Solar will give no more than a 4-5% bump up during continuous driving unless you stop the cart for a while, a LONG while. That said, a typical continuous run will only add 2-3 miles in range. Don't get me wrong. I am a staunch advocate of alternative power sources. If anyone tries to sell you the solar based on those claims then AVOID. The best application/use I can recommend is for the 18 hole golfer who then goes out for cocktails or dinner (lunch) and then home.
An 18 hole round of golf will take between 4 and 4-1/2 hours and cover approximately 5 miles from start to finish. That gives a fair amount of time for the panels to charge while only discharging 5 miles of driving use. If you then head to the clubhouse or downtown for lunch or dinner and stay for a few hours then you get additional charge.
Sounds stupid to say but for some reason many are unaware, solar panels will NOT charge your batteries on very overcast days or at NIGHT.
Lastly, there are several options for solar panels, mostly in their amperage rating, or simply put, how quickly the batteries will charge. The higher the amperage rating, the more expensive. My cart takes 10-12 hours to fully charge from almost fully discharged with a standard 20 Amp Club Car Charger. Many solar panels are simply 1-2 Amp chargers. At that rate it would take 100-240 hours to fully charge with solar panels alone. A cart with a 40 mile range (mine with 6 @ 8 volt batteries) would only get 0.4 miles range for every hour of solar charge, at best!
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