Folding panels to charge electric vehicles

Foldable panels are no longer a camping accessory and are now presented as a way to recharge parked electric vehicles. The publication describes these portable modules as a complement to grid charging, with a gain in range and lower charging costs in the long term, without stating the equipment's power, efficiency or useful life.

The missing variable is the value of the equipment over time. In Brazil, Inmetro Ordinance 140/2022, in force since 2 May 2022, covers modules above 5 Wp and defines class A for efficiency above 20% and class E for below 14%, a range that separates products with declared performance from the rest.

The consequence concerns depreciation. A portable module works outside a fixed structure, undergoes handling, folding and transport, and has neither a maintenance contract nor a resale benchmark. The cost per kilometre recharged depends on actual useful life, which the publication does not state.

What defines the return on a portable module is its declared efficiency and the number of years for which it holds.