Due to their equipment, many emergency vehicles consume large amounts of electricity, which means the engine often has to run between calls in order to keep the systems active. In addition, it is necessary to connect chargers when the vehicle is out of service for longer periods of time to enable it to be started at any time.
Photovoltaic systems integrated into the vehicle can thus not only save money, but also significantly reduce the environmental footprint.
For this reason, the Irish National Ambulance Service equipped 55 Emergency Ambulances, 7 Intermediate Care Vehicles, 25 Rapid Response Vehicles, 2 Driving Training Units and 2 Critical Care Ambulances with solar systems of various sizes as a first step. The goal: to eliminate manual vehicle charging, save fuel costs, and extend battery life.
Thanks to the full-surface pre-mounted adhesive, secure installation is quick and easy. Various connection options – routed into the vehicle directly below the modules in a waterproof manner or with connection boxes or connectors on the top.
Different cell types and custom designs allow virtually unlimited system sizes, up to completely covered vehicle roofs for particularly demanding electrical loads.
Martin Dunne, Director of the HSE National Ambulance Service: “These new vehicles will greatly reduce our carbon footprint as well as providing enhanced care to our patients. A number of these new vehicles are already in service. The public can see these vehicles in Dublin and throughout the country as they are rolled out to replace existing NAS fleet. They have solar panels on each vehicle as well as a number of other energy efficient features.”
Technical data:
Power: 186-372Wp
Panel series: SX / SR
Weight: 2,8kg/m² inkl. Klebstoff
Battery voltage: 12V / 24V
Battery type: Gel / LiFePO4