Energy efficiency is a concept that provides both economic and environmental benefits by using existing energy resources more efficiently. It minimizes the damage to the environment by protecting natural resources, reduces foreign dependency and eases the economic burden of institutions. It also provides economic relief by meeting the need for renewable raw materials on its own. It also accelerates the transition to cleaner and more efficient energy sources by encouraging the development of new technologies or the diffusion of existing technologies.
ARIBA Storing Energy.
January 8-14 Energy Efficiency Week provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness of energy conservation and efficiency among all segments of society. On the occasion of this week, individuals can review their daily habits, exhibit more conscious consumption behaviors and raise awareness by setting an example for their environment. Institutions, on the other hand, can both reduce their costs and increase customer satisfaction by creating a sensitive corporate image through energy efficiency practices. In addition to all these, they fulfill their duties to contribute to a sustainable future. Energy efficiency is an awareness-raising process that should be continued not only during one week but also on other days of the year.
The Importance of Solar Energy
Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, released into the atmosphere by the use of fossil fuels, cause global warming and climate change. Solar energy offers a clean and reliable alternative as it is an inexhaustible and non-polluting source. It also offers a solution for leaving a sustainable world to future generations.
Solar energy can produce around 170000 watts of energy, more than 20,000 times the world's annual energy needs. This energy is safe and does not cause carbon emissions.
As science and technology advance, we may see more options for renewable energy sources such as nuclear fusion. But solar energy will always be a viable option due to its low cost, lack of resource dependence, easy maintenance and operation. In the future, with the technological development of material science, it can be expected that the ease of maintenance and operation will increase, costs will decrease and the use of solar energy will increase.
ITU ZES Solar Car Team has been raising awareness on national and international platforms by recognizing the importance of sustainable energy sources since 2004. The team, which gets its energy entirely from the sun, continues its work with the awareness of sustainability by pushing the limits of technology and aims to offer environmentally friendly solutions.
COMPARISONS
Carbon Emissions
In terms of carbon emissions, internal combustion vehicles emit about 7 times more carbon emissions than solar cars during production and use. 1 liter of gasoline is about 0.74 kg and an internal combustion vehicle emits 11 kg of carbon dioxide per 100 kilometers. In production processes, it causes about 7 tons of carbon emissions. Batteries for electric vehicles usually use lithium-ion batteries, and the production of a 40 kWh battery results in 6-8 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In the production of the ARIBA ZES XE battery with a capacity of 5.5 kWh, this value is only between 0.825-1.1 tons.
Solar cars have zero exhaust carbon emissions, unlike fossil fuel and electric cars. It does not harm the atmosphere while running and reduces costs by using renewable energy.
Our autonomous vehicle has a battery capacity of 1 kWh. The amount of CO2 produced by a 1kWh Li-ion battery is about 2.5 tons. If the battery is charged using renewable energy sources (solar and wind), this reduces CO2 emissions to almost zero. About 18 kWh of energy is required to complete a 100 km range. An autonomous vehicle using an internal combustion engine uses about 6 liters of gasoline to complete the same distance, which equates to 53.4 kWh of energy. In addition, the regenerative braking system we use reduces energy loss, which is not the case with an internal combustion engine vehicle.
Economical
An internal combustion vehicle consumes 6-7 liters of fuel (53.4 kWh) per 100 kilometers, while electric vehicles consume 18 kWh of energy. Solar cars, on the other hand, run entirely on solar energy, reducing fuel costs to zero. In the 2024 iESC, the ARIBA ZES XE completed a distance of 924 kilometers using only 10 kWh of energy. While an internal combustion vehicle consumes 61 liters (2763 TL) of fuel for the same distance, electric vehicles cost between 435-1514 TL depending on the type of charging.
Our Team at iESC 2024 Drawing Attention to Energy Efficiency
Energy
We use the LG MJ1 battery type in our solar car. LG MJ1 is a lithium ion battery with NMC chemistry. Due to its high energy density, we both increase our energy capacity and reduce the total weight of our vehicle. With a capacity of 3500 mAh, this battery has the ability to be fully charged in as little as 1 hour, so we can quickly charge our battery in the races we participate in or in a normal drive and continue our drive.
Solar cars are built with lightweight composite materials, carbon fiber and highly efficient solar panels. They are designed to be aerodynamic, durable and highly energy efficient.
Our most important difference from other electric vehicles is that we can utilize solar energy. In this way, we can continue our driving thanks to solar energy without the need for extra energy during the daytime. In this way, we have both a more environmentally friendly and cost-free driving opportunity. In addition, while providing energy to the engine with solar energy, we can also fill our battery, which has a capacity of 5.5 kW/hour. In cases where solar energy is insufficient, our vehicle can continue driving by taking energy from its battery like other electric cars. While other electric vehicles pause for charging, we provide an uninterrupted driving experience with the energy we receive from the sun in every situation where there is sun. In terms of Energy Efficiency, an average electric car is 3.89 times more efficient than a car powered by an internal combustion engine over a distance of 100 km. The solar car is 70 times more efficient than a car powered by an internal combustion engine.
Thanks to its aerodynamic structure, light weight and advanced battery management system, it consumes much less energy compared to internal combustion and electric vehicles. For example, the solar car consumes only 1 kWh of energy per 100 kilometers.
In our autonomous vehicle, we use the Molicel M35A 18650 battery model with lithium-ion chemistry. Due to our race regulation and current values, we prefer a battery configuration with 14 series and 12 parallel. With this configuration, we try to reach maximum efficiency and capacity.
We use ARIBA Autonomus II Togitek brand BMS in our vehicle. We aim to optimize our cells with BMS for battery safety and high efficiency. In addition, we energize the electrical components and the battery management system by reducing our voltage to 12 V with the help of an isolated type switching power supply known as flyback. As a result of these systems, we achieve an efficiency of approximately 95% from our engine. If we were using an internal combustion engine, our efficiency would be about 30% under the best conditions. The loss of energy converted into heat would be almost 15 times higher.
Energy efficiency and solar cars are the cornerstones of a sustainable future. Solar cars stand out as the least environmentally damaging, economical and highly efficient alternative. They are not just a piece of technology, but a solution and an example for environmental sustainability.
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