A research and development project seeks to make adding solar panels cost-effective by reducing weight on tractor-trailers through new technology.
The U.S. Energy Department’s Solar Energy Technologies Office is awarding $1.6 million to Wabash, in partnership with the University of Delaware’s Center for Composite Materials, according to an Oct. 10 press release. The public money will help the OEM advance the project, which is making use of technological advancements in materials.
“This innovation will play a pivotal role in making zero-emission mid-mile transportation a commercially viable option,” the OEM said.
The materials are Wabash’s EcoNex Technology, a lightweight thermal insulation panel, and a research breakthrough called Tailored universal Feedstock for Forming, or TuFF, described by the University of Delaware as the world’s strongest short fiber composite.
EcoNex panels will “enhance thermal efficiency and reduce energy consumption,” while the TuFF technology will “strengthen and lighten the trailers and truck bodies,” Wabash said.
The project calls for placing lightweight solar panels atop the refrigerated trailers.
The innovation also seeks to meet California Air Resources Board requirements across different vehicle types “without requiring fully electric platforms to meet compliance,” the semi-trailer and tank trailer manufacturer said.
The money comes from the Silicon Solar Manufacturing and Dual-use Photovoltaics Incubator funding program, which aims to decarbonize the electricity system by 2035.
Wabash Director of Technology Discovery and Validation Michael Bodey is the lead researcher for the project, and the company will contribute $700,000, the Solar Energy Technologies Office previously said.
“This project has the potential to revolutionize refrigerated transport by reducing reliance on the electrical grid and minimizing overall emissions,” Bodey said in the release. “By incorporating lightweight solar panels and utilizing EcoNex Technology in refrigerated trailers and truck bodies, we are addressing two of the most significant barriers to electrification: weight and energy consumption.”
