Genie Insights has surpassed one megawatt (1MW) of installed vehicle solar capacity, marking a major milestone in the fleet sector’s use of solar to address onboard power requirements while cutting fleet downtime and emissions.

The technology is currently active across more than 16,000 LCVs, trucks and trailers. By fitting thousands of individual panels to working commercial fleets, these systems generate clean electricity to sustain battery charges and supply standalone onboard power.

To put the scale into perspective, the combined capacity is comparable to that of a conventional solar farm covering approximately five acres of land.

Matt Reeve, managing director of Genie Insights, said: “Reaching this milestone reflects how far we’ve come in establishing solar as a practical solution to battery-related challenges, while contributing to fleet uptime and decarbonisation goals.”

Reeve added that the milestone reflects the company’s significant progress in raising awareness of vehicle solar technology and encouraging its widespread adoption across the commercial vehicle industry over the past seven years.

“We’re seeing vehicle manufacturers, converters and fleet operators who are approaching us proactively to explore how solar can address their onboard power requirements. What was once a relatively unfamiliar technology is now being adopted across a growing range of commercial vehicle applications, with more businesses recognising the benefits of generating electricity directly on the vehicle.”

The milestone builds on six consecutive winters of commercial deployment experience, with Genie Insights’ solar systems, incorporating UK-manufactured Mobile Integrated Photovoltaics (MIPV) technology, demonstrating consistent performance across a range of vehicle applications and operating conditions. Throughout this period, the company has received no reports from customers of premature battery failures on vehicles equipped with its solar battery maintenance systems.

The achievement also comes amid growing international interest in vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV), with recent research from the US, Europe and Japan examining the potential for solar generation on vehicles.

European Commission research has suggested that widespread vehicle solar adoption could reduce demand on Europe’s electricity grid by as much as 15.6TWh (Terawatt-hours) annually – enough electricity to power more than four million homes for a year.

Reeve added: “When we first introduced vehicle solar solutions, there was understandable caution across the industry. Solar had been trialled on commercial vehicles before, but earlier technologies weren’t always well suited to the operating conditions, leaving operators sceptical about its potential.

“Over the past seven years, we’ve worked to change those perceptions by demonstrating what flexible Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) solar technology can achieve in commercial vehicle applications. Today, we’re seeing growing adoption among vehicle manufacturers, converters and fleet operators, driven by their own experience and the results achieved across commercial fleets.”