The Fleet Manager’s Guide to Solar Power: 5 Key Applications for Commercial Trucks

Commercial trucking fleets face growing challenges, including rising fuel costs, strict emissions regulations, and the need to enhance reliability while reducing operating costs.

Solar power is emerging as a transformative solution, offering a sustainable way to address these challenges across various systems within a truck.

This blog overviews five key areas where solar panels make a tangible impact-offering savings, reliability, and efficiency.

Explore each concept below, then click the links to learn more about how solar revolutionizes commercial trucking.

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1: Boost Diesel or Electric APU Efficiency with Solar

Auxiliary power units (APUs) play a crucial role in commercial trucking, powering cab amenities like HVAC systems and electronics during rest periods without idling the engine.

However, APUs consume resources, draining the truck's batteries or using diesel fuel.

Adding solar panels into the mix provides a clean, efficient way to supplement APU power.

This reduces the load on the APU, lowering fuel consumption for diesel systems and extending battery life for electric setups.

It also helps meet stricter idling and emissions regulations without compromising driver comfort.

Advantages Include:

• Fuel Savings: Solar reduces the runtime needed for diesel-powered APUs.
• Battery Health: Electric APUs last longer when supplemented with solar charging.
• Environmental Benefits: Decrease emissions and comply with anti-idling laws.

Find out how solar enhances APU performance.

2: Enhance Liftgate Reliability with Solar Power

Liftgates are essential for loading and unloading cargo, but their heavy power requirements often strain onboard batteries.

This can result in slower operations, breakdowns, or even complete failure during critical delivery moments, leading to lost time and customer dissatisfaction.

Solar panels provide a steady energy source to support liftgate operations, ensuring they work whenever needed.

This helps prevent operational hiccups while reducing the need for frequent battery replacements, which can be costly over time.

Fleet Benefits:

• Avoid Delays: Keep deliveries on track with consistent liftgate functionality.
• Lower Maintenance Costs: Prolong the life of liftgate batteries with supplementary solar charging.
• Improve Satisfaction: Both drivers and customers benefit from seamless operations.

Learn more about solar-powered liftgate reliability.

3: Keep Truck Starting Batteries Charged with Solar Power

Few things are as frustrating-and costly-for a fleet as a truck that won't start.

Starting batteries are often drained by parasitic loads such as lights, sensors, and auxiliary equipment, especially when vehicles are parked for extended periods.

This can lead to breakdowns, delayed schedules, and expensive service calls.

With solar panels installed, starting batteries are kept at optimal charge levels, even when the truck is parked.

This proactive approach eliminates unexpected jump-starts and reduces dependency on jump-start assistance, saving time and money.

Benefits for Fleets:

• Ensure Reliable Performance: Trucks are always ready to start, even after being parked for long periods.
• Reduce Costs: Minimize the expense and operational disruption caused by dead batteries.
• Prolong Battery Life: Solar charging helps reduce deep discharges that degrade batteries.

Learn how solar protects your starting batteries.

4: Solar Panels for Transportation Refrigeration Units (TRUs)

Refrigerated transport requires consistent power to maintain precise cargo temperatures.

TRUs often rely on diesel engines to run refrigeration systems, leading to high fuel consumption and increased emissions.

Unexpected power disruptions can also result in spoiled goods, impacting revenue and client relationships.

Solar panels provide a supplementary power source, reducing the load on TRU engines by reducing engine load for battery charging and ensuring uninterrupted operation.

By integrating solar power into TRUs, fleets can lower fuel costs, improve system reliability, and meet sustainability goals while protecting temperature-sensitive cargo.

What Solar Adds to TRUs:

• Cut Costs: Reduce diesel fuel consumption significantly.
• Reliability: Keep refrigeration systems running smoothly during all operations.
• Sustainability: Meet environmental standards with lower emissions and greener operations.

Read the ultimate guide to solar for TRUs.

5: Solar Power: The Key to Reliable Telematics

Telematics systems are the backbone of modern fleet management, enabling real-time tracking, diagnostics, and improved decision-making.

However, these sophisticated systems require constant, reliable power to function optimally.

When battery levels drop, telematics systems may experience outages, causing critical gaps in data collection and operational oversight.

Solar panels offer a dependable energy source, supplementing truck power systems and eliminating the need for prolonged idling to keep telematics running.

This reduces fuel consumption and minimizes wear and tear on engine components.

Why It Matters:

• Avoid Disruptions: Ensure uninterrupted communication between fleet managers and vehicles.
• Optimize Costs: Reduce the need for fuel-wasting idling practices often used to power telematics.
• Enhance Longevity: Protect sensitive telematics hardware by providing a consistent energy supply.

Discover how solar keeps your telematics running smoothly.

The Bottom Line: Drive Efficiency, Reliability, and Savings with Solar

Solar power's applications in commercial trucking are diverse, from powering telematics and liftgates to ensuring batteries and APUs perform at their best.

Integrating solar panels into your fleet reduces costs, improves reliability, and boosts overall efficiency.

Ready to see the impact of solar on your fleet? Click on the links above to learn more about each solution, or contact us to explore how we can tailor solar solutions to meet your specific needs.

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