[LittleDog]

Originally Posted by simpilot

I have no personal experience using them on a golf cart but let me give you some dirty engineering numbers that might help you decide. The typical electric golf cart has a 3hp motor which means it will need about 2,500 watts to provide full power. A solar cell produces a maximum of about 20 watts per square foot in full sunlight and the roof of a golf cart has an area of about 20 square feet. That means it will produce about 400 watts max.

The cart won't run on solar power alone but it might extend range about 10% taking into consideration practical considerations (shade, sun not directly overhead). That would be for steady running. When parked it would recharge the batteries but you would need to let it recharge 10 hours to recharge one hours running.

I had a solar panel on my cart for over a year and I have to agree with you regarding how much you can get out of a solar panel. I could see some improvement but nothing major. Maybe they've improved them.

John