the truck and the semi-trailer via intelligent electronics. Solar energy is also stored in a li-ion battery to be used when no solar energy can be generated, for example at nighttime. By supplying the vehicle with solar energy, the alternator generates less electrical power, which results in lower CO₂ emissions and fuel savings. The average payback period is approximately 3 years.

he expected market introduction of the SolarOnTop is at the end of Q1 2021.