"The cost of a battery seems minor compared to a transmission. However, it's the hidden cost that adds up."
MARINE APPLICATION WITH ONBOARD SOLAR
ARMORCELL is built on thin-film CIGS technology. The panels are about 2 millimeters thick and self-adhere directly to the vehicle, with no frame and no roof penetrations. They conform to curved surfaces and keep producing in conditions that challenge crystalline panels, including partial shade, low-angle and overcast light, high heat and extreme cold. "Hail, rain, ice, foot traffic — they handle it all reliably, year after year," Schroeder says. "There is no crystalline to crack or fail." THE COST OF TEN MINUTES Emergency vehicles were the starting point, but the problem reaches nearly every kind of fleet. Construction equipment, farm machinery, commercial boats, utility trucks and specialty vehicles all carry electronics that keep drawing power after the engine shuts off.
"Vehicles would not start due to dead batteries from parasitic loads, age, heat, cold," Schroeder says.
For a single owner, that's an inconvenience. Across a fleet, the cost compounds: crews stand around, projects are delayed and targets are missed. "Even 10 minutes wasted on a jump start once a week adds up to real money on the bottom line at the end of the year." "Fleet managers deal with a lot of maintenance items," Schroeder says. "The cost of a battery seems minor compared to a transmission. However, it's the hidden cost that adds up." That hidden cost extends beyond the battery itself. Dedicated solar also reduces idling and alternator demand, and it helps electrical systems avoid the low- voltage, high-current conditions that stress components.
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2026 DISASTERS & RESILIENT CITY EXPO HOUSTON EDITION
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