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The best case scenario for a solar array to absorb energy is when it is perpendicular to the sun. Different seasons have different angles that the array should be tilted based on the suns position to the earth, but since we are racing in the summer months (when the sun will be highest in the sky), the optimal angle for the solar panels is around 20degrees from the horizon. Panel arrays can be placed anywhere on the vehicle, but the best spot to put them would be on the southern-most facing side of the vehicle, under the assumption that the equator is south of where we will be racing.
Maxeon Solar Cells
https://sunpower.maxeon.com/int/solar-panel-products/flexible-solar-panels
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It should be noted that the optimization of where the solar panels are laid out on the vehicle should be considerate of before/after, and during the race. It is important to lay out the arrays so that during the race we can absorb the most sun while driving.
Gochermann Solar Cells
Semi-flexible Modules – Gochermann Solar Technology
“If the design of your application demands an arched plane for the PV mounting area, our PV panels are bendable to follow the curvature. Bending is possible over either axis, comparable to a piece of paper. The maximum bending radius is 30 cm without breaking cells. A panel fixed to a radius will never present all the cells at the optimum angle to the solar irradiation, so a reduction in power output is inevitable. The more a panel is arched the less power will be available. Thus, we strongly recommend using flat mounting areas as much as possible to achieve full power output.”
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Pages 97-100 of The Winning Solar Car: PDF Library - Mechanical - Confluence (atlassian.net)
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