5 questions for Robert Fritsch

1. How did you embark on a career in the mobility industry? What inspires you to work in this field?

My career never took a direct path, and my journey in the mobility industry made a few turns before I finally arrived where I am now. I always believed in being passionate about what I do every day. I began in the traditional way by studying wholesale and export business in the agricultural sector. Later on, working in various posts in the semiconductor industry, for an American company and in management for a medium-sized German company in the field of measurement and automation technology, I gained a lot of experience in the mobility sector. Along the way, I took a degree in international management, and a few years ago began working in solar integration for commercial vehicles. After 20 years I have now come full circle. At the start of my professional career solar energy was important for designing products. Today, it is an essential part of making mobility more sustainable, for which we develop and market solutions.

2. How does solar energy in the mobility sector help reduce CO2 emissions?

Solar-generated electricity has the advantage of being available on the spot. Our solar modules produce energy directly on top of the vehicle for use by various electrical consumers. This is clean electricity that would otherwise be generated by a combustion engine.

A combustion engine is highly inefficient when it comes to producing electricity. Due to power losses in the engine and generator, up to five times more fossil fuel energy (measured in watts) is fed into the system than is actually required by a consumer. So a solar system not only reduces CO2 emissions, it also saves costs.

Battery-electric vehicles also benefit from VIPV (vehicle-integrated photovoltaics). Solar power either charges the high-voltage battery, increasing the vehicle range, or operates low-voltage consumers, which reduces power losses and extends the range and battery life.

3. What advantages do solar modules from OPES Solar Mobility specifically offer buses? What requirements must buses fulfil in order to benefit from your solar modules?

The requirements for a bus are quite basic: free roof space and a battery. Fortunately, this is usually the case. It makes no difference whether a low-voltage or high-voltage battery is fitted.

We have been working with OEMs and research organisations such as the Fraunhofer Institute for years to further develop our solar modules and optimise them specifically for the mobility sector’s requirements. Thanks to our long experience in photovoltaics, we set standards for vehicle-integrated solutions.

Our approach of focusing entirely on vehicles is unique in the photovoltaics industry, and was the reason for setting up a factory in Germany. The industry is very demanding, and we are able to fulfil its needs by facilitating integration and optimising modules accordingly. Our customers in the retrofit industry also benefit from this. We also support our customers with integration into the production line. Not least, the focus at our site in Germany is on matrix technology. This gives the modules a higher power density per square metre and up to 70 per cent higher efficiency when parts of the solar module are covered by shade or leaves.

4. How much energy can a typical bus save with integrated solar modules?

Depending on where it operates, saving 1500 to 2000 litres of diesel per year is possible. First of all, one has to determine how much energy can be generated. The same solution can produce different results, depending on where a bus operates for example. Solar intensity plays a big part and regions in the south have an advantage here. However, our products and systems are designed so that even in the north, in Scandinavia for instance, these applications make sense and are ultimately commercially viable.

Another key factor is shading. The shading conditions for buses operating in inner-city areas are different compared with regional or overland routes. In both cases our O.Motion PV modules provide the perfect solution. Thanks to our matrix technology, we offer a globally unique solution for operating under any conditions and achieve a higher output than comparable products.

5. What are the challenges in scaling solar applications to suit various transport modes, e.g. buses, HGVs and possibly trains?

The challenges are different for OEMs and the retrofit market. It is important to be able to react to various vehicle requirements and be in touch with the market. Our choice of business location in Germany clearly reflects this. In addition to supplying products we support integration in the production process and equipping existing vehicles. Production at our factory in Zwenkau is highly automated, enabling us to closely serve customers’ needs.